This Grilled Zucchini Salad with a homemade red wine vinaigrette will be your repeat meal of the summer! This healthy recipe is ready in under 30 minutes, loaded with fresh mozzarella and tender veggies, and has fewer than 5 net carbs.
Zucchini Salad
This Grilled Zucchini Salad just screams, “SUMMER!” Fresh tomatoes and basil, juicy mozzarella, and tender charred zucchini come together for a healthy meal that feels decadent. Add on the homemade vinaigrette, and your taste buds will be thrilled!
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Easy – The only cooking required is grilling the zucchini. You can do this on an outdoor grill, over a campfire, under the broiler, or on the stove. This is perfect for beginners because you can use the method you’re most comfortable with, and it’s one simple step!
- Healthy – This recipe focuses on making the most from simple, healthy ingredients! It works for gluten-free, low-carb, and keto diet, too. You get your healthy fats from the cheese and oil, fiber from zucchini, and loads of antioxidants in the tomatoes!
- Quick – This recipe is ready to go within 30 minutes. Most of the time you’re just waiting for the zucchini to cool! You could easily grill the zucchini a few hours ahead of time if you want to assemble ahead of time for a party or gathering.
Grilled Zucchini Salad Ingredients
Here’s a quick overview of what you’ll need for this zucchini recipe. For exact measurements, keep scrolling down to the printable recipe card near the bottom.
- Zucchini – You want fresh, firm zucchini that has just a tiny bit of give when you squeeze it. Choose zucchini of similar sizes so that they all cook at about the same rate.
- Tomatoes & Cherry Tomatoes – This is perfect for any garden tomatoes you have coming in! You can use 1 large heirloom tomato, 2 medium vine-ripened tomatoes, or 2-3 Kumato or Roma tomatoes if you prefer. The cherry tomatoes add a different texture and add a great color to the salad.
- Mozzarella – You want the fresh, juicy mozzarella, not the low-moisture version. These usually come in balls or shaped like logs, and you simply slice them into thin, delicious pieces.
- Basil leaves – These add tons of flavor, and I highly recommend not leaving these out! If you’re out of fresh leaves, at least toss 1/2 teaspoon of dried basil to add a touch of flavor. The fresh leaves really knock this salad out of the park, though!
- Olive oil, Red wine vinegar, Sugar-free maple syrup, Garlic, Red pepper flakes, Salt, Pepper – This comes together to create a well-balanced vinaigrette that will bring out the best in the tomatoes and zucchini! The little sweetness added by the maple syrup is perfect with the contrasting red pepper flakes. You could replace the syrup with a few drops of liquid monk fruit if you prefer.
How to Make a Grilled Salad
This simple healthy recipe is so easy and great for beginners or lazy days! Here’s a step-by-step guide for making this low-carb salad.
Slice & dry zucchini
First you want to wash, slice, and dry your zucchini. Press them between two layers of paper towels to absorb as much excess moisture as you can. Doing this helps get a great char on the outside of the zucchini without it cooking through steam as much.
Cook & season zucchini
Heat your grill, grill pan, or cast iron skillet to medium-high heat and brush with oil. Place the zucchini on but do not overcrowd the pan. If necessary, you may need to cook zucchini in batches. Cook for 2-3 minutes per side or until nicely charred. Remove and set onto a plate to cool.
As the zucchini cools, sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt and toss with your hands. We didn’t want to add the salt before cooking because it would have drawn out moisture and could have prevented us from getting a perfect charred texture.
Make vinaigrette
While the zucchini is cooling, mix together your vinaigrette ingredients. This doesn’t require any heat, just some vigorous whisking or shaking. Pour all ingredients into a jar and shake to emulsify, or place them in a bowl and whisk until well combined.
Assemble salad
Now that your zucchini has cooled to room temperature, you can start mixing it with the cherry tomatoes and sliced tomatoes in a platter. Add in the torn mozzarella, making sure everyone could get a little bit of everything in every bite. Finally, spoon over the vinaigrette and torn basil leaves. It’s best to start with just 1/2 the dressing, then taste and add to your preference.
Serve
This recipe is delicious served on its own for a vegetarian summer meal that makes the most out of your garden! Additional fresh herbs like parsley, thyme, or chives would also be fantastic.
