Sauteed Zucchini is an easy, quick, and healthy side dish. It takes less than 20 minutes to make this delicious zucchini sauteed with flavorful spices and herbs.
Zucchini is a low-carb vegetable and contains more water in it. So cooking zucchini can be a bit tricky at times. Otherwise, they will turn soggy and mushy losing their texture. This won't result in a tasty zucchini that is without a crunch or bite in it. You can stir-fry the zucchini or saute them with seasoning and spices to get that deliciousness in them.
Sauteed zucchini is a quick and yummy way to enjoy this vegetable. Saute the sliced zucchini in a pan along with sliced onions and garlic. Then add zucchini, followed by the seasoning and tomato paste. Cook on high flame for 2 minutes till the zucchini gets charred. Check out more vegan zucchini recipes here.
How To Make Sauteed Zucchini?
Ingredients -
Zucchini and Yellow squash - You can take only zucchini or a mix of both
Onion - slice them into strips
Garlic - add garlic generously. I recommend fresh garlic + some garlic powder for extra flavor.
Tomato paste - or substitute tomato puree.
Seasoning - red pepper flakes, paprika, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and crushed black pepper
Olive oil - extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil
Garnish - Fresh flat parsley or cilantro leaves
Instructions -
Heat oil in a pan. Add minced garlic, onion, and red pepper flakes. Mix and saute for 1 minute on high flame till the onion starts to change color and translucent. Add the rest of the seasoning mentioned in the list. Stir to mix them. Then add tomato paste or puree and saute for 20 - 30 seconds stirring them.
Add sliced zucchini to the pan and toss gently coat the zucchini with seasoning. Keep the flame on high. Leave it for a minute or two without stirring or touching. It will start to get charred at the bottom by now. Now stir gently mixing them up.
Next, cover with a lid and keep the flame on high only. If you lower the heat, they will start to release the water, and that will accumulate more moisture making the zucchini soggy.
If you feel, the pan is too dry, drizzle one or two tbsp of water from the top, cover again, and cook on high heat till the water is absorbed completely. This way they are getting cooked by the steam as well as from the high heat. Plus, because of the high heat, they are not going to turn soggy and mushy.
The whole process won't take more than 6 - 8 minutes. Remove from pan once they have cooked tender and with a smoky charred flavor. In the end, add some fresh herbs like parsley or cilantro to the sauteed zucchini.
Serving Ideas -
Serve this as a healthy snack or serve it as a side dish with -
Lemon Garlic Pasta
Instant Pot Kidney beans or pinto beans and rice
Storage and Reheat
This can be stored in the refrigerator for 2 - 3 days. But the crispness may not stay that long. With passing time they will be more soggy. So I recommend making them fresh and consuming them immediately for the best taste and texture. You can store the leftovers in an air-tight container and reheat them before eating them.
To reheat, transfer the leftovers to a greased skillet. And cook on high flame for 1 - 2 minutes or till they start to sizzle. You can also reheat them in the microwave for 1 minute or an additional 30 seconds if required.
Sauteed Zucchini Recipe
Sauteed Zucchini
Ingredients
- 1 medium zucchini
- 1 medium yellow squash
- 1 onion sliced
- 2 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
- 1 tbsp tomato paste or 2 tbsp tomato puree
- 4 - 5 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- ½ tsp paprika ½
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes or ¼ - ½ tsp cayenne pepper
- ½ tsp crushed black pepper
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder for extra garlicky flavor (optional)
Instructions
- Heat oil in a pan.
- Add minced garlic, onion, and red pepper flakes.
- Mix and saute for 1 minute on high flame till the onion starts to change color and translucent.
- Add the rest of the seasoning mentioned in the list. Stir to mix them.
- Then add tomato paste or puree and saute for 20 - 30 seconds stirring them.
- Add sliced zucchini to the pan and toss gently coat the zucchini with seasoning.
- Keep the flame on high. Leave it for a minute or two without stirring or touching.
- It will start to get charred at the bottom by now. Now stir gently mixing them up.
- Next, cover with a lid and keep the flame on high only.
- If you feel, the pan is too dry, drizzle one or two tbsp of water from the top, cover again, and cook on high heat till the water is absorbed completely.
- The sauteing process won't take more than 8 - 10 minutes.
- Remove from pan once they have cooked tender and with a smoky charred flavor.
- In the end, add some fresh herbs like parsley or cilantro to the sauteed zucchini.
Notes
Nutrition
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