Zucchini Mint Salad

You probably didn’t think raw zucchini could be the perfect vehicle for bringing the oh-so-refreshing aromas of lemon and mint to your mouth. This Mediterranean salad will convince you.

Raw zucchini: the perfect vehicle for delivering refreshing mint and lemon to your taste buds.

The food world is full of surprises, and now it’s raw zucchini’s turn to surprise you. You can prepare this dish in 5 minutes, but the big burst of flavor you get in return for such minimal effort is remarkable! And no adjustments are needed to make this Mediterranean salad gluten-free. For readers who want vegetarian and vegan recipes, this one fits the bill!

Unlike the zucchini bread I previously wrote about, this recipe was not in the repertoire of summer dishes we made with the plethora of squash from our garden when I was growing up. I first heard about it while watching a travel show and immediately wanted to learn how to make it. I was amazed when I found out how easy it is to make—and a little disappointed, because I like a good kitchen challenge.

The recipe is so simple, it can be described in half a sentence: mix thinly sliced zucchini, lemon zest, lemon juice, mint, olive oil, and sea salt in a bowl. That’s it. Here it is with more details:

Ingredients:

1. 1 zucchini (should yield about 2 cups when sliced)

2. Zest of 1 lemon

3. 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

4. 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

5. Fine sea salt to taste (about 1/8 teaspoon should be enough)

6. 10 or so fresh mint leaves

   

   Just five ingredients are needed: zucchini, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, olive oil, and mint. Hey, where’s the mint? Oh, there it is, in the next photo.

Instructions:

1. Use a sharp chef’s knife or mandolin to slice the zucchini into very thin rounds

2. Stack the mint leaves and slice them into narrow strips

3. Zest and juice the lemon (see note¹ on how to remove the lemon zest)

4. Using your hands, toss the zucchini with the lemon juice and zest, sea salt, mint, and olive oil

If you want a garnish, sprinkle more mint strips or whole mint leaves over the salad before serving

And there’s the mint … the salad doesn’t deliver the same burst of flavor without it (though there’s nothing wrong with dressing zucchini with lemon, oil, and salt)!

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1. For the best results when zesting citrus fruit, use a microplane grater. The goal is to remove very thin strips of the citrus skin without the white pith underneath.