What to serve with Grilled Zucchini Salad
If serving this zucchini salad as your meal, a hearty appetizer like Grilled Portobello Mushrooms or Smashed Brussels Sprouts with Lemon Aioli would be great. If this salad is your appetizer or side, consider serving Steak and Shrimp Skillet and some Keto Garlic Bread Chaffles. When you want to add some protein and crunch, toss in some chopped Pecan Crusted Chicken! To add a delicious keto cocktail to your party, consider an herby option like Basil Whiskey Sour, Keto Mint Julep, or a Rosemary Gin Fizz.
How to Store Zucchini Salad
This salad is best served fresh. However, leftovers can be enjoyed within 1-2 days. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. If you’d like to make this ahead of time or meal prep it for lunches, simply leave the components separate until ready to serve–Keep the zucchini and basil in one container (unsalted), the tomatoes in another, and the vinaigrette in a third container.
If you love this zucchini salad, you’ll love these summer recipes:
- Grilled Zucchini Mozzarella Wraps – These are the perfect pool-side appetizer on a hot day! Melty mozzarella surrounded by tender grilled zucchini feels like a treat but is actually pretty healthy.
- The BEST Cucumber Salad – If you love fresh flavors in a tasty dressing with some cheese but don’t want to cook, this is the perfect recipe for you! Great for meal prepping and awesome for lunches.
- Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad – This meal has it all; tangy dressing, tender chicken, crispy lettuce, and delicious parmesan! It’s best enjoyed in the summer with amazing fresh produce.
- Smoked Queso – This easy dip recipe does the work on its own in the grill; barely any work or cleanup necessary! This low-carb dip is great with veggies, keto chips, or drizzled on top of meat.
- Air Fryer Squash – You’ll love how easy, healthy, and full of flavor this side dish is. It’s ready quickly, goes with just about any dinner, and is super inexpensive during the summer months!
Zucchini Salad FAQs
The great charred flavor is a huge benefit of this salad, so you do need to cook the zucchini in a way that will provide that. If you don’t have an outdoor grill accessible, you can do this in a grill pan or cast-iron pan on the stove. You could broil the sliced zucchini on high for a couple minutes (keep a close eye on this–It burns quickly!) if you needed to.
This is mostly a personal preference question. We used 2 types of tomatoes in this recipe for a difference in texture and color. Use whatever tomatoes you prefer, but try to provide a mix for the exciting variety!
We love this flavor, but you could use different types of vinegar and still enjoy a delicious salad! Try white wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or even lemon juice if you don’t have other options.
Grilled Zucchini Salad
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Salad:
- 1 pound zucchini about 3 medium zucchini
- 6 ounces tomato of choice can be 2 medium vine-ripe tomatoes, 1 large Heirloom Tomato, or 2-3 Kumato tomatoes sliced into thin rounds
- ½ pint colorful cherry tomatoes 8 ounces, halved
- ½ tsp fine salt
- 8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese sliced into thin rounds and torn in half
- 8-10 fresh basil leaves torn right before serving
For the Vinaigrette:
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 teaspoons sugar-free maple syrup
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
Instructions
- Trim ends off of each zucchini. Slice each zucchini into 1⁄2” thick circles on a bias. Line a baking sheet with a paper towel and place the zucchini on it. Lightly press a paper towel on top of the zucchini too to remove excess moisture.
- Heat a grill pan or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat and brush with oil. Grill zucchini in batches, as not to overcrowd the pan, cooking for 2-3 minutes per side until charred. Once cooked, set onto a plate to cool.
- Sprinkle the top of the cooked zucchini pieces with 1⁄4 teaspoon salt and toss with your hands.
- Make the dressing by combining all the ingredients in a container or bowl and whisking together, or cover the container and shake well until emulsified.
- Arrange the tomatoes & room-temperature grilled zucchini on a serving dish along with sliced tomatoes and mozzarella slices. Drizzle with vinaigrette (may not use all of it), sprinkle with torn basil, and sprinkle with 1⁄4 tsp salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
Notes
- Start with using 1⁄2 of the dressing, then taste and see if you need more. You’ll likely end up using about 3⁄4 of it, but everyone’s preferences are different.
- I like to arrange this salad in a platter style, but one can also mix everything together in a bowl. If mixing in a bowl, you may consider chopping everything a bit smaller.
- Any grill pan, cast iron skillet or fry pan will work to charr the zucchini. You could also use a real, outdoor grill.
- This recipe makes 4 servings (3/4 cup each), and each serving has 4.7 net carbs.
