This shaved zucchini salad recipe for one is refreshing, delicious, and perfect for a quick summer meal or a BBQ. It's such a delicious light summer salad that's crunchy, cheesy, salty, and tangy. Plus it just takes 15 minutes to make.
[This shaved zucchini salad recipe was originally posted in August 2018. It has been updated with cooking instructions, storage tips and substitutions, FAQ, related recipes and ways to repurpose/use up ingredients]
Table of contents
This zucchini with feta is adapted from an Epicurious recipe that my mom made all the time one summer.
This recipe has minimal ingredients, a super easy dressing, and maximal flavor. To make this salad even easier, use zucchini zoodles to skip the peeling step! Your zucchini with feta will be just as delicious, and easier.
It does take a few minutes to shave the zucchini, but with a good vegetable peeler, mandoline, or sharp knife, it's easy. It also feels therapeutic to peel a zucchini.
I highly recommend focusing effort and time onto a main dish or side dish, and make a super easy other one. This will save you mental space and time. Serve this flavorful, summer salad with a simple piece of meat or grain + plant protein.
Ingredients
Scroll down to the shaved zucchini salad recipe card for the amounts of each ingredient, but here's a quick visual + description of what's in this recipe.
- Zucchini: You can totally eat raw zucchini, I prefer it in thin strips, which makes this recipe so great!
- Corn: Use fresh, canned (I'd rinse it), or thawed frozen corn. Either works!
- Feta cheese: Salty feta cheese is so good with this raw zucchini.
- Sunflower seeds: crunchy, salty sunflower seeds are a great addition to this shaved zucchini and feta salad.
- Olive oil: for the dressing, this simple dressing really compliments the fresh vegetable flavors in this simple shaved zucchini salad.
- Lemon juice
- Red pepper flakes
Instructions
Scroll down to the shaved zucchini salad recipe card for more detailed instructions. Here's a quick overview + photos to see how to make this recipe in general.
1. Slice zucchini in half, and then use a vegetable peeler or mandolin to shave off thin slices of zucchini.
2. Once zucchini is cut, place it in a medium sized bowl. Add corn, crumbled feta to bowl.
3. Make dressing by adding lemon juice & a pinch of red pepper flakes to olive oil. Drizzle over your zucchini salad before serving.
4. Season your shaved zucchini salad with salt and pepper to taste, toss & enjoy.
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Serve with
- Chicken burgers
- Shrimp for a complete meal (+ a grain if you're anything like me)
- Panko Tofu
- Baked Panko Chicken
- Air Fryer Frozen Salmon
Storage Tips
It's best to store leftover ingredients from your shaved zucchini salad with feta separately in the fridge (well the corn, feta, and zucchini). These ingredients should last a week+. If it's been dressed, it's best between 1-3 days.
I'd recommend waiting until serving to shave the zucchini with your vegetable peeler, this way it'll have the best texture.
Dont't freeze this shaved zucchini salad. But you could freeze sliced or shaved zucchini to cook after defrosting.
Substitutions/Tips
- Slice zucchini in half to make peeling easier
You can also use a mandolin. I've used both, they're equally easy. - Buy zoodles to save more time on this shaved zucchini salad.
- Make just enough to eat right away, this stores fine, but isn't nearly as good after being refrigerated. Or dress each salad before serving to save leftovers.
- Add more red pepper flakes if you'd like your zucchini with feta spicy, or less for less spicy. Dressing will continue to get spicier as it sits out.
- Optional add-ins: You can honestly add any vegetable into this shaved zucchini salad that you want, also nuts can substitute sunflower seeds. But this combination of simple veggie flavors and textures can't be beat.
FAQ
Yes, it's so good. Raw zucchini is best when it's cut really thin like in this salad. Use a vegetable peeler or mandoline to slice them really thinly.
Store it unwashed in the crisper in your fridge for up to 1-2 weeks. The skin will start to shrivel over time, but can be sliced off if you don't want to eat it.
Yes, zucchini and cucumbers are mild flavored vegetables, while cucumber is more crisp or crunchy than zucchini. But the thing is that most vegetables can be substituted for others, it's a good way to reduce waste.
What to do with the leftover ingredients
When you're cooking for one, you often have leftover produce, cans of whatever ingredient, etc. Here are a couple ideas on how to use up the leftover ingredients. It'll help you save money by wasting fewer ingredients.
- Zucchini: add it to Refried Bean Tacos, Veggie Quesadilla, Breakfast Tacos, or a Burrito bowl.
- Corn: Pantry Rice and Bean Soup, Turkey Pumpkin Chili, Fish Tacos with White Sauce.
- Feta Cheese: Add to this Strawberry Salad with Balsamic or swap it for goat cheese in this Beet Salad.
Did you make this shaved zucchini salad? leave me a comment & rating to share how it turned out!
Shaved Zucchini Salad for One
Equipment
- vegetable peeler
- cutting board
- small mixing bowl
- knife
- serving bowl
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons
Ingredients
- ½ large zucchini
- ¼ cup corn fresh or thawed
- 1 ounce crumbled feta cheese
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lightly salted unshelled sunflower seeds
- sprinkle red pepper flakes or to taste
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- First step is to cut zucchini. Slice zucchini in half, and then use a vegetable peeler or mandolin to shave off thin slices of zucchini. It's similar to how you'd peel carrots. Press down firmly, and know that they may not all be even slices, but that's ok.
- Once zucchini is cut, place it in a medium sized bowl. Add ¼ cup corn, 1 oz feta to bowl.
- Make dressing by adding 1 teaspoon lemon juice & a pinch of red pepper flakes to 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Drizzle over salad before serving.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste, toss & enjoy.
Notes
- Slice zucchini in half to make peeling easier
You can also use a mandolin. I've used both, they're equally easy. - Buy zoodles to save more time
- Make just enough to eat right away, this stores fine, but isn't nearly as good after being refrigerated. Or dress each salad before serving to save leftovers.
- Add more red pepper flakes if you'd like it spicy, or less for less spicy. Dressing will continue to get spicier as it sits out.
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Whitney says
Zucchini is my favorite! I love how simple this is!
Rebecca says
same! zucchini is delish. thanks!
Anthea || The Salty Biscotti Blog says
What a fantastic salad!! I love it!!
Rebecca says
thanks so much!
Julie says
This looks so fresh and delish! Love the fresh corn with feta. What a dreamy flavor combo.
Rebecca says
it's so dreamy! thanks!
Leslie says
This is a great, simple, healthy recipe! Really love that you added sunflower seeds to this. Perfect addition!
Rebecca says
thanks so much! the sunflower seeds are the cherry on top!
Sarah says
I love how you created something so simple, yet it makes such a statement. A perfect way to embrace summer flavors!
Rebecca says
thanks so much Sarah! these summer flavors are my fave!
GiGi Eats says
Zucchini is just so perfect! Raw or Grilled... It's always delicious!
Rebecca says
amen! it's delicious all ways!
Sara says
I love this! My zucchini has been growing like crazy this summer so I needed a fresh approach to it!
Rebecca says
great timing! yes I love this recipe because it's really easy & also just different enough to look forward to haha!
Sara Welch says
What a crisp and refreshing salad! This will be perfect for lunch tomorrow; yum!
Rebecca says
awesome! LMK how it turns out!
Genevieve says
I love zucchini and this recipe looks delicious!
Rebecca says
isn't zucchini the best?! thanks!