Zucchini Salad with Chili Oil

Get ready to experience raw zucchini like never before: fresh, fun, and a little fancy!

This Zucchini Salad with Chili Oil gives summer squash a gourmet makeover with low effort—simply slice some ripe zucchini as you simmer the world’s easiest chili oil, then let that warm, nutty oil tenderize the zucchini and infuse it with smoldering richness while preserving its delicate crunch (no soggy squash here!).

Fold in a lovely basil-mint gremolata, toasted pistachios for buttery crunch, and creamy hunks of vegan feta, and you’ve got a unique, sophisticated summer side (that easily transitions to a main).

Ingredient notes 

• Zucchini: Since it’s the main event, it’s worth trying to get your hands on the best of the best—which means heading to your local farmers’ market (and making this dish between May and September). If you’ve got an abundance of summer squash, you can use a few varieties, but I prefer the texture of zucchini over the textures of other squashes when raw.
• Olive oil + chili flakes: That’s all you need for my cheater’s chili oil! Gently heating chili flakes in olive oil draws out the spicy, fat-soluble capsaicin, resulting in a deeply nutty, fairly spicy oil that will tenderize the zucchini and impart rich flavor to the dish.
• Basil + mint: These delicate herbs are not only a refreshing complement to the zucchini, but they help balance the heat from the chili oil. Feel free to use both, or just one. Alternatively, try making a classic gremolata, or head to the “Make it your way!” section for other ideas for riffing on herb choice!
• Pistachios: These buttery nuts are an unbeatable companion to fresh mint, but if you prefer something with a more pronounced crunch, almonds are a good alternative. 
• Vegan feta: I’d argue that this ingredient completes the salad, dotting it with creamy indulgence and adding salty tang to each bite, but if you can’t find it, omit. 

Substitutes

• Chili flakes: I love using Aleppo pepper, but this recipe is also great with everyday red pepper flakes. Jump here for suggestions on customizing the heat.
• Nut-free: Sub with toasted/roasted pepitas (or buy pre-roasted pepitas).
• Feta: I love Violife’s Just Like Feta almost as much as I love my homemade Greek-Style vegan feta (but you’ll have to make it in advance, as it marinates for 1 to 2 days in the fridge). If you want to skip the feta altogether, replace it with one medium/large avocado, diced or torn into chunks, seasoned with lemon juice & salt. 

Step-by-step instructions

Start by roasting the nuts if you haven’t done so already or aren’t using pre-roasted nuts. You can do this on a sheet pan in the oven or in a dry frying pan.

Next, make the chili oil. Heat the chili flakes and olive oil in a small saucepan over low heat until it gently simmers. Take it off the heat after a few minutes and pour the oil into a bowl or jar.

Trim and slice the zucchini in any way you prefer:

1. Option 1 (½-inch pieces, shown below). Slice the zucchini in half, lengthwise. Then slice both halves in half, lengthwise, so you have four quarters. From there, slice the zucchini into ½-inch (~1 cm) pieces.
2. Option 2 (skinny batons). Cut the zucchini crosswise into 2-inch pieces. Slice each piece in half, lengthwise, then into ¼-inch-thick slabs (.5 cm thick). Now slice those slabs into ¼-inch-thick batons.

Make the herby pistachio topping next. Finely slice the basil and mint into ribbons (watch this video to learn how to chiffonade herbs).

Chop the pistachios. In a bowl, combine the chopped herbs, chopped pistachios, lemon zest, flaky salt, and pepper in a bowl.

To assemble, drizzle some of the chili oil over the sliced zucchini. Add a squeeze of lemon juice, then gently toss to combine. Next, add the herby pistachio topping and vegan feta on top. Toss once more. Taste, adding more salt or pepper to taste, more chili oil for richness, or lemon for tang. Enjoy!

Tips for making this recipe 

Make this during zucchini season

Repeat after me: I solemnly swear to make this only during zucchini season (summer to early fall).

Cooked zucchini dishes may taste fine outside of peak zucchini season, but since the zucchini is kept raw here, it would be a mistake to make it with off-peak zucchini (sad, bland, watery yet also too firm). 

Save the leftover chili oil!

Having leftover chili oil in your fridge is a cheat code for leveling up so many different kinds of meals:

• Drizzle it over all types of tofu (tofu scramble, baked / fried / air-fried tofu)
• Use it in vinaigrettes (hello, spicy red wine vinaigrette!)
• Drizzle it over other fresh veggie salads (think cucumber or tomato salads)
• Spoon it over roasted vegetables or rice dishes
• Swirl it into creamy dips like whipped tofu ricotta or whipped feta (see page 209 of my cookbook Big Vegan Flavor for the recipe!) 
• Use it to jazz up a noodle dish 
• Dip dumplings in it

Customize: make it your way!

Tailor the heat in the chili oil to your liking

• For mild to medium heat: Use 1 tablespoon of a mild chile flake like Aleppo pepper or gochugaru
• For spicy: Use 1 tablespoon of crushed red pepper flakes 
• My preference (spicy + nutty = *chef’s kiss*): Use 2 tablespoons of Aleppo pepper

Riff on the herbs and nuts

• Try a classic gremolata instead of the mint-basil combo 
• Make the gremolata with mint and cilantro, or parsley and dill (but don’t use more than ¼ to ½ cup dill) 
• Toss in a few tablespoons of leftover chives if you have them on hand 
• Use a mixture of pistachios and almonds, all almonds, or a blend of seeds and nuts, like almonds + pine nuts + pepitas.

Bulk up this salad

• Add a protein like baked tofu or crispy roasted chickpeas (see Note 5 in the recipe card for instructions).
• Toss the salad with cooked pasta (medium/short pasta works best) or grains, like farro or pearl couscous. For something indulgent, brown up some crumbled vegan sausage and toss it in with the salad and pasta.
• This salad welcomes a medley of vegetables! Fold in halved or quartered cherry tomatoes, diced red bell pepper, microgreens, and your other seasonal favorites.

Get fancy

• Schmear some of my Cashew Ricotta onto slices of good crusty bread, then top it with this salad for a gourmet app or light meal!

Frequently Asked Questions

If you give this Vegan Zucchini Salad with Chili Oil a try, please rate and review the recipe below!