This raw zucchini and corn salad gets its spunk from a garlicky-lemon basil vinaigrette that lightly marinates the thin squash peels and freshly shucked corn kernels.
In This Post
This raw zucchini salad is proof that you don’t always have to have a plan.
Sometimes the best dishes are created on the fly, without intention or strategy. If you just let intuition take over.
Ingredients don’t always lend you inspiration right off the bat. They reveal themselves in good time. I think this salad captures the essence of summer — bright and fresh, lazy and satisfying.
After a visit to the farmers’ market one recent Saturday, FoodieCrush contributor Hayley found herself with a bounty of veggies and no idea what to do with them. Feeling hungry, but not particularly ambitious, she decided to throw together this raw summer salad. It turned out delicious, and even more healthy for eating in the raw.
What’s In This Zucchini and Fresh Corn Salad
- Zucchini
- Yellow squash
- Corn
- Goat cheese
- Red pepper flakes
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- A few leaves of fresh torn basil
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Fresh lemon juice
- Fresh basil chopped
- Dijon mustard
- Garlic
How to Make This Zucchini and Corn Salad
Slice the zucchini into ribbons. I took yellow squash and zucchini, and shaved them into delicate ribbons with a simple vegetable peeler. I suggest you cut the ends of the zucchini off first, then gently peel lengthwise until you hit the seeds and middle, which will become thin and watery. When you’re done, the middle should be in a stout, squared column that you can toss in the compost or garbage.
Cut that raw corn from the cob. Next, I cut sweet, plump bi-color corn kernels right off the cob, and add them to the bed of squash. There are lots of hacks out there for cutting corn from the cob so the kernels don’t ping pong around the kitchen as you cut, but I most often I end up just gently sawing the kernels from the cob and scooping them together in a pile. The dogs will clean up anything that falls on the floor as they stare and wish, “PLEASE, FALL ON THE FLOOR!!!”
Prep the lemon-basil vinaigrette dressing. The simple but totally tasty vinaigrette involves garlic, fragrant basil and a bowl of lemons. This is where we get our spunk, with a bit of Dijon added in. The beauty of this dressing is it gently marinades and totally flavors the raw ingredients.
Add the spunky creaminess of goat cheese. Creamy goat cheese purchased from the market earlier that morning made its way into the salad as well. As the ribbons and corn and vinaigrette mixed together with each forkful, the cheese adds a creaminess to the salad that’s not to be missed.
Make the Salad Ahead of Time
While this salad is terrific to enjoy right after you add the dressing, if you have time, add the dressing and then let it sit in the fridge for 30 minutes to an hour to soak in that simple lemon dressing. Oh man. It is tasty.
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a 
rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.
Zucchini and Fresh Corn Salad
Ingredients
- 1 small or medium zucchini
- 1 small or medium yellow squash
- 1 ear of corn , shucked and cleaned, with the kernels cut off the cob
- 1 ounce goat cheese
- Lemon-Basil Vinaigrette , recipe below
- Red pepper flakes
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- A few leaves of fresh torn basil
- *optional: A few tablespoons of toasted pine nuts
- For the Lemon-Basil Vinaigrette
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon fresh basil chopped
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 clove garlic , minced
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- For the Salad
- With a wide vegetable peeler, peel the zucchini and squash lengthwise into long ribbons (discarding the middle — you'll know when you get to it, because the squash will get too thin and watery.) Place the ribbons in a good sized bowl or plate, alternating so you can see equal amounts of green and yellow. Add the corn kernels and about 2 tablespoons of vinaigrette. Toss. Add salt, freshly ground pepper and chili flakes to taste. Add the goat cheese and garnish with fresh torn basil.
- For the Lemon-Basil Vinaigrette
- Add all of the ingredients to a small jar with a lid and shake well. Season with more salt and pepper to taste.
- Note: You'll have vinaigrette left over to use on other salads, or make this one again!
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BL
I love this and have made it before. I am curious if I could prepare the squash and veg the night before of will it become too mushy?
I think it would be just fine! Thanks for making it again and for the 5 stars!
Mendez Molly
Delicious! Holds up well for a second round
Glad you enjoyed!
Maria
Made this and it was great! I zoodled the zucchini and added almonds and tuna to make it a meal. Substituted feta for goat cheese. The dressing makes the dish. Will make again. Great for a hot summer day and low cal.
I’m glad you enjoyed, Maria.
Kristin
I love this! Just made it for 4th of July and I added some sautéed chopped hazelnuts for crunch. Delicious! Will make again.
I’m glad you enjoyed Kristin!
Kelsey
I finally got the opportunity to make this recipe for Memorial Day. I swapped the goat cheese for feta since my mom prefers feta.
The dressing is delicious! I took the leftover veggies and added them over salad greens. Great easy lunch.
