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    Home » Course » Side Dish

    Courgette Salad

    Published: May 16, 2022 · Modified: Jul 7, 2023 by Erin Carter · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

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    A raw zucchini salad on a plate with pine nuts
    A cold courgette salad on a plate topped with pine nuts
    Courgette salad on a plate topped with pine nuts
    A raw zucchini salad on a plate with lemon wedges

    This is the best courgette salad recipe! It has the most refreshing flavour and the dressing is so easy to make with pantry staples like olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest and balsamic vinegar. The pine nuts on this salad give it the perfect crunch and you will love how easy this healthy salad is to make. 

    A raw courgette salad on a plate with lemon wedges.

    Why you will love this recipe: 

    • Move over Jamie Oliver! This is the best raw courgette salad recipe!
    • It has the most incredible refreshing flavour. 
    • It's so quick and easy to make and is ready in just a few minutes. 
    • The dressing on this zucchini salad is made with simple ingredients that you likely have in your pantry including olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest and balsamic vinegar. 
    • This salad is healthy, dairy free, gluten free, vegan, vegetarian, low carb, low calorie, keto, paleo and Whole30 compliant. 
    • This raw zucchini salad is perfect for warm spring and summer meals. It's nice and light and not too filling. 

    Taste and texture:

    This salad is light and refreshing and the dressing has a slightly sweet, citrus flavour. The pine nuts add a nice bit of crunch to the softer zucchini strands.

    Key ingredients and substitutions: 

    The ingredients needed for making a courgette salad including zucchinis, pine nuts, balsamic vinegar, oil and lemon.
    • Courgettes - you can use either green or yellow raw courgettes to make this salad. Another name for courgette is zucchini, so either green or yellow raw zucchini will work for this salad. 
    • Olive oil - olive oil makes the most delicious dressing for this zucchini salad. You could swap this for avocado oil instead. 
    • Lemons - lemons are use for both the lemon zest and fresh lemon juice in the dressing. This gives the dressing the most refreshing citrus flavour. 
    • Balsamic vinegar - to add a hint of sweetness to the dressing on this summer courgette salad. 
    • Pine nuts - pine nuts have such a unique flavour that blends perfectly with the dressing on this salad. Plus they add a delicious crunch to make this salad even more satisfying. I recommend using raw, not roasted pine nuts.  

    How to make this recipe: 

    Step one:

    First, to make the dressing, add all of the dressing ingredients to a bowl or glass measuring cup and stir together until combined. Set the dressing aside.

    Step two:

    Next, using a vegetable peeler or mandolin, slice the courgettes lengthwise into strips or ribbons about 2mm-3mm thick. Discard the inner part of the courgettes with the seeds.

    Step three:

    Then add the zucchini ribbons to a bowl with the pine nuts. Pour the dressing over top and toss well to combine.

    Step four:

    Serve and enjoy!

    Step by step directions for making a raw zucchini salad.

    Chef's tips: 

    • You can use yellow or green courgettes for this recipe (or a combination of both). 
    • If you are serving a crowd you can easily double or triple this recipe. 
    • To prepare this salad ahead of time I recommend making the dressing ahead of time but not slicing the zucchini and making the actual salad until you are ready to eat it.

    Variations and add ins: 

    • If you eat dairy, you can top this salad with feta cheese or parmesan cheese. 
    • If you like a sweeter dressing, add a tablespoon of honey or maple syrup to the dressing. 
    • Instead of pine nuts you could use cashews, hemp hearts or sesame seeds in this salad. 
    • To make this a warm courgette salad: add a tablespoon of olive oil to a pan over medium heat and add the plain, sliced courgettes to the pan. Heat the sliced zucchini for a few minutes until warm. Transfer the warmed courgettes to aa bowl and toss with the dressing and pine nuts. Then serve and enjoy!
    • To make this salad look even prettier, you can use your spiralizer to create a spiralized courgette salad. 
    • This salad is very flexible - feel free to add other ingredients such as chopped apple, avocado, spinach, cooked chicken, grilled salmon, or other additional ingredients of your choice.

