Recipe: Chilled Zucchini Noodle Salad

This super-fresh salad will surely have you seeing green — even though it doesn’t call for any leafy lettuces. We tossed zucchini noodles with a sweet and spicy honey jalapeño lime vinaigrette, added plenty of chopped fresh cilantro, and finished things off with a handful of salted pistachios to create the ultimate vibrant summer side.

It’s exactly the thing to serve alongside burgers, hot dogs, chicken, fish, or just about anything else you’re pulling off the grill this summer.

Summer meals practically require something bright and crisp on the side. Let this zoodle salad be your go-to this year. It’s easy enough to spiralize zucchini yourself, but if you don’t want to bother or don’t own a spiralizer, you can find store-bought zoodles in most grocery stores. Raw zucchini noodles have a nice al dente bite to them, and don’t need much more than a simple vinaigrette to make them shine.

In this recipe, that vinaigrette is a jalapeño number, brought to life with a touch of honey and Dijon, plenty of lime juice, and some fresh cilantro. A final sprinkling of whole pistachios not only add a salty kick to every twirl, but also brings a nice bit of meaty crunch.