I’ll definitely be making this dish and the salad dressing again. I think it’d be a good start to a chicken marinade!
Thanks for the comment Kelsey, so glad you enjoyed it!
Leah
Absolutely delish!
patti
i cannot say why i was drawn to this recipe, as i did not see myself eating raw zucchini; even less likely getting DH to eat it. it was a smash hit. did not have goat cheese, but feta worked well. also added radish for color and wow! thanks to you, i will not be sharing my overabundance of zucchini with anyone. mine!
Hollis
Loved this salad!!!! Its a keeper.
Angelia
I made this tonight. However I put it on homemade pizza crust that I cooked on the grilled. I made the salad but added roasted Hatch Green Chilies. I was making homemade pizzas on grill so decided I would make grown up versions. After crust was cooked I piled on the salad and it was wonderful. Thanks for the ideas.
Melisa
I just made this for the second time. It’s so summery I love it! A great way to use up some of the plethora of Zucchini and Yellow Squash I’m growing this year. I used an ear of corn I had left from roasting the night before and it was great with cooked corn too. Thanks for the recipe!
G
Just to confirm the Corn has not been cooked?
Hayley
That’s correct! :)
Susan Harvey
I will say I used left over bbq corn and it was delicious!! I’m wondering if anyone has done the calorie count?
Patty Williamson
Just made this and OMG it’s delish! Even my husband, who isn’t a health nut like me and doesn’t particularly like corn, ate a whole bowl and loved it. Thank you for this!
Hayley
Thank you so much, Patty! So glad you and your husband loved it! :)
Brooke
Just made this recipe and it is so fresh and delicious! I added peas and asparagus. Yum!
Hayley
Thank you, Brooke — I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Trish Pines
I love this salad! I made it with Alexandra Squash from my garden and added a red bell pepper. It was a hit and tasted great a few days later. Great recipe!
Hayley
Thank you so much, Trish! I’m happy to hear you liked it!
Joanne
I am vegan and omitted the cheese and added some raw spinach. So good!
Victoria
Delicious and so pretty! I made your salad for a Bon Voyage lunch for my veggie-loving friend and it was gobbled up! The goat cheese was a perfect addition. It was great to use some of my beautiful organic basil and zuchinni from my garden. This is a keeper!
Julie
Wow! This was fabulous. I grilled my corn first, then let it cool before adding it into the salad. The dressing was so good I drank the remaining bit in my bowl!!
Jill pere
I made this salad tonight along with Peri Peri roast chicken. Even my picky boys devoured it. I added roasted red bell pepper and I’m already dreaming of more veggies to add.
Allowing the dressing to marry with the salad really takes it to a whole new level.
N @ CLEAN EATING RECIPES BLOG
While they all look amazing; we like the first one because of the recipe’s simplicity. We’re still new to food blogging and haven’t attempted ribboned zucchini yet, though it has been on the back of our minds for a while. This post motivates us to give them a go. What could go wrong, right?
Thanks for the inspirations! Have a wonderful weekend!
Gaby Dalkin
Pretty sure spontaneous salads are the best kind of salads — including this one! The farmer’s market goat cheese is a fantastic addition.
Hayley
Thank you Gaby! :)
Lauren at Keep It Sweet
I don’t have a spiralizer so I actually use this method on zucchini often. Love how perfect and pretty this is for summer!
Hayley
Thanks Lauren! I don’t own a spiralizer either (still kinda want one), but I do think the ribbons are just as fun and pretty. :)
leah
Love my spiralizer. You need to get one!
Laura (Tutti Dolci)
So summery and fresh, and I love that vinaigrette!
Hayley
Thank you Laura!
Meg @ Beard and Bonnet
This is summer perfection! I haven’t eaten near enough zucchini this year, now I have a few recipes to inspire me to buy a ton of it at the farmer’s market this weekend. Thanks Heidi!
Hayley
Thanks Meg, glad you enjoyed the post!
Michelle @ A Dish of Daily Life
LOVE this salad! There is just nothing like local summer corn…I am going to miss it when it’s gone! Definitely trying this!
Hayley
Thanks Michelle, I hope you love it!
Alene
Just fyi, I did a similar salad with shaved kohlrabi. I saw it somewhere, and had to have it. I had never done that with kohlrabi (never eaten it either!), and it was divine! Sweet and fresh. I think there was quinoa in it too.
Oh Alene, that sounds so good. I’ll have to try and find it!
Kelly @ Laughter, Strength, and Food
This looks delicious! I have been stocking up every weekend at our farmer’s market so this will definitely be put on my menu! :)
Kara @ K&R Adventures
I don’t know why but this salad is calling my name.
Corn is not my favorite vegetable (can you even call it that since it’s so starchy?), but I really love it when it’s fresh from the cob. And this salad looks so fresh, healthy and flavorful!