Grilled Zucchini Salad with Feta and Walnuts Recipe
This salad combines lightly charred, slightly sweet zucchini with salty feta and crunchy walnuts. In Italy, grilled vegetables are a staple of the summer table – served as an appetizer or a side to meat. Here they take center stage and create a light yet satisfying dish.
This combination of grilled zucchini, cheese and nuts is inspired by Italian summer antipasti from local markets, where platters are filled with charred vegetables, cheeses and greens. Thanks to the addition of arugula and walnuts, the dish becomes a complete, light dinner rather than just a starter.
This salad shows how Italians can turn a few simple ingredients into a complete meal – grilled zucchini develops a smoky note that pairs beautifully with salty feta and nutty crunch. It’s not just an ordinary “green salad”, but a bowl full of textures: soft zucchini, creamy cheese, crunchy nuts and fresh arugula. It tastes like a summer lunch eaten on a terrace overlooking the Adriatic.
Why this version works
- Thicker slices of zucchini, about 0.5 cm, let you brown them nicely without the centers overcooking and falling apart.
- Lightly toasted nuts add aroma and a pronounced crunch that soft zucchini lacks.
- The lemon‑honey dressing balances the saltiness of the feta and the bitterness of the arugula, tying all the flavors together.
- Grilling the vegetables separately and tossing everything at the end keeps the leaves from wilting and soaking up excess juice.
Chef's tips
Slice the zucchini lengthwise into fairly thick slices – if they’re too thin, they burn easily and fall apart when you flip them; grill on a well-heated pan without too much oil so they brown nicely. As soon as you take them off the pan, drizzle with lemon juice and a little olive oil so they absorb the flavor better. Be sure to toast the nuts in a dry pan until they smell intensely nutty – only then will you bring out their full aroma.
How to serve
Serve this salad as a light dinner on a hot day, with a slice of crusty sourdough or focaccia. It pairs wonderfully with grilled fish or chicken, so it works great as the main side dish at a summer barbecue in the garden. To drink, choose a dry white wine, such as Vermentino, or homemade mint lemonade if you’re planning an alcohol-free evening.
Watch out for
- Don’t slice the zucchini too thinly – very thin slices burn quickly and tear when you try to flip them.
- Don’t pour too much olive oil into the pan, or the zucchini will start to stew in its own juices and stay pale.
- Don’t mix the salad with the dressing ahead of time – after a dozen or so minutes the arugula loses its crunch.
Substitutions
- You can replace feta with soft goat cheese or a milder Balkan‑style brined cheese.
- Swap the walnuts for toasted almonds, hazelnuts or pumpkin seeds if you avoid nuts.
- Instead of arugula you can use a mixed salad with lamb’s lettuce or baby spinach if you prefer a milder flavor.
- For a vegan dressing, replace the honey with maple or date syrup.
Ingredients
- zucchini medium - 2 piece
- feta cheese - 80 g
- walnuts lightly chopped - 40 g
- arugula or mixed salad leaves - 60 g
- olive oil 2 for the zucchini, 1 for the dressing - 3 tablespoons
- lemon juice - 1.5 tablespoons
- honey or maple syrup - 1 teaspoon
- garlic clove finely grated, optional - 0.5 piece
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
Preparation
- Wash the zucchini thoroughly, pat dry and trim the ends. Slice lengthwise into slices about 0.5 cm thick – they should be firm enough to flip easily with tongs, but not thicker than your little finger.
- Transfer the slices to a bowl, drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, season with salt and pepper. Toss with your hands until every piece is thinly coated in oil and there is no pool of oil left at the bottom of the bowl.
- Heat a grill pan or a large heavy frying pan until very hot – it should sizzle when you drop on a little water. Arrange the zucchini in a single layer and fry for 2–3 minutes without moving, until darker stripes appear.
- When the edges of the slices are lightly browned and the underside has clear grill marks, flip them with tongs. Fry for another 1.5–2 minutes, until the zucchini is tender but still springy when pierced with a fork and not falling apart.
- Transfer the cooked slices to a plate in a single layer so they don’t steam and release too much juice. If needed, fry the remaining batches, briefly lowering the heat if the pan starts to smoke a lot.
- In a dry pan toast the walnuts for 2–3 minutes over medium heat, shaking the pan often. They are ready when very fragrant and deep golden in spots; transfer them to a plate at once to cool.
- In a small bowl mix 1 tablespoon of olive oil, the lemon juice, honey, grated or very finely chopped garlic (if using), and a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir until the dressing thickens slightly and becomes smooth.
- Spread the arugula or salad mix on a large plate or in a bowl. Arrange the grilled zucchini slices on top, gently curling and overlapping them so the salad gains volume.
- Crumble the feta with your fingers into irregular pieces and sprinkle over the salad together with the toasted walnuts. Just before serving, drizzle everything with the dressing and gently toss from the bottom, until the leaves are thinly coated but not dripping.
- Taste a leaf with a piece of zucchini – if it lacks acidity, add a little more lemon juice; if the salad feels too heavy, add an extra handful of fresh arugula or lettuce.
Storage
Store any leftover salad (without dressing, if possible) in the fridge in a closed container and eat within 1 day. The zucchini will soften, but the flavors will meld nicely.
In summer I make this salad every week when young zucchini appears at the market – I grill a larger batch at once and use the leftovers the next day in sandwiches to go. I also sometimes swap the feta for goat cheese when I’m making a more “festive” version for a get-together with friends on the balcony.
