Make the most of your garden zucchini with this easy and delicious Grilled Zucchini Salad. Tender and flavorful, this is the side dish we make all summer long! It takes only a handful of fresh ingredients to bring out the best flavor for this healthy, low carb vegetable.
We make this grilled zucchini salad at lease once a week in the summer. Whenever we have the grill going for meat or fish, we toss some sliced zucchini on first. It becomes so perfectly tender without being mushy. And that slightly charred flavor is utterly delectable. People always ask me for the recipe when I bring it to parties.
This salad and my keto zucchini bread are two of my all-time favorite ways to use up the summer squash I grow in my garden!
What Makes This Zucchini Salad So Special
Cooking zucchini on the grill is about as easy as it gets for summer side dishes. But not all grilled zucchini is created equal. It often get soggy and waterlogged. This recipe is different!
The trick is what I call “dry grilling”. Don’t brush it with oil or season it at all before you place it on the grates. Salt and seasonings draw water out of zucchini, and the moisture sitting on the surface causes the slices to become mushy. Brushing it with oil has a similar effect.
So leave your zucchini completely naked. Simply slice it and lay it on the grill as is. If the grates tend to stick, you can brush them lightly with oil beforehand.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Zucchini: I recommend using medium or medium-large zucchini for this recipe, as it is easier to slice evenly. You can also use yellow summer squash.
- Olive oil: Use good extra virgin olive oil in this grilled zucchini salad, for both the flavor and the health benefits. You can also try other liquid oils, such as avocado oil.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic is a must! It adds fabulous flavor to the dish and complements the cheese.
- Feta cheese: We love adding crumbled feta after the zucchini comes off the grill. Goat cheese is another great option. If you prefer, you can use grated parmesan, or even cubes of cheddar, fontina, or havarti.
- Herbs: Fresh summer herbs add a nice finishing touch to grilled zucchini. We like either fresh basil or fresh mint.
- Salt and pepper: Add the salt and pepper only when ready to serve, as salt draws moisture out of the zucchini.
How to Make Grilled Zucchini Salad
- Slice the zucchini: Use a sharp knife to slice the zucchini crosswise but on a slight diagonal. I like 1/4 inch thick slices, but you can make them slightly thicker, about 1/3 inch as well.
- Grill until tender: Place the slices on a grill preheated to medium high, and grill on both sides until grill marks appear and the edges are slightly charred. Watch them carefully, as they can go from barely grilled to over-charred very quickly, especially when sliced thinly.
- Drizzle with the oil: Transfer the zucchini to a bowl and add a few tablespoons of oil. Toss to coat well.
- Add seasonings and cheese: Add the garlic, salt and pepper, cheese, and any fresh herbs. Toss again to combine and serve warm or room temperature.
Carolyn’s Tips for Success
I recommend picking zucchini that is relatively wide and fat for this recipe, as it makes the slices less likely to fall through the grates of the grill. It also helps to cut it on a diagonal to make the slices wider.
Always use a sharp knife when cutting vegetables. A dull knife requires you to put more pressure on it, making it more likely to slip and cut your hand.
You can also use a mandolin slicer for even slices. Set the blade width to 1/4 inch thick. I wear a pair of protective gloves whenever I use my mandolin, so I don’t cut myself on the sharp blade.
Do not salt or oil the zucchini prior to grilling! The key to this zucchini salad is dry grilling, so it doesn’t become soggy and watery. If your grill tends to stick, simply lightly oil the grates prior to cooking.
More Keto Zucchini Recipes to Try
- We make several big pans of zucchini lasagna in the summer, and freeze them for easy meals in the fall and winter.
- The kids can’t get enough of my keto zucchini bread, and they love a slice for easy breakfasts.
- Cheesy Zucchini Casserole is always a favorite. Some readers turn it into a full meal by adding sausage or chicken.
- Who needs a hamburger bun when you’ve got Keto Cheddar Zucchini Waffles? They’re easy to make, deliciously crispy, and make a great bread substitute!
- I created this recipe for Zucchini Cookies last summer and everyone loved them. They taste like a mix between zucchini bread and chocolate chip cookies!
Grilled Zucchini Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 large (340 g) zucchini, about 12 ounces each
- 3 to 4 tbsp (3 tbsp) extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, pressed
- 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) sea salt
- 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) pepper
- 1/3 cup (50 g) crumbled feta cheese
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh mint
Instructions
- Preheat the grill to medium high and make sure the grates are nice and clean. Lightly oil the grates with some olive oil, especially if your grates tend to stick.
- Slice the zucchini on the diagonal into 1/4 inch thick slices. Lay the slices on the grates and cook until grill marks appear and the edges are slightly charred, 3 to 5 minutes. Flip over carefully and grill the other side until tender.
- Remove the slices to a bowl and drizzle with the olive oil. Toss to coat the zucchini in the oil.
- Add the garlic, salt, pepper, feta, and mint and toss to combine well. Serve warm or room temperature.
Notes
Storage information
Store any leftover grilled zucchini in the fridge in a covered container. It will be good for up to 5 days.Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions
Dry grilling the zucchini, without any salt or other seasonings, keeps it from becoming soggy. Salt draws moisture to the surface of the zucchini, which then tends to steam the squash as it cooks, causing mushiness. Brushing the zucchini with oil prior to grilling has the same affect.
Simply lay freshly sliced zucchini directly on lightly oiled grates. The dry heat of the grill will cook the zucchini to perfection, without getting soggy.
Slice the zucchini crosswise, but on a slight diagonal, to create long ovals about 1/4 inch thick. The longer slices don’t fall down between the grates as easily while you are grilling.
You can slice the squash lengthwise, but it becomes more difficult to control the knife and achieve even slices. Crosswise is much easier to do.
Grilled zucchini pairs deliciously with so many seasonings and other ingredients. We love it with crumbled feta, garlic, and fresh herbs. But it’s also great with pesto, Parmesan, or balsamic dressing. You can even try a Tex Mex style, with some lime, chili powder, and a little fresh cilantro.
Nutritional Disclaimer
Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.
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I love grilled zucchini, and it’s groing crazy from the garden, adding feta and garlic will be a game changer!
This looks sooooo good! Can you make it ahead of time?
Thank you.
Just made this for dinner and we loved it!! So good.
I didn’t have the mint, but it was super tasty without it! The feta cheese added great flavor!
The combination of ingredients is so good!! I would have never thought to add mint, but what a delicious addition! Healthy & so tasty!!