Sautéed Zucchini and Carrots

Summer meals should taste vibrant and fresh. This super easy recipe that I am sharing with you today, Sauteed Zucchini and Carrots, is a perfect side dish for any meal. I love how colorful and elegant it looks, but it's so simple to put together. 

For those of you who plant gardens and don't know what to do with your zucchini once it starts growing, seemingly uncontrollably, you will fall in love with this dish. I love how the onion, carrot, and garlic give an almost caramelized flavor to the zucchini and since we cook it really fast, the zucchini still has just a bit of texture. The dressing takes seconds to whisk together and brings it all together with both notes of sweetness and acidity - the perfect combination.

Ingredients:

3 Tablespoons oil, divided (olive oil, avocado oil, grapeseed oil, etc.)

1-2 carrots, shredded

1 shallot, sliced

salt, ground black pepper, to taste

2-3 large zucchini, julienned (you can also use yellow squash)

1-2 garlic cloves, minced

½ Tablespoon red or white wine vinegar

1-2 Tablespoons lemon juice

½ Tablespoon honey

salt, pepper

1-2 Tablespoons fresh parsley, minced

How To Make Sauteed Zucchini and Carrots

Cut the zucchini, squash, carrot, and shallot. You should have about 4 cups of zucchini and squash if using, total.

I like to julienne the zucchini very finely. That's my preference. Use a mandoline if you have one unless you're like me and derive a weird enjoyment from cutting it all by hand.

Heat 1 Tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and carrots. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 2-3 minutes, until the vegetables soften a little. Add the zucchini to the skillet, seasoning with salt and ground black pepper to taste. Cook for about 2-3 minutes, just until the zucchini and squash heat through. If you cook it too long, they will become soggy and leech a lot of liquid.

The main reason we are cooking this side dish it to remove the raw crunchiness from the carrots just slightly and also for the shallots and garlic to have a much milder taste. The zucchini barely needs to cook at all.

Clear a space in the middle of the skillet, add a little bit of oil and add the minced garlic. Cook for about 30 seconds.

In a cup or a small bowl, mix the remaining 2 Tablespoons of oil, vinegar, lemon juice and honey. Add the sauce to the skillet with the vegetables and heat it through, mixing to combine with everything. You can really adjust the flavors to your taste. Add more or less sweetness, acidity, saltiness, etc.

Garnish with fresh herbs. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Serving Suggestions

These sauteed veggies would be fantastic served over pasta or Zucchini Couscous.

Sautéed Zucchini and Carrots

Olga Klyuchits

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Course Sides

Servings 4

Ingredients

  

• 3 Tablespoons oil divided (olive oil, avocado oil, grapeseed oil, etc.)
• 1-2 carrots shredded
• 1 shallot sliced
• salt ground black pepper, to taste
• 2-3 large zucchini julienned (you can also use yellow squash)
• 1-2 garlic cloves minced
• ½ Tablespoon red or white wine vinegar
• 1-2 Tablespoons lemon juice
• ½ Tablespoon honey
• salt pepper
• 1-2 Tablespoons fresh parsley minced

Instructions

 

• Cut the zucchini, squash, carrot, and shallot. You should have about 4 cups of zucchini and squash if using, total. I like to julienne the zucchini very finely. That's my preference. Use a mandoline if you have one unless you're like me and derive a weird enjoyment from cutting it all by hand.
• Heat 1 Tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and carrots. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 2-3 minutes, until the vegetables soften a little.
• Add the zucchini to the skillet, seasoning with salt and ground black pepper to taste. Cook for about 2-3 minutes, just until the zucchini and squash heat through. If you cook it too long, they will become soggy and leech a lot of liquid. The main reason we are cooking this side dish it to remove the raw crunchiness from the carrots just slightly and also for the shallots and garlic to have a much milder taste. The zucchini barely needs to cook at all.
• Clear a space in the middle of the skillet, add a little bit of oil and add the minced garlic. Cook for about 30 seconds.
• In a cup or a small bowl, mix the remaining 2 Tablespoons of oil, vinegar, lemon juice and honey.
• Add the sauce to the skillet with the vegetables and heat it through, mixing to combine with everything. You can really adjust the flavors to your taste. Add more or less sweetness, acidity, saltiness, etc.
• Garnish with fresh herbs. Serve hot or at room temperature.