Summer is definitely all about the fuss-free eating, but to me, it’s also all about enjoying the abundance. With so much beautiful produce in season, there is no shortage of foods to be inspired by and get creative with.

To me, zucchini gets all the love during the summer and admittedly, I likely eat a farm’s worth myself every year. But lest we forget about the yellow summer squash, the beautiful golden sibling to the zucchini. While the flavor is very similar, the only real major difference is their skin color, so I find the yellow squash to be as equally versatile as the zucchini and it too is a mainstay in my summer kitchen.

I find all summer squash, in their delicate nature, to make delicious raw salads, a delicious treatment often overlooked. What I especially love about the golden yellow summer squash variety is the pop of vibrant, bright sunshiney color it brings to the table.

Summer squash, both zucchini and yellow squash alike, score very low on the glycemic index. Due to high water percentage, zucchini and summer squash are low in calories, carbs and sugars, while being high in essential nutrients like potassium, manganese, and antioxidants like vitamin A and vitamin C, which yellow squash is especially abundant in – each 1-cup portion contains 21.3 to 25.6 percent of the amount your body requires daily. A 1-cup serving of yellow squash also supplies you with 8.2 percent of the daily recommended value of folate, also called folic acid, which is a B-vitamin.

This raw salad features a delicious basil vinaigrette, a household staple in our house that came by way Gaby of What’s Gaby Cooking. The salad is finished off with the crunch of toasted pine nuts (though any nut or seed would do here) and crispy prosciutto.

This makes a perfect side dish to your summer supper or a really great lunch salad. It’s also a really great dish to bring to a BBQ or picnic.

Summer Squash Salad with Basil Vinaigrette and Crispy Prosciutto

gluten-free, grain-free, paleo, dairy-free, egg-free

Basil vinaigrette adapted from What's Gaby Cooking

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Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes minutes

Servings: 4

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Ingredients 

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• 3-4 medium yellow summer squash
• 4 thin slices prosciutto, about 2 ounces
• ¼ cup toasted pine nuts, or other nut of your choice
• fresh basil, for garnish
  
  

Basil Vinaigrette

• ¼ cup Terra Delyssa Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 1 cup fresh basil, stems removed
• 1 tablespoon minced shallot
• 1 small clove garlic, minced
• red pepper flakes, to taste
• sea salt to taste

Instructions

• Make the vinaigrette first. Combine all the ingredients for the basil vinaigrette in a high speed blender and blend for 60 seconds until very smooth. Season with salt and pepper to your taste. Set aside.
• Heat a frying pan over medium-high heat with just a light coating of olive oil or ghee. Add prosciutto in one layer, and cook, turning, about 5 minutes or until it's golden brown, crispy and wrinkled. Transfer to a plate to cool; crumble and reserve.
• Cut the ends off the yellow squash and using your spiralizer, spiralize cut into thin noodles. Add the squash noodles to a large serving bowl and toss well with the basil vinaigrette, making sure the noodles are evenly coated. Top with the crispy prosciutto, the toasted pine nuts and a little fresh basil. Serve.