Healthy Zucchini Side Dish Recipes

Find healthy, delicious zucchini side dish recipes including baked zucchini, zucchini fries and zucchini pasta. Healthier recipes, from the food and nutrition experts at EatingWell.

Staff Picks

Air-Fryer Zucchini

Zucchini crisps up nicely in this simple air-fryer zucchini recipe. The interior is creamy and soft without feeling mushy, with the outside remaining crispy. A squeeze of lemon after cooking adds brightness and tang.
By Laura Kanya

Caprese Zucchini Casserole

3
A summertime favorite--zucchini casserole--gets an Italian spin in this delicious and healthy side dish with tomatoes, mozzarella and basil. You can use zucchini or summer squash in this caprese-style casserole, or a combination of the two. A sprinkling of fresh basil and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar just before serving brightens up the flavors. Serve with grilled or roasted chicken and some quinoa, rice or couscous to soak up the juices from the casserole for a satisfying and easy dinner.
By Carolyn Casner

Zucchini & Mushroom Sauté

5
Serve this simple side dish with grilled turkey burgers. Other fresh herbs, like thyme or oregano, work well too.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Easy Steamed Zucchini

2
How long does zucchini take to cook? This foolproof way to cook zucchini is also the easiest and fastest. Just steam it on the stovetop for a few minutes and you have a healthy vegetable side dish to add to dinner.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Baked Parmesan Zucchini Curly Fries

10
This healthy recipe combines two bar food favorites--fried zucchini and curly fries--into one tempting package. Serve these baked zucchini fries with a simple dipping sauce made with ranch dressing and marinara sauce for a crowd-pleasing appetizer or a side dish for burgers, chicken or pizza. No matter what you serve them with, they're a fun way to eat more vegetables for kids and adults alike.
By Robin Bashinsky

Simple Roasted Zucchini & Squash

1
This simple roasted zucchini and squash recipe is perfect for when you have extra squash on hand. Serve this easy side dish alongside grilled or roasted chicken or steak.
By Karen Rankin

Calabacitas

1
Enjoy this traditional Southwestern dish of sautéed summer squash, onions and peppers as a side or as a vegetarian filling for tacos.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Summer Vegetable Chicken Tortilla Casserole

1
Summer's harvest--eggplant, corn and zucchini--stars in this healthy, Mexican-inspired casserole that's perfect for serving a crowd or for a dinner with leftovers for the next day.
By Breana Lai Killeen, M.P.H., RD

Sautéed Zucchini

This super-simple method for sautéed zucchini makes an easy and healthy vegetable side dish. Add garlic, pesto or even Parmesan cheese for extra flavor.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Air-Fryer Zucchini Fritters

These air-fryer zucchini fritters have a crispy outer surface and tender-savory middle just as if they've been fried in a skillet. A simple dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of refreshing mint is all you need to complete the dish.
By Adam Dolge

Balsamic Roasted Zucchini with Feta

2
We've got a great way to use up your garden zucchini! Zucchini softens while roasting and soaks up the flavor of balsamic vinegar. The sweet flavors are complemented by salty feta cheese sprinkled on just before serving. It's an easy summer side you'll come back to again and again.
By Carolyn Casner

Roasted Baby Zucchini with Lemon Labneh

1
This easy vegetable side dish shines alongside roasted or seared steak, chicken, shrimp or firm fish, such as cod or salmon. Sumac lends punchy, fruity, sour-lemon notes to this fast and simple recipe. Find ground sumac spice online, in specialty markets and in well-stocked grocery stores.
By Carolyn Malcoun
Advertisement

Inspiration and Ideas

15 Zucchini Side Dishes with Three Steps or Less
From simple sautés to casseroles, these side dishes are the perfect way to use up an abundance of farmers' market or garden-fresh zucchini.
Oven-Fried Panko-&-Parmesan-Crusted Zucchini
1
These oven-fried panko- and Parmesan-crusted zucchini rounds are crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, with a hint of Parmesan cheese in the crust. Dip them into marinara, pesto or ranch dressing for an irresistible snack or appetizer.
Spiralized Zucchini & Summer Squash Casserole
7
Grilled Zucchini with Parmesan
1
Zucchini Rice Casserole
41

We pack extra vegetables into this cheesy baked rice casserole. Plus we substitute brown rice for white, reduce the cheese by half and swap turkey sausage for pork sausage. If you're bringing it to a potluck, plan to reheat it before serving.

All Healthy Zucchini Side Dish Recipes

Grilled Vegetables In Foil

1
Grilled vegetables in foil is a great recipe to have on hand when camping or cooking over an open fire, but it's also nice on your backyard gas grill too. Here, we cook asparagus, mini peppers and zucchini together with a hint of garlic and butter. Delicious!
By Jasmine Smith

Zucchini Parmesan Casserole

1
This is an excellent veggie side dish for summer, when zucchini are abundant. A topping of crunchy panko breadcrumbs contrasts with the delicate squash, and onion, garlic powder, Italian seasoning and crushed red pepper pack this casserole with flavor. Melty Parmesan cheese is in the mix to bring it all together. Affordable and easy to throw together with ingredients you likely already have on hand, this casserole is perfect for almost any indoor or outdoor summer spread.
By Carolyn Casner

Easy Roasted Zucchini

A quick roast in the oven brings out the zucchini's delicate, earthy flavor, plus it's an easy hands-off way to cook zucchini for a fast vegetable side.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Mary's Zucchini with Parmesan

