This Simple Sauteed Zucchini is a tasty way to enjoy this healthy and versatile veggie. This easy recipe combines onion, carrots, and zucchini in a tangy tomato sauce for a truly delicious meal.
This Simple Sauteed Zucchini will make you love this vegetable. Caramelized onions, tender carrots, and browned zucchini in a thick tomato sauce, this dish is so flavorful. And the delicious texture will have you sneaking bites while you cook. This recipe included vinegar for a tangy addition that will give the sauce a little extra zing. You are going to love this dish!
Zucchini has a lot of great health benefits that make this side even more desirable. It's full of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, including Vitamin A and C. And since we are including the dark green skin in our preparation, we'll get extra fiber that's good for digestion. Let's look at the other healthy ingredients that make up this Simple Sauteed Zucchini.
Video Tutorial
What you'll need
- Olive oil. Or any other oil of choice.
- Zucchini. Or summer squash.
- Onion. White or yellow.
- Carrots.
- Tomato Paste.
- Vinegar.
- Salt & Pepper.
- Parsley.
How to make it
1. In a large non-stick skillet, saute the onion in olive oil until it starts to turn golden and softens nicely.
2. Add the carrot and cook for about 3-5 minutes.
3. After that, add the diced zucchini, salt, and pepper. Stir, cover with a lid, and cook for about 25 minutes, until the zucchini softens nicely.
4. At this point, stir in the tomato paste and cook for 3 minutes.
5. Lastly, add the vinegar and parsley. Stir and serve.
Tips for the best Simple Sauteed Zucchini
- Choose the best zucchini. Small to medium-sized zucchini are best, and look for ones that are firm and clear of nicks or bruises. Really fresh ones will still have some little bristly hairs on them.
- Don't peel the zucchini. The insides of the zucchini can get mushy while cooking, so leave the skins on to give them a slightly crunchy outside.
- Cut the vegetables to equal sizes. The carrot and onion should be about the same length and size, helping them cook evenly. The zucchini cubes can be a little bigger since they are the star of the dish.
- Spread everything into one layer. To better brown the zucchini, spread the vegetables in the pan into a single layer. The more contact with the bottom of the pan, the more browning.
Add-ins and Substitutes
- Add extra vegetables. You can add vegetables like spinach, eggplant, asparagus, broccoli, or cauliflowers. Just chop them to a size similar to the other ingredients so they don't overwhelm the dish. You can also add some cooked spaghetti squash. Find out how to cook spaghetti squash here.
- Substitute the tomato paste. Instead of the tomato paste, give this dish a chunkier consistency with fresh cherry tomato halves, canned crushed tomatoes, or diced tomatoes.
- Add Parmesan cheese. Try this recipe with some vegan cheese, either store bought or this homemade Vegan Parmesan Cheese. It will add a cheesy, nutty flavor that complements nicely.
- Substitute the oil. Saute the vegetables in vegan butter for an added creamy flavor. This will help them brown as well. If the butter is salted, adjust your seasonings to reflect that.
How to Store
You can store this Simple Sauteed Zucchini in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. It's best to eat this fresh since the zucchini gets mushy as it sits, so try to eat it within a couple of days. Reheat it in a skillet on the stovetop until warmed through.
What to Serve with it
- Pasta. Add this Simple Sauteed Zucchini on top of your favorite pasta dishes, such as this Spaghetti Aglio e Olio with Spinach, Creamy Zucchini Pasta, Pasta with Roasted Pepper Sauce, or Mushroom Bolognese Pasta.
- Grains. This recipe would taste delicious on a bed of rice, couscous, sorhum, buckwheat, or quinoa. Try it with this Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad, Cilantro Lime Rice and Black Beans, or Spinach Rice.
- Sandwiches/Tacos. Add it as a topping on sandwiches, burgers, and tacos! It would be so tasty paired with Vegan Black Bean Burgers, Eggplant Potato Patties, and Black Bean Tacos.
- Potatoes. This veggie dish can be served with flavorful potatoes like Garlic Smashed Potatoes, Vegan Scalloped Potatoes, and Paprika Baked Potato.
I hope you love this flavorful and Simple Sauteed Zucchini as much as we do. It's flavorful, easy, and packs a lot of health benefits into one little side. You'll find it pairs well with most everything.
More tasty vegan zucchini recipes:
- Zucchini Muffins
- Easy Zucchini Chickpea Curry
- Creamy Zucchini Pasta
- Creamy Zucchini Sauce
- Baked Vegan Zucchini Fries
Simple Sauteed Zucchini
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 medium onion, finely diced
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and shredded
- 2 medium zucchini, cubed
- 1 tsp. sea salt
- ¼ tsp. pepper
- 2 tbsp. tomato paste
- 1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- In a large non-stick skillet, saute the onion in olive oil until it starts to turn golden and softens nicely.
- Add the carrot and cook for about 3-5 minutes.
- After that, add the diced zucchini, salt, and pepper. Stir, cover with a lid, and cook for about 25 minutes, until the zucchini softens nicely.
- At this point, stir in the tomato paste and cook for 3 minutes.
- Lastly, add the vinegar and parsley. Stir and serve.
Notes
Add-ins and Substitutes
- Add extra vegetables. You can add vegetables like spinach, eggplant, asparagus, broccoli, or cauliflowers. Just chop them to a size similar to the other ingredients so they don't overwhelm the dish.
- Substitute the tomato paste. Instead of the tomato paste, give this dish a chunkier consistency with fresh cherry tomato halves, canned crushed tomatoes, or diced tomatoes.
- Add Parmesan cheese. Try this recipe with some vegan cheese, either store bought or this homemade Vegan Parmesan Cheese. It will add a cheesy, nutty flavor that complements nicely.
- Substitute the oil. Saute the vegetables in vegan butter for an added creamy flavor. This will help them brown as well. If the butter is salted, adjust your seasonings to reflect that.
Delicious. I used diced fire roasted tomatoes.
Perfect! Thank you, Lucinda!