    How to store: 

    Raw zucchini salad is best eaten right away but can be stored for up to 3 days in the fridge in an air tight container if you don't mind the zucchini getting a bit wilted. 

    What to serve with zucchini salad: 

    Zucchini salad is a great side dish to pair with hamburgers, turkey burgers, pork burgers, salmon burgers, duck burgers, lamb chops, steak, chicken, pork, ribs, blackened cod, or grilled salmon. 

    A raw zucchini salad on a plate topped with pine nuts.

    Frequently asked questions: 

    Can you eat raw courgette?

    Courgettes can be eaten raw or cooked, whichever way you prefer. To eat courgettes raw you can make them into a salad by either shaving them into ribbons or finely slicing them - raw courgettes are delicious served with simple ingredients like olive oil, lemon juice, balsamic vinegar and feta cheese. 

    Do you leave the skin on a courgette?

    You can safely eat the skin on a courgette. In fact, the skin is where most of the vitamins and minerals are so you won't want to throw it out. 

    Are courgettes and zucchini the same?

    Courgettes and zucchini are the same thing. Courgette is the French term for zucchini, which is a form of summer squash. Zucchini is the common term used in American English speaking countries, while courgette is the term used among French and British English speaking countries. 

    Is this zucchini salad keto? 

    This zucchini salad is low carb and keto friendly. Each serving only has 5 grams of total carbs and 4 grams of net carbs with 1 gram of fiber. 

    Other salad recipes you will love: 

    • Healthy broccoli salad
    • Dairy free potato salad
    • Kale apple salad
    • Low carb coleslaw
    • Healthy asian coleslaw

    Since you made it this far we are basically best friends so be sure to follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok and Facebook where I share even more recipes and healthy living tips! And don’t forget to leave this recipe a star review before you go!

    A raw courgette salad on a plate topped with pine nuts with lemon slices beside it.

    Courgette Salad

    This courgette salad recipe is so light and tasty. It comes together in just a few minutes and makes the perfect healthy side dish.
    4.50 from 6 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Appetizer, Salad, Side Dish, Vegetables
    Cuisine: American, Italian, Vegan
    Diet: Diabetic, Gluten Free, Low Lactose, Vegan, Vegetarian
    Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Servings: 6
    Calories: 175kcal
    Author: Dr. Erin Carter

    Ingredients

    Dressing Ingredients

    • 4 tablespoon olive oil
    • 2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
    • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
    • 1-2 teaspoon lemon zest (to taste)
    • 1/2 teaspoon salt (more or less to taste)
    • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper (more or less to taste)

    Salad Ingredients

    • 2 courgettes
    • 1/2 cup pine nuts

    Instructions

    • Add all of the dressing ingredients to a bowl or glass measuring cup and stir together until combined. Set the dressing aside.
    • Using a vegetable peeler or mandolin, slice the courgettes lengthwise into strips about 3mm thick. Discard the inner part of the courgettes with the seeds.
    • Add the sliced zucchini to a bowl with the pine nuts. Pour the dressing over top and toss well to combine. Then serve and enjoy!

    Notes

    1. You can use yellow or green courgettes for this recipe (or a combination of both). 
    2. Nutritional values are an estimate and will vary depending on the exact ingredients used and your serving size. 
    3. This zucchini salad is best served right away but can be kept in the fridge in an air tight container for up to 3 days if you don't mind the courgettes getting a little wilted. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 175kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Sodium: 201mg | Potassium: 248mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 135IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 15mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @pureandsimpleno or tag #pureandsimpleno!

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    DISCLAIMERS: The statements made on this website have not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration or Health Canada. The information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease. You assume full responsibility for how you use this information. Always consult with your physician or other health professionals before making any diet or lifestyle changes. This post may contain affiliate links whereby if you purchase these products I receive a small percentage of the sale price. This allows me to keep the blog running and I thank you for allowing me to do that!

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    Hi everyone! My name is Dr. Erin Carter and I am so thrilled you are here. I am a physician with specialities in both internal medicine and rheumatology, and I believe that food and healthy living are forms of medicine. In my spare time I share health information and delicious, healthy recipes here on Pure and Simple Nourishment.

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