Greek Raw Grated Courgette Salad (Kolokithosalata)

Kolokithosalata takes courgette in a direction most people never consider, entirely raw rather than fried or baked, grated fine and dressed simply, giving a crisp, clean, genuinely refreshing salad for the height of summer when courgettes are cheap and plentiful and turning the oven on feels like the wrong idea entirely.

The one real technique here is a brief salting, exactly as with fried courgette, to draw out some of the vegetable's natural water content before dressing, which keeps the finished salad from turning watery and diluting the dressing.

Fresh mint is the traditional herb, giving a clean, cooling note that plays particularly well against the courgette's mild flavour, and the whole dish comes together in well under fifteen minutes.

Key preparation steps

1. Grate raw courgette on the coarse side of a box grater.
2. Salt briefly and squeeze out excess moisture.
3. Dress with olive oil, lemon and fresh mint.
4. Serve immediately while still crisp.

Grating and salting

Grate the courgette on the coarse side of a box grater, keeping the strands reasonably long rather than very fine, which gives a better texture in the finished salad. Toss with a little salt and leave in a colander for ten minutes, then squeeze gently in a clean tea towel to remove excess moisture, which keeps the salad from turning watery.

Dressing

Dress with good olive oil, a generous squeeze of lemon, and a good amount of finely chopped fresh mint, which is the traditional herb pairing here over the dill or parsley more common in other Greek salads. A little crumbled feta on top is a common, though optional, addition.

Serving

Serve immediately, since raw grated courgette continues to release moisture the longer it sits, even after squeezing, and the salad is at its crispest and best in the first hour after dressing.

What matters in this dish