The Easiest 5-Ingredient Zucchini Dish I Make All Summer

Nothing says summer quite like a basket full of fresh produce. And if you're like me, you're enjoying corn on the cob, tomato salads, grilled zucchini, and fruit cobblers with every meal. Of course, there comes a time during the season when you end up with too much of all of it. And—if we're being honest—the same preparations start to get a little tiresome. While Allrecipes has you covered with all the recipe inspiration you need when you have extra fruits and veggies, sometimes you just need one simple idea to get you out of a rut.

Let this be that nudge for you right when you need it. Skip cooking entirely and try my go-to, no-cook zucchini recipe I whip up all summer long.

My Favorite No-Cook Zucchini Dish

Lately, my favorite thing to do with a leftover zucchini is a simple, no-cook masterpiece that is as light and fresh as it is easy and flavorful. Thinly sliced seasonal squash gets tossed with olive oil, feta cheese, chopped mint, and a big squeeze of fresh lemon juice. The raw salad is finished with salt and pepper to taste, and that's it. One zucc' makes for the perfect side for two to go alongside whatever else you're serving, be it burgers, grilled chicken or fish, or a big plate of pasta.

If I lost you at raw zucchini, come back! An important step at the beginning will change everything you thought you knew about serving this vegetable without cooking it first.

How to Make the Best Raw Zucchini (That Doesn't Taste Raw!)

Here's a detailed breakdown of how to throw this quintessential summer dish together in less than 10 minutes.

• Slice zucchini into circles, as thinly as possible. I use my handy Kyocera Mandoline to get this done in mere seconds and slice the veg over paper towels, spreading the circles out in an even layer across the paper towels as I go.
• Sprinkle salt over the sliced zucchini. I then distribute salt evenly across the slices to draw out the extra moisture that might make this dish soggy otherwise. I'll let the salt sit on the zucchini for a few minutes. (You'll see water start to come to the surface.)
• Blot the zucchini dry with towels. Next, I get as much of the excess water out as possible, squeezing the squash in the towels if necessary. You can also do this in a colander over the sink if you prefer. The zucchini should look dry and somewhat ruffled.
• Toss zucchini in a serving bowl with seasonings. I finish the whole thing with a flourish: a drizzle of olive oil, a sprinkle of crumbled feta, mint chiffonade, and finally, lemon juice, salt, and pepper to taste.

The thinly sliced squash circles become almost ribbon-like and are perfectly tender to bite into. They lose that raw crunch when they are salted and blotted dry, but retain the fresh taste you look for in summer squash. Lemon and mint add refreshing acidity and brightness while feta rounds out the texture and offers a tangy, creamy depth of flavor.

That said, this dish is easily customizable. I have mint running rampant in my garden but basil is wonderful here in the same ways (I almost always add both). Lime or a mild vinegar work in place of lemon, and you can sub in your favorite cheese, or skip the dairy altogether. When I have them around, it's also fun to add sliced snap peas into the mix as well.

This zucchini salad tastes like summer in a bowl and will be welcome on any table, brunch through dinner, with all the berries, peaches, corn, watermelon, and tomatoes nearby.