Looking for a new way to make zucchini noodles? This zucchini noodle salad pairs them with kale, sun-dried tomatoes, and pesto for a salad that holds up well after dressing.
Zucchini Noodle Salad with Kale and Pesto
Zucchini noodles are often treated as a substitute for pasta, but they're also a great starting point for a salad. Here, they're tossed with kale, pesto, and sun-dried tomatoes for a combination that's more substantial and flavorful than zucchini noodles alone.
It's also a salad that holds up well after dressing. The zucchini noodles and kale don't wilt the way lettuce does, making this a good option for taking to a picnic, barbecue, or as a make-ahead lunch.
Why You'll Love This Zucchini Noodle Salad
It's more than zucchini noodles and pesto. Kale and sun-dried tomatoes add texture and concentrated flavor, while the pesto brings everything together.
It holds up well after dressing. The zucchini noodles and kale stay sturdy rather than wilting like delicate lettuce, making the salad practical for preparing ahead.
Ingredients
For the pesto
- Fresh basil and flat-leaf parsley — Basil forms the main flavor of the pesto, while parsley adds freshness and color.
- Garlic — Adds depth to the pesto.
- Pistachios — Add richness and texture. Walnuts can also be used.
- Extra-virgin olive oil — Use a good-quality olive oil.
- Fresh lemon juice — Adds acidity and brightens the pesto.
Shortcut: A good-quality store-bought pesto also works when you want to simplify the recipe.
For the salad
- Lacinato kale — Also called Tuscan or dinosaur kale, its sturdy leaves hold up particularly well in a dressed salad.
- Zucchini — Spiralize the zucchini with a spiralizer or julienne peeler or use store-bought. Small to medium zucchini tend to make the best noodles.
- Sun-dried tomatoes — Their concentrated flavor adds a savory-sweet contrast to the zucchini and pesto. Oil-packed tomatoes can be used as-is; dry tomatoes should be rehydrated first.
- Pumpkin and hemp seeds — Add a little crunch to the finished salad. Use either or both, depending on what you have.
How to Make Zucchini Noodle Salad
Step 1: Make the pesto
Add the basil, parsley, garlic, pistachios, and salt to a mini food processor. Pulse until finely chopped. Add the olive oil and lemon juice and process until smooth, adding a little more olive oil if needed to loosen the pesto.
Step 2: Prepare the kale
Strip the kale leaves from the stems and thinly slice them into ribbons. Place the kale in a large bowl and add half of the pesto.
Using clean hands, massage the kale until the leaves are darker, softer, and tender. This helps break down the leaves and allows the pesto to coat them evenly.
Step 3: Make the zucchini noodles
Spiralize the zucchini using a spiralizer or cut it into thin noodles with a julienne peeler.
Step 4: Assemble the salad
Add the zucchini noodles and sliced sun-dried tomatoes to the kale. Add the remaining pesto and gently toss until everything is evenly coated.
Sprinkle with pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds, or both and serve.
Tips for the Best Zucchini Noodle Salad
- Choose small to medium zucchini. They tend to have firmer flesh and fewer large seeds, making better noodles.
- Slice the kale thinly. Thin ribbons are easier to eat and become more tender when massaged.
- Don't skip massaging the kale. Working the pesto into the kale softens the leaves and helps distribute the dressing throughout the salad.
- Add the seeds just before serving. This keeps them crunchy, particularly if you're making the salad ahead.
Variations
- Use walnuts instead of pistachios. Walnuts make an easy substitute in the pesto.
- Make the pesto nut-free. Sunflower seeds can be substituted for the pistachios to make a nut-free pesto.
- Change the seed topping. Use pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds, sunflower seeds, or a combination.
What to Serve with Zucchini Noodle Salad
This salad works well as a light lunch or as a side dish alongside main dishes. It's also sturdy enough to take to picnics, barbecues, and potlucks.
How to Store Zucchini Noodle Salad
Store leftover salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The zucchini will gradually release some moisture and soften, but the kale holds up well after dressing.
If making the salad ahead, keep the seeds separate and sprinkle them over the salad just before serving.
Final Thoughts
Zucchini noodles make a simple base for a salad, but the kale, pesto, and sun-dried tomatoes are what give this one its substance and character. The pesto coats the vegetables with its garlicky flavor, while the sun-dried tomatoes add a pop of color and concentrated flavor.
More Zucchini Noodle Recipes:
Zucchini Noodle Salad with Pesto
If you usually think of zucchini noodles as a pasta substitute, try them in salad form instead. Kale, pesto, and sun-dried tomatoes turn them into a salad that works well for lunch or as a side dish.
Ingredients
For the pesto (or use store-bought):
- ¼ cup basil leaves
- ¼ cup flat leaf parsley, stems removed
- 1 small clove of garlic
- 2 Tablespoons/17g pistachios or walnuts
- 2 Tablespoons/30ml extra virgin olive oil (plus more if needed to thin out dressing)
- 2 teaspoons/ 10ml lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
For the salad:
- One bunch lacinato (aka Tuscan) kale
- 2 medium sized zucchini
- 5 soft sundried tomatoes, thinly sliced
- 2 Tablespoons/ 14g pumpkin seeds
- 1 Tablespoon/ 10g hemp seeds (optional)
Instructions
Make the pesto:
- Combine basil, parsley, garlic, pistachios, and salt in a mini food processor. Pulse until finely chopped. Add olive oil and lemon juice and process until smooth (adding more olive oil as needed to loosen dressing). Set aside.
Make the salad:
- Strip kale leaves from stems (discard stems). Roll leaves and thinly slice. Place in a large bowl and add half the dressing. With clean hands, firmly massage the leaves to work in the dressing and tenderize the leaves. The kale should look darker and feel softer and silkier. Set aside.
- Using a spiralizer or a julienne vegetable peeler, cut zucchini into noodles.
- Gently toss the zucchini with the kale, sundried tomatoes and the rest of the pesto.
- Sprinkle with pumpkin and hemp seeds and serve.
Notes
Pesto shortcut: A good-quality store-bought pesto can be used instead of homemade.
Make ahead: The salad can be dressed ahead of serving. Keep the seeds separate and add them just before serving.
Nut-free: Substitute sunflower seeds for the pistachios in the pesto.
Dietary Info:
Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, Vegetarian, Vegan, Dairy-Free, Egg-Free, Paleo.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 147Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 141mgCarbohydrates: 5gFiber: 2gSugar: 3gProtein: 2g
Nutritional information for recipes contained on this website, such as calories, fat, carbs, etc. are only estimates and are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Sylvie Shirazi is the recipe developer and food photographer behind Gourmande in the Kitchen. For the last 10 years she's been making eating more healthfully easy and accessible with gluten-free, grain-free, paleo and vegan recipes that are free from processed ingredients.
Bernadette Morrissey says
Yum!!!! This is delicious! The blend of flavours ... the crunchiness ... the pesto!! I am adding to my Favorites file for sure!!!!Yum!!!! This is delicious! The blend of flavours ... the crunchiness ... the pesto!! I am adding to my Favorites file for sure!!!!
Cathy says
Thank you for a salad that keeps and transports well! The dried tomatoes must add an excellent hit of flavour. Even though summer has passed, I'm Pinning this to try!