Caramelized Lemon and Zucchini Bean Salad
A Caramelized Lemon and Zucchini Bean Salad to help use up the last of your zucchini. Easy to make and great to prep ahead for more protein and fiber packed meals.
The last of my zucchini. It’s been a good year and I will miss some of my favorite summer produce. So let’s enjoy one last good summery bean salad before we make these more cozy, shall we?
Why You’ll Love This Caramelized Lemon and Zucchini Bean Salad
- Great way to add additional fiber and protein to any meal. Build around it into a meal or serve as a side to help add more fiber and protein to your meals throughout the day.
- Prep ahead of time. This salad can be made at the start of the week and gets better in flavor as the beans and zucchini marinate in the dressing.
- Customize to your taste. Not a fan of a specific ingredient? Check some of the food swaps included below.
Key Ingredients and Substitutions
- Lemons: Fresh lemon is best as you will need the zest and juice for the dressing.
- Zucchini: I love how well the zucchini holds up in this salad, but feel free to swap for something like Persian cucumber or roasted bell peppers if desired.
- Beans: I used a combination of chickpeas and white beans, but you can swap for your favorite bean combo here.
- Peppers: I used a spicy red pepper in this, but you can use any type of bell pepper can work here if you want something that isn’t spicy.
- Onion: I used a red onion, but shallots, white onion or scallions can work in this salad too.
- Dates: I used medjool dates for this, but this can work well with dried figs or apricots.
- Herbs: I used a mix of parsley and cilantro, but feel free to use what you prefer. For example, if you can’t tolerate cilantro, swap the cilantro for dill or chives.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic is a must.
- Miso Paste: I used yellow miso, but white miso works too. This will help to bring out the umami flavors in our dressing. You can omit if you are unable to find it.
- Vinegar: I used white wine vinegar, but apple cider vinegar or rice vinegar can work in this dressing too.
How to Make a Caramelized Lemon and Zucchini Bean Salad
Add the red onion to a bowl of cold water and allow to soak for 5 minutes. Drain and pat dry then set to the side.
To a small saute pan over medium low heat add a teaspoon of oil. When hot add the garlic. Sauté the garlic in the oil for about 1-2 minutes or until the edges are golden and the garlic is fragrant then transfer to a blender cup.
Zest the whole lemon into the blender cup then cut the lemon in half. To the same pan, add the lemons cut side down. Allow to cook undisturbed for 5-6 minutes or until the bottoms have browned and caramelized. Transfer the lemons back to the cutting board and allow to cool for 5 minutes.
To the blender cup, squeeze in the lemon juice from the caramelized lemon then add the maple syrup, vinegar, miso, salt and remaining oil. Blend the dressing until it thickens and becomes creamy. Add the cilantro and black pepper and give a quick pulse with the blender to mix it into the dressing. Do not over blend! Adjust salt or sweetener as needed.
To a large mixing bowl add the beans, onions, zucchini, dates, pepper, and parsley and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to fully coat. Cover and allow to marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour. Before serving, give the bean salad a generous toss.
Enjoy this as a wrap by heating a pita, then smearing it with cream cheese then topping it with greens and a few spoons of the salad. Drizzle with leftover dressing from the bowl, wrap, and enjoy.
Expert Tips
- If you are feeling lazy, skip caramelizing the lemon. Just note that the flavor of the dressing will change. I would also recommend using 1 clove of garlic instead of 3 and grating it into the dressing.
- Season well throughout. For the best flavors, make sure you are using a enough salt. Salt is what brings out the flavors in spices and herbs, so make sure to layer in a sprinkle of salt as you are building your salad base. This will help with preventing your salad from tasting bland.
- Let it marinate. This salad is best when marinated for at least an hour before enjoying. After it sits in the dressing, make sure to give it a really good mix before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! And to achieve really good flavor while it’s raw, marinating it in a flavorful dressing will infuse it with more flavor. Alternatively, if not a fan of the thought of raw zucchini, feel free to lightly saute or grill it before adding to the salad.
Instead of a wrap, stuff in tortillas or serve over your favorite whole grains like quinoa. You can also serve it like a dip and enjoy with tortilla chips.
I recommend storing the bean salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. Make sure to give the salad a good mix before enjoying.
Make it a Full Meal
There are multiple ways to serve this bean salad and use as a base for a full meal. My favorite ways to serve is tucked into a wrap with extra lettuce and smeared with cream cheese. Here are some additional ideas:
- Used as a side with any main meal
- Served generously over a serving of quinoa
- Enjoy as a dip with some whole grain chips
More Bean Salads to Try
- Creamy Chipotle Bean Salad
- Marinated Onion Bean Salad
- Grilled Veggie Bean Salad with Maple Dijon Dressing
- Ginger Shallot Chopped Bean Salad
- Crispy Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad with Cilantro Lime Dressing
If you tried this recipe or any other recipe on the blog, then let me know what you thought in the comments below! And if you loved it, don’t forget to rate it too. Feel free to follow on Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok for the latest nutrition tips and recipe videos.
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Caramelized Lemon and Zucchini Bean Salad
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Marinating Time: 60 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: 4–6 servings 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
A Caramelized Lemon and Zucchini Bean Salad to help use up the last of your zucchini. Easy to make and great to prep ahead for more protein and fiber packed meals.
Ingredients
Caramelized Lemon Dressing
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus 2 tsp for cooking
- 3 cloves of garlic, smashed
- 1 large lemon
- 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 1–2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1/2 tsp yellow miso paste
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste as needed
- Pinch of white pepper
- 3 tbsp fresh cilantro, minced
Salad Base
- 1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced
- 1, 15 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1, 15 oz can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 medium zucchini, thinly sliced into half moons
- 4 medjool dates, diced
- 1 fresno pepper, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves, minced
For serving: vegan cream cheese, lettuce, whole grain wraps
Instructions
- Add the red onion to a bowl of cold water and allow to soak for 5 minutes. Drain and pat dry then set to the side.
- To a small saute pan over medium low heat add a teaspoon of oil. When hot add the garlic. Sauté the garlic in the oil for about 1-2 minutes or until the edges are golden and the garlic is fragrant then transfer to a blender cup.
- Zest the whole lemon into the blender cup then cut the lemon in half. To the same pan, add the lemons cut side down. Allow to cook undisturbed for 5-6 minutes or until the bottoms have browned and caramelized. Transfer the lemons back to the cutting board and allow to cool for 5 minutes.
- To the blender cup, squeeze in the lemon juice from the caramelized lemon then add the maple syrup, vinegar, miso, salt and remaining oil. Blend the dressing until it thickens and becomes creamy. Add the cilantro and black pepper and give a quick pulse with the blender to mix it into the dressing. Do not over blend! Adjust salt or sweetener as needed.
- To a large mixing bowl add the beans, onions, zucchini, dates, pepper, and parsley and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to fully coat. Cover and allow to marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour. Before serving, give the bean salad a generous toss.
- Enjoy this as a wrap by heating a pita, then smearing it with cream cheese then topping it with greens and a few spoons of the salad. Drizzle with leftover dressing from the bowl, wrap, and enjoy.
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