The Best Zucchini Recipes, According to Eater Staff
Zucchini deserves respect: it's one of summer's most versatile ingredients. With cinnamon and cooking time, it tastes almost like an apple in cakes, sweet loafs, and alongside pork chops. It makes a great salad base when shaved long and served fresh. It's also just as at home on the grill as burgers and chicken wings, and wears a sear beautifully. Whether you prefer zucchini sweet or savory, these are the recipes that Eater staffers will be making this summer.
Sasha Marx, Cook's Illustrated
I'm a big fan of both wet- and dry-brining for meats, so I was intrigued by the idea of brining vegetables for additional flavor like they do in this Cook's Illustrated recipe. And I'm always looking for new things to throw on the grill during the summer. I tried out this recipe for a poolside gathering, and the delicious zucchini managed to upstage the steak we were grilling. The brining technique really does add an additional dimension, making the seasoning pervade the zucchini better, and the salsa verde adds a bright kick to the equation. — Missy Frederick, cities director
Deb Perelman, Smitten Kitchen
I've loved Smitten Kitchen's ultimate zucchini bread recipe since before I had kids, but it's become even more of a go-to recently. With two toddlers, I'm in the sneak-veggies-into-everything phase of my life, and this is truly the ideal vehicle. Deb's zucchini bread is as easy as it gets: It doesn't require a mixer or any zucchini wringing, and comes together in essentially one bowl. It's light and fluffy, and is definitely an appropriate breakfast food, even with its crispy sugar topping. Plus, it means I can offer my kids 'cake' and know that they're getting a little serving of greens along the way. — Stephanie Wu, editor-in-chief
Hetty McKinnon, Tenderheart
Hetty McKinnon's noodles come together lightning quick, with a simple sauce of sliced zucchini, za'atar, mint and cheese — or nutritional yeast if you want to make it vegan. It's the perfect recipe for when you're too hungry to start a big project and just want to make something boxed and instant, but realize you haven't had a vegetable in three days and really need to remedy that. — Jaya Saxena, correspondent
Sarah Jampel, NYT Cooking
This salad has become a reliable way to clear out the almost-overripe zucchini in my crisper every summer and is a total crowd pleaser for dinner parties (while secretly being very easy to pull together). You can even cook and marinate your browned zucchini a few hours before serving, letting them soak up more flavor in the fridge. To liven up the salad, shave some beautiful, fresh pieces of zucchini and Parmesan cheese with a vegetable peeler and don't limit yourself on the fresh herbs; almost everything will work here. To upgrade the salad further, roast your chickpeas with lots of herbes de Provence, paprika, and olive oil in an oven or air fryer for about 15 minutes to create crispy, flavorful chickpeas that add a layer of crunch that is reminiscent of croutons. — Emily Venezky, editorial associate
Dorothy Kern, Crazy for CrustAlthough some people prefer zucchini breads and cakes where you 'can't even taste the zucchini!,' I actually love the subtle, vegetal bite an entire large zucchini brings to this coffee cake. Other perks of this recipe: the inviting scent of cinnamon wafting through your kitchen as the cake bakes, the plush crumb, and the general ease of pulling this all together in less than an hour. My only note about this recipe is that the crumb on the cake is less of a crumb and more of a brown sugar and butter syrup that seeps into the cake and creates delightful brown sugar swirls throughout. If you want a more traditional crumb, you'll definitely need to incorporate additional flour into the crumb mixture portion and use cold, rather than melted, butter. — Kat Thompson, associate editor, Eater at Home See More: Eater at Home
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The Best Zucchini Recipes, According to Eater Staff
Zucchini deserves respect: it's one of summer's most versatile ingredients. With cinnamon and cooking time, it tastes almost like an apple in cakes, sweet loafs, and alongside pork chops. It makes a great salad base when shaved long and served fresh. It's also just as at home on the grill as burgers and chicken wings, and wears a sear beautifully. Whether you prefer zucchini sweet or savory, these are the recipes that Eater staffers will be making this summer. Sasha Marx, Cook's Illustrated I'm a big fan of both wet- and dry-brining for meats, so I was intrigued by the idea of brining vegetables for additional flavor like they do in this Cook's Illustrated recipe. And I'm always looking for new things to throw on the grill during the summer. I tried out this recipe for a poolside gathering, and the delicious