Have you planted zucchini in a garden? Once it gets going, it tends to produce with gusto! Even after sharing with neighbors and friends, you can still have an overabundance. There are lots of ways to use it, but this Yellow Squash and Zucchini Salad is my new favorite!
Marinating the yellow squash and zucchini amps up flavor while retaining crispness.
Raw zucchini is nice and crisp, but can be a little tasteless and boring. Cooking brings out the flavor, but can turn it limp, too. I was looking for a treatment that would enhance the taste, but keep some of that crunch and I found it with this zucchini salad. It’s kind of the Goldilocks of zucchini recipes! Salting and marinating brings out the flavor, but keeps the zucchini and yellow squash pleasantly crisp.
This Yellow Squash and Zucchini Salad Recipe just says summer!
Fresh basil, parsley and sweet peppers join in this celebration of summer produce. Kalamata olives bring a nice briny note. The dressing – a little sweet, a little tart – pulls it all together!
This zucchini salad is so tasty, colorful and refreshing on a hot summer night! The rest of my family are not big summer squash/zucchini fans, but they loved this salad!
- 1 small to medium yellow squash
- 1 small to medium zucchini
- Salt
- 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 Tbsp white wine vinegar
- ¾ tsp sugar
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 small clove garlic, minced
- ¼ cup red onion, sliced and slices quartered
- ½ cup chopped sweet bell pepper (any combination of red, yellow, orange)
- ¼ cup pitted and sliced Kalamata olives
- 1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
- 1 Tbsp julienned fresh basil
- Chop off the ends of the yellow squash and zucchini and cut the squashes, lengthwise in half.
- Slice about ¼ inch thick, forming half-moon shaped slices and spread in a colander.
- Sprinkle uniformly with salt, toss, sprinkle again and toss. Let sit for 25-30 minutes to remove excess liquid.
- Meanwhile, mix dressing and add garlic and red onion to it. Marinating in the dressing while the squash and zucchini sit will mellow the garlic and red onion.
- Rinse yellow squash and zucchini well and blot dry on paper towels.
- Mix all ingredients with dressing in a bowl and let marinate at least 20 minutes.
- Taste, add salt, pepper if needed and serve.
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