It’s zoodle time again, zucchini noodles that is, but this time I placed them into a cold salad with a nice Mediterranean flare. It’s light, fresh and healthy and you can eat this all summer long. It can be the perfect side dish to whatever you’re grilling, a refreshing light lunch or you can even pack it up for a picnic.
I’m telling you, the flavors, the pretty colors and all the curly zucchini strands is a thing of beauty, no one will resist this salad!
May I suggest one thing, don’t put this in a bowl, you’ll bury all the ingredients and you won’t be able to see all the pretty curly zoodles. By layering everything onto a nice platter you’ll be able to see all the components which is so much more appealing to the eyes.
The other thing I’m going to suggest, ( I’m being bossy today) go out and buy some white balsamic vinegar, not white wine vinegar, white balsamic. I’m obsessed with it, find a good Italian brand and pair it with your best olive oil and use that as your salad dressing, it will take your salads over the top, trust me!
Of course red balsamic is amazing and has it’s place for many salads but for a light and intensely flavored, especially a summer salad like this, get the white.
I’m just going to list the ingredients I used below, not the amounts, it depends how much you’re making, how much zucchini noodles you have. I like to mix one yellow squash along with the green zucchini for added color. Use quality ingredients, good olives, good feta, it truly makes a difference, and don’t forget the white balsamic please!
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- A mix of yellow squash and zucchini zoodles, AKA Zucchini noodles
- mini colored peppers, cut into rings, (the mini's are the perfect size)
- garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
- Persian cucumbers, if you can find them, they're small, cut into small rounds. If you can't find them remove the seeds of a regular one and cut into half moons.
- multi colored cherry tomatoes, cut in half
- assorted pitted olives, green and black
- red onion, cut into thin half moons
- assorted greens, I used arugula, spinach and a little radicchio
- a few green onions sliced
- artichoke hearts, marinated in a jar and drained well
- feta cheese
- feel free to add some pine nuts if you like
- DRESSING:
- white balsamic and olive oil
- Place everything into a large bowl, add the greens last, sprinkle salad with a little oregano, salt and pepper and a little bit of granulated garlic if you have it.
- Toss with the white balsamic and olive oil dressing then place everything onto a flat platter for presentation.
- DRESSING RATIO
- part vinegar to 2 parts olive oil
I’m Marie, a wife, mother, mother-in-law, and gramma of two beautiful girls. My passion is food, clear and simple but especially Italian food, hence the name of my blog, Proud Italian Cook. I want you to feel right at home here so grab a cup of coffee, I’ll get the pastries, take a look around and enjoy your visit! {
What a wonderful giveaway, love to grill crab cakes that get a nice grill crust…… yum.
I think I missed a few of your posts, Marie. This looks fantastic! I’ve been enjoying my spiralizer and this looks like a winning sald to make with it!
What a great idea! (I went back and read all of the zoodle posts!) I am now armed with ideas for the influx of zucchini from the garden! I am going to make the salad this weekend…a trial run! Thank you.
Great Kathy, I hope you like it!
It’s gorgeous, Marie!
I might give it a try next week and see how it goes.
marie your recipes never leave me hungry only hungry for more recipes xoxo
Aww, thanks so much Beverly!
Beautiful and looks delicious! I’ve made and enjoyed many of you recipes. Marie, I am at a loss when I try to find a good balsamic and olive oil. Do I choose by brand, price or where it’s produced? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
This is so so pretty!!! I love everything about it!!! And I’m with you. I love traditional balsamic, but white balsamic is magical!!!
A truly lovely medley of colors and flavors! Now, if only the weather outside my window matched the sunny mood on that plate…
Another beautiful vegetable concoction, Marie!! Hubby and I got a hand-held spiralizer when we were in Florida. It is small so it’s easy to throw in with our other kitchen utensils. It does a great job. I know, it’s supposed to be a vacation but we travel with more kitchen stuff than clothes. And as for being bossy? Well, Duke, our 93 year old Italian friend in Venice likes to call us bossy broads. He says he is surrounded by them but this is all affectionately. Anyway, I think Trader Joe has the best white balsamic and it is VERY reasonable. We use it all the time because the salad keeps it’s pretty color and it is mild. So, from one bossy Italian to another — have a great weekend.
This looks like something I could eat everyday and it’s so beautiful but how does one get zucchini noodles? A special machine right? 🙂
Yes, it’s called a spiralizer and there are various companies making them now. I bought mine at William Sonona.
Love this idea, Marie. So simple yet so open to variations…can’t wait for summer which rumor has it will get here eventually.