zucchini managed to upstage the steak we were grilling. The brining technique really does add an additional dimension, making the seasoning pervade the zucchini better, and the salsa verde adds a bright kick to the equation. — Missy Frederick, cities director Deb Perelman, Smitten Kitchen I've loved Smitten Kitchen's ultimate zucchini bread recipe since before I had kids, but it's become even more of a go-to recently. With two toddlers, I'm in the sneak-veggies-into-everything phase of my life, and this is truly the ideal vehicle. Deb's zucchini bread is as easy as it gets: It doesn't require a mixer or any zucchini wringing, and comes together in essentially one bowl. It's light and fluffy, and is definitely an appropriate breakfast food, even with its crispy sugar topping. Plus, it means I can offer my kids 'cake' and know that they're getting a little serving of greens along the way. — Stephanie Wu, editor-in-chief Hetty McKinnon, Tenderheart Hetty McKinnon's noodles come together lightning quick, with a simple sauce of sliced zucchini, za'atar, mint and cheese — or nutritional yeast if you want to make it vegan. It's the perfect recipe for when you're too hungry to start a big project and just want to make something boxed and instant, but realize you haven't had a vegetable in three days and really need to remedy that. — Jaya Saxena, correspondent Sarah Jampel, NYT Cooking This salad has become a reliable way to clear out the almost-overripe zucchini in my crisper every summer and is a total crowd pleaser for dinner parties (while secretly being very easy to pull together). You can even cook and marinate your browned zucchini a few hours before serving, letting them soak up more flavor in the fridge. To liven up the salad, shave some beautiful, fresh pieces of zucchini and Parmesan cheese with a vegetable peeler and don't limit yourself on the fresh herbs; almost everything will work here. To upgrade the salad further, roast your chickpeas with lots of herbes de Provence, paprika, and olive oil in an oven or air fryer for about 15 minutes to create crispy, flavorful chickpeas that add a layer of crunch that is reminiscent of croutons. — Emily Venezky, editorial associate Dorothy Kern, Crazy for CrustAlthough some people prefer zucchini breads and cakes where you 'can't even taste the zucchini!,' I actually love the subtle, vegetal bite an entire large zucchini brings to this coffee cake. Other perks of this recipe: the inviting scent of cinnamon wafting through your kitchen as the cake bakes, the plush crumb, and the general ease of pulling this all together in less than an hour. My only note about this recipe is that the crumb on the cake is less of a crumb and more of a brown sugar and butter syrup that seeps into the cake and creates delightful brown sugar swirls throughout. If you want a more traditional crumb, you'll definitely need to incorporate additional flour into the crumb mixture portion and use cold, rather than melted, butter. — Kat Thompson, associate editor, Eater at Home See More: Eater at Home Recipes What to Cook
Boston Globe
17-06-2025
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Make your summer salads stand out with made-from-scratch dressings
Makes 4 to 6 servings The dressing for this salad consists of only garlic, anchovies, lemon, and olive oil, but with such high-impact ingredients, the flavors are bold and satisfying, and a great match for assertive greens such as arugula and radicchio. Parmesan and toasted pine nuts bring richness and texture. With addition of hard- or soft-cooked eggs, the salad can be a light main, but it's also a good complement to pizza, pasta, or a simple roasted chicken. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Don't make the dressing in a small bowl. Use a large bowl, one that can easily accommodate all of the salad ingredients and leave enough room for tossing. Advertisement 1 small garlic clove, finely grated 2-3 oil-packed anchovy fillets Kosher salt and ground black pepper 3 tablespoons lemon juice ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil 8-ounce head radicchio, bruised outer leaves removed, quartered, cored, and cut into 1-inch pieces (about 3 cups) 5 ounce container baby arugula 1 medium fennel bulb, trimmed, halved, and thinly sliced 1 ounce Parmesan cheese, finely grated (½ cup), plus more to serve ⅓ cup pine nuts, toasted 4 soft- or hard-cooked eggs, peeled and halved lengthwise Advertisement In a large bowl, combine the garlic, anchovies, and ½ teaspoon salt. Using a fork, mash to a paste. Whisk in the lemon juice, oil, and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Add the radicchio, arugula, fennel, Parmesan, and pine nuts; toss well. