Greek Salads
Kolokithosalata Recipe (Greek Raw Grated Courgette Salad)
Κολοκυθοσαλάτα koh-loh-kee-thoh-sah-LAH-tah · Kolokithosalata
In short
Kolokithosalata is a Greek salad of raw courgette, finely grated, briefly salted to release excess moisture, and dressed simply with olive oil, lemon and fresh mint. It is a genuinely fast summer salad, ready in about ten minutes with no cooking at all.
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
- Grate raw courgette on the coarse side of a box grater.
- Salt briefly and squeeze out excess moisture.
- Dress with olive oil, lemon and fresh mint.
- 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.
Tips from my kitchen
Do not skip the salting step
Raw courgette holds a surprising amount of water, and squeezing it out keeps the finished salad from turning watery.
Serve it fresh
It continues releasing moisture even after squeezing. This salad is at its best within an hour of dressing.
Mint, not dill or parsley
It is the traditional pairing here and gives a cleaner, cooler note than the herbs more common in other Greek salads.
Kolokithosalata Recipe (Greek Raw Grated Courgette Salad)
Κολοκυθοσαλάτα · by Kalliopi Andreou · updated 2026-07-31
- Prep
- 15m
- Cook
- None
- Total
- 15m
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
Ingredients
Method
- Toss the grated courgette with the salt and leave in a colander for 10 minutes.
- Squeeze gently in a clean tea towel to remove excess moisture.
- Transfer to a bowl and dress with the olive oil and lemon juice.
- Fold through the chopped mint, and the feta if using.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning, then serve immediately.
Nutrition, per 1 side portion
- Calories
- 98
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbs
- 6 g
- Fat
- 8 g
- Sat fat
- 1 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
These figures are calculated estimates based on the ingredients listed, not laboratory analysis. Actual values vary with brands, cuts and portion size.
Frequently asked questions about Kolokithosalata
Can you eat courgette raw?
Yes, it is perfectly safe and pleasant raw, with a mild, slightly sweet flavour and crisp texture, which this salad showcases directly rather than cooking it away.
Why does the recipe call for salting the courgette first?
Raw grated courgette holds a lot of water. Salting briefly and squeezing draws much of it out, keeping the finished salad crisp rather than watery.
Can you make kolokithosalata ahead?
It is genuinely best eaten fresh, within an hour of dressing, since the courgette continues to release moisture the longer it sits.