6
Simple and delicious, in this recipe the almost caramelized zucchini are topped with a Parmesan crust. Serve the zucchini like a wedge of pizza, straight from the pan, with the cheese-side up. We named this recipe Mary's Zucchini after the mom of one of our former Test Kitchen managers. It's perfect for just-picked zucchini.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Zucchini Noodle "Pasta" Salad

This healthy zucchini noodle salad has all the flavors you love in a classic pasta salad but we've swapped in zoodles for wheat pasta, which makes the salad lighter, lower in carbs and gluten-free. Serve it with grilled chicken or fish for a light and healthy summer dinner.
By Robin Bashinsky

Grilled Zucchini & Squash

Grilled zucchini and yellow squash are tender off the grill with a hint of char, spicy garlic and a bit of zing from fresh lemon juice.
By Jasmine Smith

Roasted Zucchini & Pesto

2
Roasted and tossed with your favorite pesto, zucchini turns into an almost-instant summer side dish.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Classic Zucchini Casserole

2
This comforting zucchini casserole with buttery crackers and cheese is the perfect recipe for your bumper crop of zucchini. Fresh thyme is lightly floral while fresh ground pepper adds kick to this creamy summer casserole.
By Julia Levy

Summer Vegetable Tian

3
This pretty vegan layered casserole is so simple to make. Its only seasonings are salt and garlic-infused olive oil, which you make by sizzling a clove of garlic in olive oil for about a minute. This dish is lovely warm or room temperature. Serve with crusty bread as a vegetarian entree or alongside roasted meats as a side dish--don't forget a glass of chilled rosé.
By Emily Monaco

Cream of Zucchini Soup

This cream of zucchini soup recipe is a great way to use up your garden zucchini. The potatoes add to the creaminess, while croutons add texture and chives brighten the flavor.
By Jasmine Smith

Sautéed Zucchini & Onions with Chive Butter

1
Switch up the chives for whatever's growing in your garden--basil or dill would also be delicious in the compound butter that tops this simple sautéed zucchini recipe.
By Rachel Stearns

Braised Green Beans & Summer Vegetables

5
When green beans, summer squash and cherry tomatoes are plentiful in backyard gardens and farmers' markets, try this quick braise. We like the salty, nutty flavor of Parmesan, but you can use any flavorful cheese.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Smashed Lemon-Garlic Zucchini with Parmesan

Zucchini rounds are flattened, then coated with Parmesan cheese, lemon zest, garlic and basil for a savory summer side. The cheese browns nicely, giving them an almost-crispy topping.
By Carolyn Casner

Air-Fryer Zucchini Fries

These crunchy, crispy zucchini fries turn very tender in the air fryer and have a delicate natural sweetness from the cooking process. The simple dipping sauce is very tomato forward, with just enough acid from the vinegar and mayonnaise to add incredible tang.
By Robin Bashinsky

Ratatouille

1
Bursting with fresh vegetables, this classic Provençal stew is wonderful with eggs, pasta or grilled fish.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Oven-Fried Zucchini Sticks

14
Our oven-baked zucchini sticks taste every bit as good as their deep-fried brethren with only a fraction of the fat and calories. Serve with a side of your favorite marinara sauce for dipping.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Baked Vegetable Tempura

The wide variety of veggies in this tempura recipe provides vitamins, minerals, and health-promoting plant compounds. The mustard in the dipping sauce contains curcumin, a compound that makes mustard yellow and exhibits anticancer and anti-inflammatory properties.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Zucchini Tortillas

5
In this genius carb swap recipe, shredded zucchini held together with a little cheese creates a delicious gluten-free tortilla. These low-carb tortillas are delicious on their own as a snack, but you can also wrap them around your favorite tortilla fillings. Be sure to squeeze as much liquid as possible from the zucchini in Step 2, as this will yield crispy tortillas.
By Carolyn Casner

Zucchini Chile-Cheddar Mash

10
This recipe for mashed zucchini with chiles and Cheddar embraces zucchini's tendency to become very soft when cooked.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Zucchini Patties with Herbs & Feta (Kolokythokeftedes)

1
Greeks nibble on these popular zucchini patties as a meze in tavernas while waiting for their main courses to arrive.
By Aglaia Kremezi

Roasted Summer Squash

Choosing quick-roasting vegetables like zucchini and summer squash is obvious when you need a fast side dish for dinner. Olive oil, salt, and pepper are the only seasonings you'll need and this recipe will be on the table in just 20 minutes.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Summer Succotash Salad

3
This summer salad is based on the Southern favorite, succotash, and is a fresh-tasting combination of butter beans, corn, summer squash and tomatoes. Butter beans, the same species as lima beans, are the bean of choice in the South. When they're in season you may be able to find them fresh--shell them yourself. Or use frozen butter beans, baby lima beans or even edamame.
By Virginia Willis

Zucchini Pancakes

1
Zucchini ... pancakes? You bet! This crispy contender took first prize a Diabetic Living Magazine zucchini recipe contest.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Southern Ratatouille

Adding okra to traditional ratatouille gives this French vegetable stew recipe Southern flair. It's delicious on the day it's cooked, but even better the next day. Serve as a side to grilled chicken or on top of thick, crusty bread.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen
Load More
Advertisement
© Copyright EatingWell. All rights reserved. Printed from https://www.eatingwell.com