Honey Free Zucchini Ribbon Salad with Fresh Basil
This bright, garden-fresh salad is the kind of dish that makes summer produce feel genuinely exciting. Thin zucchini ribbons are salted to draw out moisture and soften just enough to take on the tangy lemon and apple cider vinegar dressing, creating a texture that's somewhere between raw and lightly wilted — delicate and satisfying at once. Toasted pine nuts add a warm, nutty crunch, while torn fresh mozzarella and fragrant basil leaves round everything out into something that feels far more special than the ingredient list suggests. The dressing is a simple whisk of olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, and black pepper — no sweeteners of any kind, so there's nothing to swap or second-guess. Many store-bought dressings and even restaurant salads sneak in honey or agave for balance, but the brightness here comes entirely from citrus and vinegar, which means it works perfectly as-is. A finishing pinch of flaky sea salt over the platter is all it takes to pull every flavor into focus. It's the kind of recipe you'll come back to all season long.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
- 4 medium zucchini (about 1 ½ lb total)
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves, loosely packed
- 3 tbsp pine nuts, toasted
- 2 oz fresh mozzarella, thinly shaved or torn
For the dressing
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- ¼ tsp black pepper, freshly ground
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
For serving
- flaky sea salt, to taste
Instructions
- 1
Using a vegetable peeler or mandoline, shave each zucchini lengthwise into long, thin ribbons, rotating the zucchini a quarter-turn after each pass and stopping when you reach the seedy core. Place the ribbons in a colander set over the sink, toss with the kosher salt, and let stand for 10 minutes until slightly softened and some moisture has released.
- 2
While the zucchini drains, toast the pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until golden and fragrant, about 3–4 minutes. Watch closely, as they can brown quickly. Transfer immediately to a small plate to cool.
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