SUMMER SQUASH SALAD WITH ARUGULA AND FETA

It’s sweltering outside, you’ve been running around all day, and now you just need a refreshing dish you can throw together in a flash. That’s where this salad comes in. Not only is it my no-cook solution for hot, busy nights, it also happens to be one of my favorite ways to showcase summer squash. Here, the star veggie is served raw, sliced into skinny strips, and paired with peppery arugula and salty feta cheese. And that hint of unexpected flavor? That’s thanks to the dressing, which uses every part of the lemon except the seeds. The combination of rind and pith lends a mild, pleasing bitterness, making this salad not quite as simple as it seems.

Good

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

Make the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the chopped lemon, lemon juice, honey, garlic, shallot, and oil. Season with salt and pepper.

Step 2

Make the salad: Using a mandoline, spiralizer, or sharp knife, julienne the squash and zucchini and place them in a large bowl with the arugula, mint, and basil. Drizzle with the dressing and toss until all of the ingredients are evenly coated.

Step 3

To serve, transfer the salad to a deep serving bowl and scatter it with the feta and hazelnuts. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt and freshly cracked pepper. Serve at room temperature.

Step 4

swoon tip The key to a stunning presentation here is using your mandoline’s julienne blade to turn out beautifully precise little ribbons of squash. To avoid slicing your fingers into ribbons in the process, hold your veggie with a kitchen towel as you apply downward pressure, using the towel as a barrier between the sharp blade and your skin. Be sure to discard the seedy middle of the squash, which is watery and devoid of color.