Zucchini Salad With Sizzled Mint and Feta

By Ali Slagle

Updated October 11, 2023

  • Nico Schinco for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
10 minutes
Prep Time
5 minutes
Cook Time
5 minutes
Rating
4(691)
Comments
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Crunchy and tart like salad-e Shirazi yet sturdy enough to sit out for a couple hours, this salad dresses snappy raw zucchini and salty feta simply, with vinegar and oil. But while summery salads can be ephemeral, this one has staying power because its seasonings — a za’atar-like combination of dried mint, sesame seeds and dried chile — bloom in the olive oil for a rich undercurrent of flavor. Serve this dish as a side or build it into a whole meal by adding cooked grains, beans or another protein.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

  • 1 pound zucchini (about 3 medium), cut into ½-inch pieces

  • 1 ½ tablespoons red wine or sherry vinegar

  • 1 teaspoon honey

  • Salt

  • ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

  • 3 tablespoons sesame seeds (any color)

  • 2 teaspoons dried mint or oregano

  • Big pinch of red-pepper flakes

  • 3 ounces feta, crumbled into big pieces

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

8 grams carbs; 19 milligrams cholesterol; 244 calories; 12 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 22 grams fat; 2 grams fiber; 378 milligrams sodium; 6 grams protein; 4 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a large bowl, stir together the zucchini, vinegar, honey and a big pinch of salt.

  2. Step 2

    In a small skillet or saucepan, cook the olive oil and sesame seeds over medium heat, stirring often, until the seeds are fragrant and golden, 3 to 6 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the mint, red-pepper flakes and a pinch of salt. Immediately scrape the oil over the zucchini and stir to combine.

  3. Step 3

    Top the mixture with feta, then season to taste with salt. The salad can stay out at room temperature for up to 2 hours, or be refrigerated for up to 2 days. (The sesame seeds will lose their crunch, but not their flavor.)

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Ratings

4 out of 5
691 user ratings
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Comments

Kaydee

This is delicious - wonderful flavor and texture! I bought green and yellow squash at the farmer's market today & a small Walla Walla (sweet) onion. Added a few thin-slices (translucent) of the onion in Step 1. Added dried oregano and red-pepper flakes w/ the hot sesame seed/EVOL in step 2, then added a few finely cut fresh mint leaves in Step 3. For extra crunch added some roughly chopped pistachios. Definitely a keeper!

Katharine

Delightful! I sub’d 2tsp finely chopped fresh mint and it’s splendid.

lm

This was really good! For this recipe, zucchini should be sliced into half-moon pieces rather than cubed to avoid a bite that's too dense. You could throw in more mint (fresh or dried or both) and it'd be great.

Bernice

This is delicious! I just made it for the second time. However, I find the dried mint gets lost so I added extra fresh mint from the garden. So good!

kz

Extremely Yum. I did 2/3 dried mint 1/3 dried oregano and there was so much flavor and texture

LA Allison

Perfection as is.

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