If you are looking for the perfect summer salad you have found it. It is fresh, hearty, and has a ton of flavor thanks to a mix of cooked and raw vegetables. Instead of lettuce, I chose to use zucchini noodles as the base. All of the flavors of summer are here- grilled corn, fresh tomatoes, and cilantro lime dressing to bring it all together. Best of all it only takes 20 minutes to make, enjoy!
If this is a salad where is the lettuce?
Lettuce is completely optional in this easy summer salad recipe. If you are a big fan of lettuce go ahead and add it. I prefer salads lite on lettuce, so I included a bunch of vegetables that make up for it. If you want to add lettuce I would suggest Romaine, Arugula, or Spinach.
Why are there cooked vegetables in this salad?
I chose to saute a few of the vegetables in this salad- the onions, bell pepper, and corn. I did this because sauteeing those specific vegetables brings out their flavor more than if you ate them raw, giving this salad a boost of flavor that it wouldn’t have otherwise.
If I don’t like zucchini, what can I substitute it with?
If you don’t like zucchini try substituting rice noodles (my favorite brand is Thai Kitchen)- they will give you a similar texture and also mix things up nicely. You could also use lettuce instead of zucchini if you like a more traditional salad.
If you love salads check out these other great salad recipes on my blog:
Recipe Video:
Summer Salad with Cilantro Lime Dressing
Ingredients
For Salad
- 4 zucchini
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 carrots sliced into coins
- 1/2 onion diced
- 1 cup frozen corn fresh corn can also be used
- 1 tbsp grapeseed oil
- garnish with cherry tomatoes, pepitas and cilantro
For Cilantro Lime Dressing
- 1/2 cup cilantro leaves finely minced
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 3 tbsp lime juice
- 2 tbsp water
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tsp honey
- 1 tsp garlic salt
- 1/2 tsp oregano
- black pepper to taste
Instructions
For Salad
- Using a vegetable spiralizer, make zoodles out of the zucchini
- Over medium heat, add grapeseed oil to a pan and sauté onions and bell peppers until soft (approx. 4 min)
- Add in corn to pan and continue cooking for approx. 2 minutes
- Place all ingredients into a large mixing bowl and set aside while you prepare the dressing
For Dressing
- Add all ingredients into a mason jar and shake until well combined
- Pour dressing over salad and toss