Grilled Zucchini Salad
Greek Zucchini Salad is packed full of summer produce: grilled zucchini, peaches, and tomatoes, and fresh basil, feta cheese and honey. It’s the ultimate Greek salad for summer, served as a side dish or on toasts. It’s delicious and you can also drizzle with balsamic glaze.
There are so many ways to prepare zucchini, but one of my favorite ways is grilling, because of the texture and flavor. For this recipe, think “Greek Zucchini Salad” on toast! No need for pasta in this amazing salad today!
We love a Mediterranean dish that can be served as an easy, savory appetizer, lunch, or party snack in the afternoon! It’s just so fresh and lovely, as the bread is topped with zucchini, feta, tomatoes, peaches, and olives, for the perfect bite. Or, you may also serve the salad as a side dish (with no toast).
What is grilled zucchini salad?
I love a good grilled zucchini Greek salad! This recipe is so versatile, as you can make it for a snack dinner (light and fresh), or serve it with bread and make Zucchini Toasts. It’s a little different from our Greek Peasant Salad recipe, made with cucumbers and tomatoes. Today we are grilling zucchini, which adds delicious smokiness to the fresh tomatoes, juicy peaches, sharp kalamata olives, sweet honey, tangy feta, and herbaceous basil. Really, it just screams “summer!”
Why you’ll love Greek zucchini salad
- It’s the ultimate summer snack or lunch.
- We love the combination of peaches, tomatoes, and grilled zucchini.
- You can serve it on toast for lunch, or on crostini for an appetizer, or as a side salad.
- Optional to add chicken if you’re serving it as a main dish.
Ingredients needed to make grilled zucchini salad toasts
- Zucchini – Though its flavor is subtle, zucchini absorbs seasonings readily and develops deep complexity when grilled. In this recipe, the grilled squash is doused with a flavorful oil made with garlic, cumin and coriander.
- Olive oil – To brush the zucchini.
- Salt & pepper – Enhances flavors.
- Bread – Ciabatta or rustic loaf (or smaller bites use a baguette)
- Cherry tomatoes – we love heirloom tomatoes this time of year
- Feta cheese – Crumbled.
- Peaches – Adds natural sweetness.
- Kalamata olives – The briny flavor balances well with the sweet honey and peaches and is a common ingredient in Greek dishes.
- Fresh basil – For freshness.
- Honey – Pairs beautifully with the sweet and juicy peaches.
- Bread – Slices sturdy bread, ciabatta or rustic loaf for serving.
- Mayonnaise – Or avocado spray to coat the bread.
How to make this grilled zucchini salad
Prepare the zucchini
- Cross hatch both sides of the zucchini, cutting only about 1/8 inch down. This process helps the zucchini to release its excess moisture, thus browning better and remaining tender yet firm (rather than soggy and mushy).
- Season both sides of the zucchini with salt and place on a paper towel to absorb excess moisture.
- Let sit for 10 minutes.
- Preheat the grill to high.
Coat the bread
- Spread a generous layer of mayo onto each bread slice and set aside. (Optional to spray with Avocado spray).
Grill the zucchini
- Use a paper towel to dab any moisture off of both sides of the zucchini, then brush both sides with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Grill until golden brown and lightly charred. If the grill is too hot, reduce heat to medium-high. As the zucchini grills, grill the bread until golden brown and crunchy. You may need to lower the heat to avoid charring the bread. You can also broil the bread in the oven or in a skillet for more even toasting.
- Remove zucchini and bread from the heat and let cool.
Assemble and serve
- Slice zucchini into bite-size pieces and toss together with the tomatoes, feta, peach, olives, basil, and honey in a big bowl.
- Serve chilled, spooned onto the toasts or tossed in a salad.
Serving
You can serve the dish hot off the grill, or prepare in advance, then serve at room temperature.
We spoon this salad onto toasts (using rustic bread), for an appetizer, but it also is perfect to toss into a bowl along with some chicken and spring mix for a hearty summer salad.
You can replace the peaches, or add more fruit to the salad, along with other vegetables like cucumber and red onion.
Sandy’s tips and substitutions:
- Storage: Store the leftovers in the fridge in a covered container but eat within 24 hours or the peaches will be very soggy.
- When in a rush: If you don’t have time to grill the zucchini, you can julienne fresh. The flavor won’t quite be the same, but it will still be delicious.
- Marinate for deeper flavor: If you have extra time, marinate the grilled zucchini pieces in the spicy oil for up to 24 hours to help build flavor.
- For tender yet firm zucchini: Cross hatch both sides of the zucchini. This helps the zucchini to release its excess moisture so that it doesn’t turn soggy or mushy.
- Salt the zucchini: Adding salt to the cut zucchini not only flavors it, it also helps to draw out excess moisture. Don’t skip this step!
Variations:
- Gluten-free: Serve this Greek zucchini salad on gluten-free sliced bread, if needed.
- Make a bowl: Add this Greek zucchini salad to a grain bowl with chopped roasted chicken or chunks of salmon for a heartier main meal that removes the need for toasts.
- Greek zucchini pasta salad: Toss this zucchini salad with al dente pasta for a cozy vegetarian meal.
- Add texture: Add toasted nuts or seeds for crunch.
- Kick of heat: If you want to add a kick to the salad, add red pepper flakes.
For more tasty appetizer toasts, check out my Grilled Zucchini Corn Toasts, Grilled Zucchini Tomato Toasts, Bacon Shrimp Toasts, and White Bean Crostini Toasts.
More summer zucchini recipes you may want to try:
- Sweet Smokey Zucchini Salsa Recipe
- Cold Zucchini Soup
- Zucchini Frittata
- Zucchini Relish Recipe
- Air Fryer Zucchini Parmesan
Get the Recipe:
Grilled Zucchini Salad
Ingredients
- 2 zucchini, cut diagonally into 1’’ thick rounds
- Olive oil to brush
- Salt and pepper to season
- 12 2×3-inch slices sturdy bread, ciabatta or rustic loaf
- ⅓ cup mayonnaise (or avocado spray)
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
- 8 oz feta cheese, crumbled
- 1 peach, peeled and chopped
- ½ c kalamata olives, roughly chopped
- 8-10 leaves basil, chiffonade
- 1 ½ Tbsp honey
Instructions
- Cross hatch both sides of the zucchini, cutting only about ⅛ inch down. This process helps the zucchini to release its excess moisture, thus browning better and remaining tender yet firm (rather than soggy and mushy).
- Season both sides of the zucchini with salt and place on a paper towel to absorb excess moisture. Let sit 10 minutes. Preheat grill to high.
- Spread a generous layer of mayo onto each bread slice and set aside. (Optional to spary with Avocado Spray.)
- Use a paper towel to dab any moisture off of both sides of the zucchini, then brush both sides with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill until golden brown and lightly charred—2-3 minutes per side. If the grill is too hot, reduce heat to medium-high. As the zucchini grills, grill the bread until golden brown and crunchy. You may need to lower the heat to avoid charring the bread. You can also broil the bread in the oven or in a skillet for more even toasting.
- Remove zucchini and bread from the heat and let cool.
- Slice zucchini into bite-size pieces and toss together with the tomatoes, feta, peach, olives, basil, and honey in a big bowl.
- Serve chilled, spooned onto the toasts or tossed in a salad or as a side salad.
Hello and welcome to my home and table!
I’m Sandy—lover of food, family, cooking, THE BIG BOARD, travel, and bringing people together. Through great recipes and connection around the table, we become better, stronger, and more courageous people. Feasting on Life is real, and every time we do it, we grow a little more. Read more...
