Description

A light and colourful zucchini noodle salad featuring crisp zucchini, creamy feta, sweet-tart dried cranberries, toasted walnuts, fresh herbs, and a simple honey balsamic dressing. Fresh, crunchy, and perfect for a quick lunch or refreshing side dish.

Ingredients

For the Salad

4 medium zucchini (about 700 g), spiralized into noodles

3/4 cup (110 g) crumbled feta cheese

1/2 cup (60 g) dried cranberries

1/2 cup (55 g) walnuts, roughly chopped

1/4 cup (15 g) fresh parsley, chopped

2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped

1/4 small red onion, very thinly sliced

For the Honey Balsamic Dressing

3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 tbsp honey

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 small garlic clove, finely minced

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

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Instructions

1. Place the chopped walnuts in a dry skillet over medium-low heat. Toast for 3–4 minutes, stirring frequently, until fragrant and lightly golden. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.

2. Spiralize the zucchini into noodles. If the noodles are particularly wet, gently pat them with paper towels to remove excess moisture.

3. Do not salt the zucchini noodles at this stage because salt will draw out additional moisture and can make the finished salad watery.

4. In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the extra-virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, salt, and black pepper until smooth and emulsified.

5. Place the zucchini noodles in a large serving bowl. Add the crumbled feta, dried cranberries, toasted walnuts, thinly sliced red onion, fresh parsley, and chopped basil.

6. Drizzle the honey balsamic dressing over the zucchini noodles just before serving.

7. Use tongs to gently toss the salad until the zucchini noodles are lightly coated and all the ingredients are evenly distributed.

8. Finish with extra toasted walnuts, dried cranberries, crumbled feta, and fresh herbs.

9. Serve immediately for the freshest texture, or refrigerate for up to 30 minutes before serving. Avoid letting the dressed salad sit too long because the zucchini noodles will gradually release moisture.

Notes

Choose firm, small-to-medium zucchini because they tend to have a better texture for spiralizing.

Pat zucchini noodles gently with paper towels if they seem particularly wet.

Do not salt the zucchini noodles too early because salt draws moisture from the zucchini.

Toast the walnuts for a few minutes to make them more aromatic and crunchy.

Dress the salad at the last minute to help keep the zucchini noodles crisp.

Slice the red onion very thinly so its flavour does not overpower the other ingredients.

Fresh basil and parsley provide a brighter flavour than dried herbs.

Goat cheese, crumbled cotija, or small pieces of fresh mozzarella can be substituted for feta.

Toasted pecans can be used instead of walnuts.

The dressing can be prepared ahead and refrigerated; bring it back to room temperature and whisk before using.

For a more filling meal, add grilled chicken, shrimp, chickpeas, or cooked quinoa.

Serve with grilled meats, seafood, warm pita, or hummus for a complete meal.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Category: Salad
Method: No-Cook
Cuisine: Mediterranean