I love fresh salads year-round, but there’s no contest when it comes to zucchini picked fresh in the summertime! If you don’t love zucchini, this Zucchini, Corn, and Toasted Almond Salad recipe might just win you over. This humble squash smells and tastes like a walk through the garden in the heat of the summer. The only thing that screams summertime more than zucchini, if you ask me, is corn! Marry these two together with toasted almonds and a fresh homemade dressing, and you have quite the seasonal celebration on your plate. Not to mention, you don’t even need to turn the oven or grill on for this zucchini salad!
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Easy Recipe for Zucchini, Corn, and Toasted Almond Salad
If I’ve got extra garden zucchini piling up, this shaved zucchini salad is the first thing I make. Raw zucchini has a crisp, almost silky texture that soaks up flavor beautifully without ever feeling heavy, and when it’s straight from the garden, it’s even better. Then the corn adds sweetness and extra color, and I don’t cook it as it’s tender and fresh enough right off the cob.
But what really takes this salad over the top are the toasted almonds. Just a few minutes in a dry skillet brings out their nutty, buttery aroma, and that crunch adds such a nice contrast to the veggies. I also make a simple dressing with lemon juice, olive oil, fresh mint, chili flakes, and a little salt and pepper, and it ties everything together in the best way. One bite of this easy raw zucchini salad and I’m officially in summer mode.
Zucchini, Corn, and Toasted Almond Salad
Servings 6 servings (1 cup each)Ingredients
- 2 corn cobs ($0.66)
- 3 Tbsp sliced almonds ($0.45*)
- 2 medium zucchinis (about ⅔ lb, $2.04)
- 1 lemon (juiced, $0.58)
- 1 Tbsp fresh mint (minced, $0.59)
- ¼ tsp chili flakes ($0.03)
- ½ tsp black pepper (freshly cracked, $0.05)
- ¾ tsp salt ($0.01)
- 1 Tbsp olive oil ($0.19)
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese (cut into ribbons, $1.35**)
Instructions
- Gather your ingredients.
- Remove husks from corn and carefully shave off the kernels. Set aside.
- In a small dry frying pan, toast sliced almonds until toasted and fragrant. Be careful to stir them often—don’t forget about them! They can burn quickly. Set aside to cool.
- Using a sharp knife or mandoline slicer, slice zucchini about ⅙-inch thick into long planks and then into bite-sized pieces, discarding the root and stem ends. Set aside.
- In a small mixing bowl, combine lemon juice, minced mint, chili flakes, pepper, salt, and olive oil.
- In a medium-sized serving bowl, combine Parmesan, zucchini, corn kernels, and almonds. Pour the dressing over the top and gently fold everything together. Serve chilled with extra salt and pepper, if desired.
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Equipment
- Vegetable Peeler or Cheese Grater
- Small Frying Pan
- Sharp Knife or Mandoline Slicer
- Small Mixing Bowl
- Medium Serving Bowl
Notes
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!how to make Zucchini, Corn, and Toasted Almond Salad step-by-step photos
Gather all of your ingredients.
Shuck the corn: Remove the husks and carefully use a knife to shave the kernels from 2 corn cobs. Set the kernels to one side.
Toast the almonds: In a small dry frying pan, toast 3 Tbsp sliced almonds until toasted and fragrant. Make sure to stir them often and don’t forget about them! They can burn very quickly if you’re not careful. Set them aside to cool.
Slice the zucchini: Remove the root and stem ends of 2 medium zucchinis, then use a sharp knife or mandoline slicer to slice the zucchini into 1/6-inch thick long planks. Then, slice the planks into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.
Make the dressing: Combine lemon juice (from 1 lemon), 1 Tbsp minced fresh mint, ¼ tsp chili flakes, ½ tsp black pepper, ¾ tsp salt, and 1 Tbsp olive oil in a small mixing bowl.
Make the salad: Add ½ cup Parmesan (cut into ribbons or grated), the prepped zucchini, corn kernels, and toasted almonds to a medium-sized serving bowl. Pour the dressing over the top.
Now gently fold everything together to evenly distribute the ingredients.
Serve: Enjoy this zucchini, corn, and toasted almond salad chilled with extra salt and pepper, if you like. Enjoy!
Top Tip
Love the sound of this zucchini and corn salad, but not sure how you feel about the texture of raw zucchini? I hear you. While I absolutely love it, I don’t want anyone to miss out on this salad just because they’re on the fence. If you’re not sold on raw zucchini, try making this recipe using grilled zucchini instead! Just let it cool before tossing it into the salad. You’ll still get the fresh summer flavor, with a little extra smokiness from the grill.
Serving Suggestions
This raw zucchini salad is a delicious side for just about any meal throughout summer. Or you can bulk it out and serve it as more of a main dish by adding my BBQ grilled tofu or grilled chicken breast! It’s also great piled onto a bed of arugula, mixed with cooled cooked pasta, or spooned over a bowl of rice or quinoa.
If you have any other veggies to use up, like cucumber, yellow summer squash, or plum tomatoes, feel free to add them in! This one’s super flexible, so it’s a great way to clean out the fridge and still end up with something fresh and flavorful.
Storage Instructions
This zucchini, corn, and almond salad is great for same-day enjoyment. It can be enjoyed as leftovers the next day, but the texture of the zucchini will change significantly and become much softer. I love it, but wanted to make a note of that if you’re not used to enjoying zucchini raw and marinated. If you don’t mind it being softer, I recommend enjoying this zucchini salad within 2 days.
