Posted by Tastefully Simple on August 23, 2022
This time of year, there are plenty of jokes about the abundance of zucchini. My personal favorite: if you don’t lock your car at church, it will be full of zucchini when you come back.
Indeed, there’s an old gardener’s saying that you can never plant quite the right amount. Plant one, and it will die. Plant two, and both will live – and well, you’ll have too many.
Zucchini certainly does grow in abundance, and it grows very quickly. The good news: it’s a healthy superfood rich in Vitamin A, antioxidants and fiber. And with the surge of spiralized or sliced zucchini (aka “zoodles”) as a low-carb alternative to pasta, there are more delicious recipes for it than ever before!
Looking for fresh ideas for the bounty in your garden – or maybe that extra zucchini from your well-intentioned next-door neighbor? Here are 10 simple and fun ways to make the most of it this summer!
Top 10 Zucchini Recipes
1. Zucchini Ribbon Salad. Confession: I wasn’t always the biggest zucchini fan. A few years ago, this recipe single-handedly changed my mind.
Light. Crisp. Refreshing. With crunchy toasted walnuts, salty feta and a sweet drizzle of honey, this easy summertime salad is absolutely divine. (It’s truly one of my all-time favorites.) Pair it with grilled meats or fried chicken. Perfect for picnics, patios and potlucks!
2. Zucchini Chicken Enchiladas. All the delicious flavor of chicken enchiladas – without all the carbs!
Zucchini takes the place of tortillas for these zesty enchiladas, loaded with hearty shredded chicken, melty Cheddar cheese and fire-roasted tomatoes. It’s amazing, even if you aren’t on keto.
I love this five-star review from Heidi L.: “My husband was turning his nose up when I showed him the recipe, and now he can’t stop singing its praises. He said there’s never been a recipe he negatively prejudged and been more wrong about. Ha!”
3. Bountiful Zucchini Bread. Looking for a cozy breakfast bread or dessert? Try this easy zucchini bread, sweetened with cinnamon and dotted with chocolate chips. So warm and comforting, even the kiddos will love it.
Skip the coffeehouse drive-thru, and enjoy a slice with your morning brew. Oh, and if you have any leftover bread, it makes delicious French toast, too.
4. Zoodle Carbonara. Toss together this low-carb spin on creamy carbonara, made with spiralized zucchini, smoky-sweet bacon and nutty Parmesan cheese. Best of all, it’s ready in only 20 minutes from start to finish!
5. Grilled Bruschetta Chicken. Looking for something a little lighter? Make this fresh and colorful summer dinner, featuring grilled chicken, tomatoes, chopped basil and zoodles – all drizzled with the sweet-tang of balsamic.
6. Shrimp and Veggie Foil Packets. Fire up the grill for a complete meal – within a packet! So versatile and easy to customize, these summery packets are brimming with citrus-herb shrimp, sweet corn, fresh zucchini and tomatoes. Since clean-up is such a breeze, these simple dinners are great for camping or dining outdoors on the deck, too.
Tip: if everyone in your family has different preferences, it’s fun and easy to let everybody build their own foil packets with different veggies. After folding them up, we just use a Sharpie to write our names on top!
7. Asian Beef & Veggie Skillet. For an easy skillet dinner, stir up this one-pot dinner sizzling with ground beef and all kinds of garden vegetables: carrots, zucchini, sweet peppers and mushrooms.
Keep it low carb with riced cauliflower, or stir in cooked long-grain rice or quinoa.
8. Cheesy Zucchini “Bread” Sticks. Kid-approved. Mom-adored. A low-carb alternative to take-out cheesy bread, this veggie-licious appetizer is surprisingly simple to make.
Tip: you can add your favorite toppings and cut into squares to transform it into a low-carb pizza, too!
9. Sí Sí Cilantro Chicken Kabobs. Did you know that zucchini is great on the grill? Fresh and light, these seasoned skewers are stacked with tender marinated chicken, zucchini and red bell peppers.
Serve ‘em with watermelon slices for a breezy summer dinner.
10. Rustic Zucchini Summer Tart. And last but not least, you’ll feel like you’re in the Italian countryside with this flaky rustic tart, layered with ricotta, roasted zucchini and cherry tomatoes. The time-saving secret: frozen puff pastry.
Pack it for a picnic, or slice into small slivers for a cocktail party. It goes great with a glass of wine on the patio!
Many More Zucchini Recipes … in Abundance!
Remember, you can find lots more recipes on Tastefully Simple’s website, too – all the way from zucchini boats to bowls to breads.
Whether you’ll be shopping from the local supermarket or trying to stay on top of your growing garden, have fun “picking” a few new favorites!
Happy cooking, friends!
Jen