Description

Easy raw zucchini quinoa salad with lemon herb vinaigrette is the ultimate summer salad to make the most of garden fresh ingredients. A great side salad to any meal.

Ingredients

Units Scale

1 cup uncooked quinoa
2 cups filtered water
2 small zucchinis
salt
Lemon herb vinaigrette
1 teaspoon each fresh dill, thyme, oregano, sage, chopped (can use any combo of herbs your like or have in your garden)
2 teaspoons fresh mint, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 to 2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
Juice of 1 1/2 lemons
1/4 cup olive oil
Remainder of the salad
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1 15 ounce can quartered artichoke hearts
1 cup grape tomatoes, sliced
Optional: 6 to 8 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (omit if avoiding vegan or avoiding dairy)

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Instructions

Cook the quinoa: Add the uncooked quinoa and the 2 cups of water to a small sauce pan with a lid. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer – simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, or until the quinoa is tender and the water has been absorbed. Transfer the quinoa to a baking sheet and spread it out, this helps it cool faster. Allow it to cool completely.
Slice and drain the zucchini: While the quinoa is cooking you can slice the zucchini into as thin slices as possible, I like to use a mandolin. Place the zucchini slices on a clean dish towel and sprinkle with a good amount of salt, toss to coat. Allow them to sit on the towel for the remainder of the time needed to make the salad. You will notice the zucchini start to release a lot of water, this is what we want so that our salad doesn’t get watery on us.
Make the lemon herb vinaigrette: To a large mixing bowl add all of the ingredients: chopped herbs, garlic, salt, pepper, Dijon mustard, honey, freshly squeezed lemon juice, and olive oil – whisk to combine. Taste and adjust flavors as needed, set aside. Keep in mind that the vinaigrette will season the entire salad, it’s a big salad, so you want the dressing to be really well seasoned.
Finish: By now your zucchini will be really watery, use another clean tea towel or a paper towel to blot the zucchini so it’s as dry as you can get it. To the large mixing bowl with the vinaigrette add the cooled quinoa, drained and dried zucchini slices, grape tomatoes, artichoke hearts, stir to combine.
Chill: This salad can be served immediately but it’s best if you let it chill in the fridge for at least 3 hours so that all the flavors come together and it’s nice and cold and refreshing.
Serve: Transfer the salad to serving plates or bowls and top with a sprinkle of the crumbled feta cheese. Will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Notes

Mandolin slicer: I used a mandolin to get paper thin slices on my zucchini and onion. I highly recommend this. However, you can go slow using a sharp chef’s knife to get the slices as thin as possible. Here is the mandolin I use.

Herbs: I know it seems like a lot of herbs but they really help flavor this salad and make it taste like summer. I really recommend using all fresh herbs here, but if you are making this during the winter then swap 1/2 teaspoon dried herbs for the fresh. And if you don’t have access to fresh mint just leave it out, dried mint isn’t worth buying, no flavor.