Zucchini Caprese Salad

Pull out the spiralizer and make a refreshing Zucchini Caprese Salad.  With cherry tomatoes, mozzarella and zucchini noodles, it’s a summer classic.  Just a few ingredients and you’ll have a healthy delicious salad to add to any meal.

This is the perfect salad for a cook-out or summertime meal and a great way to use up any extra zucchini you have on hand.

Everyone loves a caprese salad with fresh tomatoes and mozzarella, drizzled with sweet balsamic. Make this all time classic into a great side dish by combining zoodles with your favorite salad and create a zucchini caprese salad. It’s simple and fresh and a great way to enjoy fresh summer produce.

It seems like summer struggled to get here with lots of cooler days and low humidity and then July 4th came and with it the hot and humid days of summer in the Carolinas.  It’s so humid you just feel like you’re melting when you go outside. For those kind of days you need a zucchini caprese salad, a light and simple salad that’s packed with veggies.

Why you’ll love it

• You get to have fun making zoodles
• All the flavor of a caprese salad but it’s packed with veggies
• You can throw it together in 10 minutes
• No exact measurements are required
• It’s healthy – low carb, gluten free, keto – it checks all the boxes and is still delicious

What you’ll need

• Spiralizer – this can be an inexpensive kitchen gadget or you can go all out if you’re really into spiralizing. I have a simple one that’s less than $10 that works great for Zucchini made by GEFU. It doesn’t take up much room and is easy to use.
• Zucchini – you want to use fresh, for crisp and not limp noodles. Also my spiralizer doesn’t work very well if the zucchini is large, choose smaller squash for this recipe. You can also use yellow summer squash.
• Cherry tomatoes – the sweeter the better. Whole tomatoes are too juicy for this salad and will fall apart.
• Fresh Mozzarella – this is the soft mozzarella that comes in a large ball or mini balls. Both will work for a zucchini salad. The block cheese doesn’t absorb the balasamic dressing as well but you could use it if you can’t find fresh.
• Fresh basil – this really brightens the salad
• Balsamic vinegar – you don’t want to use the expensive kind because you are mixing it with olive oil and lemon juice and it will be diluted. I like Colavita for this salad.

How do you make zoodles

1. The easiest way to make zucchini noodles is with a spiralizer. I have a small hand held one that I love made by GEFU, but if you are going to be spiralizing a lot you might want to invest in a countertop one. If you don’t have a spiralizer, then you can use a peeler or just cut it in small strips. Or you can pick it up already spiralized at most groceries.
2. If using a hand held spiralizer, cut off the tip of the zucchini and place in the spiralizer, turn the zucchini with your hand, holding the spiralizer still. That’s all there is to it.

Step by Step guide

Step 1: Spiralize the zucchini and place it in a bowl with cherry tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and fresh basil.

Step 2: Whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, balsamic vinegar and a little garlic salt. Or you can shake it all together in a jar.

Step 3: Pour it over the salad and serve.

Sometimes you just need a quick and easy salad to throw together, one that doesn’t take any thought or precise measurements. A zucchini salad is great for those kind of nights. I’ll make this even in the middle of winter with hot house zucchini and cherry tomatoes. It’s not as good as fresh from the farmer’s market, but it’s still a great healthy salad.

What else can you do with zucchini noodles

If not making a salad, they are great just lightly cooked with olive oil and garlic. However, you’ll need to get some of the liquid out first or you just have a watery mess. To do this place the zoodles in a colander in the sink and sprinkle with salt.  Let them sit for about 30 minutes while the salt draws out some of the water, then gently squeeze the remaining water out. Now just sauté for 3-4 minutes with your favorite seasoning for a healthy and low carb meal.

So stop by the farmer’s market and pick up everything you need for this refreshing salad.

FAQ’s and tips

More fresh and healthy salads

• Broccoli salad
• Burrata with oranges
• Corn and peach salsa
• Grilled peach with mozzarella
• Spicy fruit salad
• Corn and cucumber salad