Zucchini Salad with Tofu Ricotta

This no-cook zucchini salad with tofu ricotta is ready in just 15 minutes and is the perfect seasonal summer side dish. A standard vegetable peeler turns tender zucchini into beautiful ribbons that are paired with dollops of homemade tofu ricotta, lemon zest, aleppo pepper, and fresh mint.

A No-Cook Zucchini Salad Recipe that’s the Perfect Summer Side Dish

If you ever see me at the farmers market inspecting every zucchini, it’s because I’m looking for the smallest ones. They’re super tender and nutty and make the absolute best-tasting zucchini salad! I had a salad similar to this while eating out a while back and knew I needed to create my own version once I was in the thick of zucchini season.

A humble vegetable peeler turns zucchini into whisper-thin ribbons that layer so beautifully on a platter. Add some dollops of homemade tofu ricotta, fresh mint, aleppo pepper, lemon zest, and a little olive oil and flaky sea salt for a low-key summer side dish. This no-cook zucchini salad is so easy to throw together and ready in 15 minutes or less. If you want a quicker option with less ingredients, go for my zucchini and cucumber carpaccio!

Key Zucchini Salad and Tofu Ricotta Ingredients

Leave the big honking zucchinis at the market or store and look for the smaller ones, roughly 6 to 7 inches or less. Trust me, they will be more tender and have better flavor!

When it comes to mint, spearmint works perfectly (it’s what I used here) but orange mint and apple mint would be equally delicious if you’re growing them in your garden! I like using aleppo pepper in the salad because it has a more fruity and mild flavor that pairs well with the other ingredients but if you like heat, feel free to use crushed red chili flakes.

The tofu ricotta is fairly straight forward (it’s a variation of the one I’ve used before in these stuffed shells and this ricotta toast). I like using a super firm tofu but extra firm also works great! I typically use one medium lemon for both the ricotta and zucchini salad. I split the zest between the two so make sure that you don’t add all of it to the ricotta!

Homemade High-Protein Tofu Ricotta in 5 Minutes or Less

This tofu ricotta is *almost* as easy to make as cracking open a tub of regular ricotta. I love using it here because it adds some protein and really great flavor. Simply add all of the ingredients to a food processor and blend until you have a ricotta texture. It will look a little grainy rather than smooth, just like ricotta!

You’ll almost certainly have some leftover tofu ricotta. It’s great on toast with thick slices of tomato or avocado! Or, just grab more zucchini and make another salad later in the week.

How to Make Zucchini Ribbons with a Regular Vegetable Peeler

A regular vegetable peeler makes perfectly thin and lovely zucchini ribbons without the need for special equipment! I recommend trimming off the ends of each zucchini first so that you get uniform slices. Then, use the peeler to remove thin slices, just like you would remove the peel from a carrot. If you happen to have a Y-peeler, you can use that, too!

You most likely won’t be able to use the last little bit of each zucchini without the risk of cutting your fingers. I like to save these and use them in a quick stir-fry or pop them into smoothies. Or, try them in this polenta dish along with caramelized leeks.

Putting Everything Together

There’s no tossing involved for this easy summer salad! I like to layer the zucchini slices on a large platter (see above). Then, I add big dollops of tofu ricotta, followed by lemon zest, aleppo pepper, mint leaves, a drizzle of olive oil, and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt. There’s really no messing this one up!

While this no-cook zucchini salad does taste best the day it is made, it will still be delicious on day 2 or 3! I recommend enjoying it within 3 days because the zucchini will release a lot of liquid over time. If you prefer, you can prep the tofu ricotta at the beginning of the week then assemble one or two portions of the salad at a time to ensure they are as fresh as possible.

Build Your Summer Meal

This raw zucchini salad would be really great in a brunch spread along with this tomato frittata and these lemon raspberry muffins. Or you can make an Italian-inspired spread and pair this small batch cherry tomato sauce with your favorite pasta and have the zucchini ribbon salad and some garlic bread on the side. Want an entire no-cook spread? Add these Mediterranean lentil salad wraps to the mix!

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