If you love my Miso Tahini Cucumber Salad, you’re going to want to put this Miso Tahini Zucchini Salad on repeat. Here, zucchini is cut into ½-inch by 2 to 3-inch batons and briefly blanched, a simple technique that transforms the vegetable while preserving its structure and bite.
The result is perfectly textured zucchini that’s incredibly well suited to the creamy, nutty, umami-rich Miso Tahini Dressing, which clings to every surface rather than pooling at the bottom of the bowl. It’s a fresh, sophisticated salad that works beautifully as a side dish, light lunch, or make-ahead addition to your meal prep rotation. And while the cucumber version is all about cool crunch, the blanched zucchini brings an entirely different texture and depth to the same irresistible dressing. It’s proof that sometimes changing just one vegetable can give a familiar salad a whole new personality.
But just promise me that you won’t forget to THOROUGHLY DRAIN and BLOT the zucchini dry. Failure to do so will result in a soggy mess of a salad. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!
Miso Tahini Zucchini Salad
4
servingsIngredients
4-5 medium zucchini
Kosher salt
Miso Tahini Dressing
1 scallion, thinly sliced
toasted or black sesame seeds, for garnish
1/8-1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
- Miso Tahini Dressing
3 tbsp sweet white miso paste
3 tbsp seasoned rice vinegar (if all you have is plain rice vinegar, add 2 tsp honey to it)
2/3 cup tahini
cool water (appx. 1/2 cup)
Directions
- Cut the zucchini into batons about 3 in long and 1/2 inch wide. Prepare an ice bath by filling a large bowl halfway with ice and then enough water to fill the bowl 3/4 of the way. In a medium pot, bring 3 qts of water and 2 tbsp Kosher salt to a boil. Once the water boils, add the zucchini and cook until bright green (about 45-60 seconds). Using a spider strainer, remove the zucchini and plunge into the ice bath. Drain the zucchini well then place onto a plate lined with a few sheets of paper towel or a clean tea towel. Blot dry gently.
- Prepare Miso Tahini Dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the miso paste and vinegar until the miso dissolves. Add the tahini to the miso/vinegar mixture and whisk to combine. Add water, a few tablespoons at a time until the dressing is the texture of a milkshake (not too thick, but not too runny). I err on the side of the dressing being a little thicker than drizzling consistency because the residual moisture from the zucchini will loosen it up.
- Add the zucchini to a bowl and make sure it is not dripping with water. Of course, it won’t be bone dry, but you don’t want lots of water clinging to it. Add the dressing, a few tablespoons at a time and toss. Garnish the salad with the sliced scallions and sesame seeds and red pepper flakes, if using.
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Sarah Faris: The salad Whisperer
Sarah is a classically trained chef and Mom whose passion is spreading the gospel of salad. A native New Yorker, she now calls Miami, FL home.
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