Wheat Free Zucchini Ribbon Salad with Fresh Basil
Raw zucchini gets a serious glow-up here, transformed into delicate, silky ribbons that soak up a bright lemon and olive oil dressing like they were made for it. The salting step is the quiet hero of the whole dish — it draws out excess moisture and softens the ribbons just enough to give them a tender, almost pasta-like texture without any cooking. Fragrant basil leaves, golden toasted pine nuts, and torn fresh mozzarella round everything out into something that feels genuinely restaurant-worthy. Every single ingredient in this salad is naturally free of wheat and gluten, so there's no swapping, substituting, or label-squinting required — it just works as written. The dressing comes together in one small bowl with pantry staples, and the whole thing is assembled in minutes once the zucchini has had its brief rest in the colander. It's the kind of dish that looks impressive enough for a dinner party but is honestly easy enough for a Tuesday night when you have a pile of summer zucchini and not much else going on. Serve it immediately after plating so the ribbons stay bright and the pine nuts keep their satisfying crunch.
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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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