Zucchini Panzanella Salad (No Extra Dressing Needed)

This Zucchini Panzanella Salad is fresh, lemony, full of flavor, and ridiculously easy to make. Thin zucchini ribbons are marinated with olive oil, lemon, chili, and garlic, then tossed with bread, olives, red onion, parsley, and vegan feta. Simple yet delicious, and perfect for a lovely summer dinner with friends.

Well, it’s that time of the year again. That time when suddenly everyone has waaaaaay too many zucchinis. You know the season: neighbors quietly leave zucchinis on each other’s doorsteps, friends keep asking if you want “just a couple more”, and you wonder why you actually thought planting four zucchini plants for a family of two people was a good idea.

If you know what I’m talking about, this recipe is for you. It’s not a revolutionary recipe, but it has been one of my go-to zucchini recipes for the last years. I love that it’s quick and easy to make, and it’s also super customizable based on what you have at home.

One of my favorite things about this salad is that you don’t need to make a separate dressing. The zucchini marinates in olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and chili flakes, and that marinade becomes the dressing for the whole salad. Plus unlike many panzanella recipes, you don’t have to toast the bread here, if you’re using stale bread. The bread soaks up the zucchini marinade, and softens just enough while still keeping some texture. Of course, if you want extra crunch, toasted bread is absolutely delicious too.

Zucchini Panzanella Salad is…

• vegan and fully plant-based
• quick and easy to make
• fresh and lemony
• perfect for zucchini season
• made with simple ingredients
• great for meal prep
• delicious both as a main or side dish
• customizable
• full of delicious Mediterranean flavors

How to make Zucchini Panzanella Salad

Start by shaving the zucchinis into thin ribbons using a vegetable peeler or mandoline slicer. Toss the ribbons with olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, chili flakes, salt and pepper, and let them marinate for at least 15 minutes. This step softens the zucchini and creates the flavorful dressing for the salad.

While the zucchini is marinating, prepare the remaining ingredients. Tear or cut bread into bite-size pieces, slice onion, halve olives, chop parsley, and crumble feta.

Add everything to the bowl with the marinated zucchini, including all of the marinade, and mix well. Let the salad rest for another 10 to 15 minutes before serving so the bread can absorb some of the dressing and the flavors can come together.

What bread to use

This is actually a great recipe for using up basically any bread that has gone a little stale and dry.

Ciabatta is my favorite bread for this salad because it has a great chewy texture and soaks up the marinade really well. Baguette works just as well, but leftover crusty sliced bread can also be used.

Stale vs toasted bread

Traditional panzanella is usually made with stale bread, and that works perfectly here. You can simply tear or cut the bread into pieces and add it directly to the salad.

If your bread is still fresh, you can quickly toast it in the oven or toaster until lightly golden. Toasted bread gives the salad a slightly crispier texture, while stale bread creates a softer, more traditional panzanella texture. Both are delicious in my opinion, so it’s totally up to you what you prefer.

How to serve Zucchini Panzanella Salad

This salad is hearty enough to enjoy on its own for lunch or a light dinner.

It also makes a fantastic summer side dish. Serve it alongside baked tofu, tempeh, roasted veggies, or anything coming off the grill.

And it’s also a great salad to bring to picnics, potlucks, and dinner parties, because it can sit for a little while without losing its flavor.

Customize it the way you like it!

• Use colorful zucchinis to make this salad even prettier. The longer you marinate the zucchini slices, the softer they get

• I like the simplicity of the marinade with olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and chili. But you can add all sort of extras, if you like: balsamic vinegar, a little miso paste, mustard, nutritional yeast, or dried herbs

• Also feel free to add any extras to your salads: butter beans, chickpeas, cherry tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, roasted eggplant cubes, arugula, chopped nuts…the options are endless

• You can also play around with the bread you use. Ciabatta is always a great choice, but baguette, or sourdough slices are delicious too. You can even go for whole wheat or multigrain bread, for more flavor and texture

More delicious zucchini recipes to try:

• Easy Vegan Zucchini Pesto
• Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta w/ Roasted Zucchini
• Black Bean & Quinoa Balls w/ Spiralized Zucchini
• Simple Raw Zucchini Roll-Ups
• Vegan Quiche w/ Summer Vegetables
• Roasted Aubergine and Zucchini Antipasti
• Spiralized Zucchini, Cherry and Lentil Salad
• Green Quinoa Bowl with Asparagus and Zucchini

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