Zucchini Salad with Mint and Pickles
This zucchini salad with mint and pickles is a raw, vegan, no-cook salad you mix together in one bowl: grated zucchini and carrots, chopped tomatoes, sliced pickles, fresh mint, garlic, and a simple olive oil and lemon dressing. It is quick to throw together, savory rather than sweet, and a fresh, light way to use up summer zucchini without ever turning on the stove.
I never thought I’d like this salad so much the first time I saw it on Jamie Oliver’s TV show. I usually don’t like weird ingredient mixes in salads, like fruits and greens, or sweet and salty flavors, but this salad was the exception. My mom called me a few weeks ago to tell me about this great zucchini and mint salad she saw on Jamie’s show, and at first I was reluctant because mint and raw zucchini didn’t sound so appealing to me. Then I decided to give it a try, and oh, I’m so glad I did. I added a personal touch too: the pickles and carrots go great in this. I also didn’t have some of the ingredients from the original recipe, so I simply skipped them.
What goes into this raw zucchini salad
The ingredient list is short and forgiving, but a few choices make a real difference. Pick small to medium zucchini: they have fewer seeds, firmer flesh, and a sweeter, less watery taste than the big end-of-season ones. Grate them on the coarse side of the box grater so the strands stay distinct rather than turning to mush. The carrots add a little natural sweetness and crunch that balances the tang from the pickles and lemon.
Fresh mint is the ingredient that makes this salad sing, so don’t swap it for dried; chop it just before mixing so it stays bright. Use ripe but firm tomatoes that hold their shape once chopped, and slice the pickles thin so their sharpness spreads through every bite. The garlic should be mashed to a paste rather than left in chunks, and good extra virgin olive oil with the juice of half a lemon is all the dressing you need.
Tips for getting it right
Raw zucchini releases water once it meets salt, which is the one thing that can dilute this salad. If you have a few extra minutes, grate the zucchini, toss it with a pinch of salt, and let it sit for ten minutes, then gently squeeze out the excess liquid before adding everything else. That single step keeps the dressing clinging to the vegetables instead of pooling at the bottom of the bowl.
Season at the end and taste as you go. The pickles and lemon already bring saltiness and acidity, so add salt last and adjust the chili powder to your heat tolerance. The two pinches in the recipe give a gentle warmth, but you can push it further if you like a kick. Mixing everything with your hands, gently, coats the strands better than a spoon and keeps the texture loose.
What to serve it with
This salad is light and fresh, so it loves company that brings a little heft. It sits beautifully next to sweet zucchini fritters if you are leaning into a zucchini-forward meal, or alongside a scoop of light, fresh lemony hummus with warm bread for a relaxed summer lunch. For something more substantial, serve it as the cooling side to a bowl of Hungarian vegetarian paprikash where its tang cuts through the rich, spiced sauce.
Storing and making it ahead
This is best eaten fresh, within a couple of hours of mixing, while the zucchini still has bite and the mint is bright. If you want to prep ahead, grate and chop everything separately, keep the components in the fridge, and combine with the dressing only when you are ready to serve. Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for about a day, though the salad softens and gives off liquid as it sits, so drain it before serving the next day. I wouldn’t freeze this one, since raw zucchini turns watery and limp once thawed.
If you end up loving raw zucchini as much as I now do, the same vegetable works beautifully cooked as well, like in these crispy zucchini fritters when you want something warm.
If you make this zucchini, mint, and pickle salad, I’d love to know whether the mint won you over the way it won me over. Leave a star rating and a comment below telling me how it turned out and whether you nudged up the chili or added your own twist.
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Zucchini Salad with Mint and Pickles
Ingredients
- 3 zucchinis grated
- 2 carrot grated
- 2 tomatoes chopped
- 6 pickles sliced
- 2 pinches chili powder
- 2 cloves garlic mashed
- 1 handful fresh mint chopped
- 4 Tbsps extra virgin olive oil
- ½ lemon juice only
- salt to taste
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Grate zucchinis and carrots.
- Slice pickles.
- Put them in a large bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix. That’s it!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Every ingredient is plant-based: zucchini, carrots, tomatoes, pickles, garlic, fresh mint, chili powder, extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. There is no dairy, egg, or honey, so the salad is fully vegan, and it is raw and macrobiotic too.
No. This is a raw salad, so the zucchini is grated and eaten uncooked. You simply grate the zucchini and carrots, slice the pickles, chop the tomatoes and mint, then mix everything with the garlic, olive oil, and lemon. There is no cooking involved at all.
Raw zucchini releases water once it touches salt. Grate it, toss with a pinch of salt, let it sit for about ten minutes, then gently squeeze out the excess liquid before mixing in the other ingredients. Adding the salt at the end and draining any leftovers also helps keep the salad from going soggy.
It is best eaten fresh, within a couple of hours of mixing. To prep ahead, grate and chop the components separately, keep them in the fridge, and combine them with the dressing only when you are ready to serve so the salad stays crisp and the mint stays bright.
Use sliced cucumber pickles and cut them thin so their tang spreads through every bite. They add the salty, sour note that balances the sweet carrots and fresh zucchini, which is the personal touch that makes this version a little different from the original.
Because it is light and tangy, it pairs well with heartier dishes. Serve it next to sweet zucchini fritters, alongside lemony hummus and bread for a summer lunch, or as a cooling side to a rich main like Hungarian vegetarian paprikash.
I rarely eat raw zucchinis but this salad has convinced me. So refreshing and delicious! I love it 🙂
Thank you! Glad you liked the recipe! 🙂
this looks delicious, loving your photography too!
Thank you! 🙂