Enjoy this versatile summer squash in your curries, stir-fries and even desserts!
Call it what you will, zucchini in America or courgette in France, these hardy summer squash stay fresh much longer than your typical leafy vegetables and are super easy to prepare. These fruits (culinary-wise, they are treated as vegetable) are native to Central America, but due to its rising popularity in the last decade, they are grown worldwide, from Australia to Turkey.
Though not the same, you can easily substitute zucchini in this recipe for Japanese pickled cucumber salad
From a distant glance, zucchinis can be mistaken for cucumbers and vice versa as they are of similar shape and size. However, hold either one in your hand and you can immediately tell them apart for cucumbers are cool to the touch, whereas zucchinis are warm. After all, as the saying goes – it’s as cool as a cucumber. Compared to cucumbers, zucchinis are also richer in vitamin B, vitamin C, potassium, fibre and iron. Looks like we have a clear winning “vegetable” here. Find out the multitude of ways you can fry up, stew, stuff, bake or even zoodle your zucchini!
Zucchini absorbs flavors really well when cooked, lending a mild, slightly sweet taste to dishes. That’s why frying your diced zucchini up in Asian style with soya sauce and a drizzle of sesame oil in the end makes these vegetables so tasty within minutes. Add them into your next Prawns & Vegetable Stir Fry (pictured) or One Pan Vegan Krapao Fried Rice for extra nutrition and a nice tender bite.
Baking your zucchini is a great way to draw out its moisture content, while slow cooking it in umami gravies or sauces for maximum flavors. You can easily spice them up them with this Masala Baked Chicken Rice recipe (stir-fry your zucchini pieces with the chicken before baking them), or put them in your Green Curry Baked Rice. Green curry traditionally has Thai eggplant in it, so swapping it out with this green squash works wonders as they have similar textures when cooked!
We absolutely love having zucchini in a warm stew on a cold day. Like carrots and potatoes, zucchinis hold their shape well even when cooked for a long time, releasing all those nourishing nutrients into the stew along the way. Mix them into a Healthy Brothy Miso Carrot Kale Stew (pictured) for a hearty vegetarian meal when you need an immunity booster.
Roasting or grilling vegetables in the oven are a great way to cook a large amount of vegetables at once, and give them a nice char on the outside. The simplest way to do so would be to coat your zucchinis in olive oil, and then lay them on your baking tray with a sprinkle of salt, pepper and your favorite herbs! Lay them out with potato, carrots, pumpkins and even tomatoes for a colorful bake that the whole family can enjoy. Roasting them with pesto like in this Root Veggies with Pesto recipe is also a fabulous way to introduce herby flavors to your zucchinis!
Love curry and have it ever so often? You would be happy to hear that zucchinis are fantastic in curries like Thai Beef Green Curry, Chicken and Eggplant Curry and Indian vegetable curries, where they can replace eggplant or brinjal in half or full portions. Zucchinis pair well with the herbs, spices and cream in curries, making it the ideal vegetable to add in your aromatic curry dinner.
Simple preparation is best when you want to enjoy the subtle flavors of zucchini without it being overpowered by other spices and herbs. Fry up some minced garlic in butter for 30 seconds, before adding your diced zucchini and cooking them till tender! Add a dash of salt and pepper before serving and you’ve got one of the easiest weeknight dishes made.
Now, how many vegetables can actually be baked in cakes, muffins and bread and still taste absolutely yummy? Zucchinis are a wonder vegetable in this sense as they add moisture and taste to your baked creations while taking in both sweet and savory flavors effectively. They are actually great in chocolate cakes (yes, you heard us right and no you can’t see the zucchini in the cake), dense breads not unlike banana bread and muffins like this Savory Avocado and Bacon Muffin. When you have too many zucchinis for your main meals, baking them into sweet treats is definitely the way to go!
Give your pasta a healthier twist when you add some buttery-like squash to it, like in this Honey's Spinach Pasta with Roasted Butternut Squash recipe. Can’t find butternut squash in your local supermarket? There’s a high chance of you being able to buy zucchini instead, and it makes for a easy substitute in this dish as the cooking times don’t change. An cheesy pasta alternative is to toss them into your One-Pot Kimchi Pumpkin Mac and Cheese for that coveted melty, stretchy and oozy texture!
Like turning them into desserts, pickling zucchini is a another good way to extend the life of your zucchinis, especially when you’ve got too many of them. They are pickled similarly to other vegetables, with white vinegar, spices and a dash of salt and sugar. For a sweet version, use this Picked Squash Marmalade recipe that would make for the perfect spread on your morning toast!
We saved the best and most fun zucchini project for last – Zoodles! Zucchini noodles (Zoodles) are your answer to gluten free, colorful pasta that is brimming with good nutrients! If you are new to the Zoodle world, we’ve got so many recipes for you to try, from spicy Keto Kong Pao Chicken with Zucchini Noodles to milder but equally delicious Zucchini Noodles with Homemade Tomato Sauce. Low in carbs and high in fiber, you can indulge in these fantastic noodle dishes without worrying about the calories.
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