Simple Sautéed Vegetables

These Simple Sautéed Vegetables are so easy and make a delicious side dish to any meal. This colorful assortment is steamed to tender perfection and seasoned with tasty spices and herbs.

These Simple Sautéed Vegetables are just what you need when you want to add a healthy side dish to your meal that tastes as good as it looks. Using colorful vegetables like green zucchini, red bell pepper, orange carrots, and yellow squash, this recipe is a visual delight. And the flavors are amazing, too. I add fresh herbs and spices to enhance the natural flavors of the veggies, with some plant butter for creaminess. This is an altogether yummy dish.

Serve these Simple Sautéed Vegetables with lots of different recipes, from grains and pasta, to proteins and potatoes. They heat up well so you can also enjoy these with multiple meals or for a quick lunch preparation. Let's look at what you'll be using to make them.

Video Recipe

What you'll need

• VEGETABLES. I used zucchini, summer squash, carrots, and bell pepper. Other veggies would work as well though.
• SPICES. Garlic powder, paprika, oregano, salt, and pepper.
• FAT. I used a little bit of grapeseed oil to saute the veggies, and a tablespoon of plant butter at the end, to give them a nice aroma and extra flavor.
• HERBS. I had a combination of parsley and dill, but other herbs such as basil or cilantro work well also.

How to make it

1. Heat the oil in a large, non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the carrots and cook for about 3 minutes.

2. At this point, add the zucchini, summer squash, bell peppers, oregano, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper. Stir everything well, reduce the heat to medium, and cook covered with a lid for about 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Turn off the heat and place the plant butter on top. Cover with a lid again and allow the butter to melt (wait for 1 minute).

4. Lastly, add the fresh herbs and stir everything well. Serve.

Tips for the best Simple Sautéed Vegetables

• Choose good quality vegetables. Since the veggies are the star of the show, make sure you are looking for unblemished, firm skinned vegetables that are ripe and unbruised.
• Cut the vegetables to similar sizes. When sautéing vegetables, you want them to cook at about the same speed to avoid burning some while others are raw. Make them the same size for even cooking.
• Cook the carrots first. This firm veggie needs extra time to soften so don't add the others until its had a few minutes to tenderize. This extra cook time will also let it release some sweet flavor.
• Keep the Sautéed Vegetables covered. This creates steam that enables the vegetables to cook and soften in less time than they would uncovered.

Add-ins and Substitutes

• Substitute other vegetables. Other veggies that would work well in this recipe include mushrooms, cauliflower, broccoli, onions, green beans, and cabbage.
• Add other spices and herbs. Besides the ones I used, you could also season this dish with onion powder, curry powder, turmeric, basil, cilantro, and more.
• Make them spicy. You can make these Simple Sautéed Vegetables with some heat by adding a little cayenne pepper, Sriracha, or red pepper flakes.
• Add protein. Make this a main course by adding some tofu, white beans, black beans, or tempeh to the recipe. It will be filling enough to eat all on its own.

How to Store

You can store any leftover Simple Sautéed Vegetables in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat them in the microwave or on the stove top until warmed through.

What to Serve with it

• Protein. Enjoy these vegetables on the side of Black Bean Tacos, Three Bean Chili (Vegan), Quick Maple Sriracha Tofu, or Vegan Black Bean Burgers.
• Potatoes. Serve these Simple Sautéed Vegetables with Vegan Spinach Mashed Potatoes, Perfect Baked Potatoes, Garlic Smashed Potatoes, or Mexican Stuffed Sweet Potatoes.
• Pasta. Add them to a plate of your favorite pasta, such as Spaghetti Aglio e Olio with Spinach, Creamy Zucchini Pasta, Pasta with Roasted Pepper Sauce, or Mushroom Bolognese Pasta.
• Grains. Enjoy these on top of a bed of rice, couscous, sorghum, bulgur, or quinoa. Try them with this Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad, Quick and Tasty Bulgur Salad, or Spinach Rice.

I hope you enjoy these Simple Sautéed Vegetables as much as I do. They pack so much flavor into one dish, and its versatile enough to be served with all your favorites.

More vegan veggie loaded recipes:

• Eggplant Roulades
• Eggplant in Tomato Sauce
• Baked Portobello Steaks
• Creamy Vegan Cauliflower Steaks
• Garlic Roasted Brussel Sprouts Recipe