Paleo Zucchini Pasta Salad

Name: Zucchini Noodle Salad
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 2 cups Zucchini (spiralized using #2 blade or chopped into 1-inch pieces); 1 cup Grape Tomatoes (sliced in half); ½ cup Red Onion (diced); ½ cup Artichoke Hearts (water drained & roughly chopped); 1 Green Bell Pepper (diced); 2 tablespoons Olive Oil (or oil of choice); 1 tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar; 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice; 1 tablespoon Garlic (minced); 1 ½ tablespoons Basil

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Skip the pasta and make this Zucchini Noodle Salad as a side dish for your next summer party. It’s made with fresh vegetables and a homemade balsamic dressing and doesn’t require any cooking.

Quick Summary: Zucchini Noodle Salad

Why Make It: This high-volume side dish uses raw zucchini noodles, fresh vegetables, and a light balsamic dressing to create a refreshing salad.
Nutrition: 275 calories, 5 grams of protein, 5 grams of fiber
Diet: Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Vegan, Low-Carb
Time: 15 Minutes
Method: No-Cook
Best for: Side dish or salad to use up your summer haul of zucchini or any time of year. Great for lunch or potlucks.
Tip: Wait to dress your salad until just before serving to avoid a soggy salad.

This shaved zucchini salad with homemade balsamic dressing is the perfect summer side dish. My nutrition clients are always searching for healthier pasta salads, and this one uses ribbons of raw zucchini rather than pasta.

That makes it gluten-free, vegan, and sneaks in 5 grams of fiber. It comes together in just 15 minutes without ever turning on the stove.

If you like zucchini noodle recipes, you will love this salmon and zucchini recipe!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

No Pasta: Enjoy a pasta-style salad without the pasta in this raw zucchini salad. It’s great for high-volume eating and is low-carb.
Loaded with 5 Veggies: Not only does this salad have zucchini ribbons, but it also contains tomatoes, red onion, bell pepper, and artichoke hearts for a rich and hearty flavor.
Ready in 15 Minutes with No Cooking: This salad is made with raw vegetables, so there is no cooking involved! Slice the veggies and toss them together in 15 minutes, and your salad is ready!

Quick Summary: Zucchini Noodle Salad
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Ingredients
Variations & Dietary Modifications
How to Make Zucchini Noodle Salad
Expert Tips
Serving Suggestions
Zucchini Noodle Salad Recipe FAQs
More Delicious Mediterranean Salad Recipes
Zucchini Noodle Salad Recipe

Ingredients

Zucchini: It’s best to use medium-sized zucchinis because large ones have softer centers and more seeds, which makes them hard to slice. Have extra zucchini around? Make these zucchini taco boats for another meal this week.
Grape Tomatoes: Add a pop of acidity and juice with fresh tomatoes in the salad.
Red Onion: This zesty onion adds a little bite to the salad.
Artichoke Hearts: Use artichoke hearts stored in water, dry them, and then roughly chop them. They add a meaty flavor to the salad without adding meat or cheese. I also love them in this protein spinach artichoke dip.
Green Bell Pepper: Green peppers have a slightly bitter and more earthy flavor than other bell peppers.
Homemade Balsamic Dressing: My homemade balsamic dressing is made with balsamic vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and basil.

See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.

Variations & Dietary Modifications

Add a Protein: Make this zoodle salad a full meal by adding protein to it! You can add shrimp or chicken, like this lemon garlic chicken. Keep the protein plant-based and use tofu, chickpeas or white beans instead.
Sprinkle in Cheese: Add a little salty flavor with a bit of crumbled feta cheese, goat cheese or shaved Parmesan cheese.
Swap Out Some Veggies: You can change the flavor of the salad by switching out the vegetables. Use carrot ribbons or a blend of cucumber and zucchini ribbons for the base. Add avocado for healthy fat, or use red bell peppers for a bit of sweetness.

How to Make Zucchini Noodle Salad

This spiralized zucchini salad is a lighter version of a pasta salad because it doesn’t use any pasta. The whole thing is made with raw vegetables, which means you don’t even need a stove to make it. I do recommend using a spiralizer to cut the carrot ribbons, though!

Step 1: Make the Dressing. Whisk together the dressing ingredients in a small bowl and set it aside for later.

The ingredients mixed together in a bowl.

Step 2: Create the Salad. Add the salad vegetables to a large bowl and toss them together. Drizzle on the dressing just before serving.

Expert Tips

How to Cut the Zucchini: The zucchini needs to be sliced into noodles or thin ribbons. You can do this with a spiralizer, a vegetable peeler, a mandolin, or a knife.
Pat the Zucchini Dry: After you slice the zucchini ribbons, use a paper towel to pat them dry. This absorbs the excess moisture so your salad won’t be too watery.
Wait to Dress: The vegetables will soak up the dressing and turn soggy, so wait until you’re ready to serve before dressing the salad.
Storage Directions: This salad is best served immediately, but you can keep it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1-2 days. You’ll need to drain excess moisture from the salad after storing it.

Serving Suggestions

A veggie salad is a great side dish for summer cookouts and dinners. Serve it with BBQ or burgers to add more veggies to your meal. It’s also a great substitute for a traditional salad with a more typical weeknight dinner or lunch.

This zucchini salad is the perfect side dish for a protein-packed dinner of chicken sloppy joes.
The balsamic dressing pairs well with Italian dishes, like my Instant Pot spaghetti and meatballs.
Take your cookout to the next level and serve this fun veggie salad with healthy ground chicken burgers.

Zucchini Noodle Salad Recipe FAQs

Do I need a spiralizer to make zucchini noodles?

No, a spiralizer is the fastest way and gives you a more accurate noodle shape, but it’s not the only way. A julienne peeler gives you thin strands, a regular vegetable peeler makes wide ribbons, and a mandoline works if you slice the planks and then cut them into strips. In a real pinch, the large holes of a box grater will do it. You can also skip the tools entirely and buy pre-spiralized zucchini in the produce section — I do this when I’m short on time

Can you put raw zucchini in pasta salad?

Yes, raw zucchini is completely safe to eat and it’s the whole point of this salad. It stays crisp instead of going soft the way cooked zucchini does, and it soaks up the vinaigrette beautifully. Just know that this particular recipe has no pasta in it at all as I use the zucchini noodles to replace it. If you’re adding raw zucchini to a traditional pasta salad instead, cut it small so it doesn’t overwhelm the noodles.

How do you keep zucchini noodle salad from getting watery?

Three things: use small or medium zucchini, pat the noodles dry with paper towels before they go in the bowl, and add the dressing right before you serve. Zucchini is over 90% water, and both the salt and the acid in a vinaigrette pull that water out, so every minute it sits dressed is a minute closer to a puddle.

Do you have to peel zucchini for salad?

No, and I’d tell you not to. The skin is thin, tender, and completely edible, and it’s what holds the noodles together and keeps them from falling apart when you toss them. It also adds color and most of the nutrients. Peeling exposes the flesh, which makes the salad release even more water. The only time I’d peel is if the zucchini has a heavy wax coating from the store.