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a serving dish and top with the eggs and additional Parmesan. Eventide Green Salad With Nori Vinaigrette Brian Samuels Eventide Green Salad With Nori Vinaigrette Makes 6 servings This is our adaptation of a salad created by Eventide Oyster Co., in Portland, Maine. Toasted seaweed (also called nori) is pulverized to a coarse powder and added to the dressing, lending the dish deep, umami-rich flavor notes reinforced with soy sauce and mirin. Instead of using full-sized sheets of plain nori (the variety used for sushi), we opt for the convenience of an individual package of the seasoned seaweed snacks that are available in most grocery stores. Quick-pickled veggies give the salad lots of texture and bright flavor, but keep in mind that they need to pickle for at least 2 hours before they're ready to use. To shave the carrot, run a sharp vegetable peeler down the length of the vegetable. Don't use a reactive bowl to make the pickles or the vegetables and liquid may take on an 'off' metallic flavor. It's best to use glass, ceramic, or stainless steel. Also, wait to dress the salad until you're ready to serve so that the greens stay fresh and crisp (if left to stand after dressing, they'll wilt from the pickles' acidity and weight). 4 ounces red radishes, sliced into thin rounds 1 medium carrot, peeled and shaved into long, thin strips ½ small red onion, thinly sliced Advertisement 1½ cups plus 2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar, divided ⅓ cup white sugar ¼ ounce (7-gram) package roasted seaweed snacks, torn into small pieces (about 1 cup packed) 2 tablespoons soy sauce 2 tablespoons mirin 2 tablespoons grape-seed or other neutral oil 10 ounces spring mix or other delicate greens Kosher salt In a medium heatproof bowl, combine the radishes, carrot, and onion; set aside. In a small saucepan set over medium-high heat, combine 1½ cups vinegar, the sugar, and ¾ cup water. Bring to a rapid boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar, then pour over the vegetables. Cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or for up to 1 week. In a spice grinder, process the seaweed until finely chopped, gently shaking the grinder, about 30 seconds; check under the blade for clumps and break up any. You should have about 2 tablespoons pulverized seaweed. In a large bowl, whisk together the seaweed, soy sauce, mirin, oil, and the remaining 2 tablespoons vinegar; the dressing will thicken slightly. Drain the pickles in a fine mesh strainer. Add half of the drained pickles to the bowl with the dressing, along with the salad greens. Toss to combine, then taste and season with salt. To serve, transfer to a platter or bowl and top with the remaining drained pickles. Greens With Walnuts, Parmesan, and Pancetta Vinaigrette Makes 6 servings Bitter greens—such as frisée, endive, radicchio, escarole, or arugula—paired with a rich dressing are an ideal counterpoint to a heavy meal. For this salad, use any combination of the greens. Don't allow the dressing to cool down before adding it to the greens. Its consistency is best when warm, and its heat slightly softens the sturdy greens. By the same token, make sure the greens are not cold when dressed so the dressing doesn't congeal on contact. Advertisement To toast the walnuts, spread them evenly on a rimmed baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees until lightly browned and fragrant, 5 to 7 minutes. And, a sharp Y-shaped vegetable peeler is the perfect tool for shaving the Parmesan cheese. 12 ounces (12 cups) mixed bitter greens, torn 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard Kosher salt and ground black pepper 6 ounces thinly sliced pancetta, chopped 1 medium shallot, finely chopped 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 cup walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped 1 ounce Parmesan cheese, shaved (about ½ cup) Place the greens in a large bowl and set aside. In a separate bowl, whisk together the vinegar, mustard, and ¼ teaspoon salt. In a medium skillet set over medium heat, cook the pancetta, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pancetta to a paper towel-lined plate. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon pancetta fat from the skillet, then return it to medium heat. Add the shallot and cook, stirring, until light golden brown, about 2 minutes. Add the oil and the vinegar mixture, then remove from the heat and whisk until combined. Let sit for 30 seconds to warm through. Add the warm dressing, walnuts, and 1 teaspoon pepper to the greens and toss well. Taste and season with salt. Divide the salad among plates and top each portion with pancetta and Parmesan. Feta-Herb Vinaigrette Brianna Coleman Vinaigrettes Three Ways: Feta-Herb Vinaigrette Makes 1 cup If these dressings are left to stand, the ingredients eventually will separate. Simply shake again just before using to recombine. Leftovers can be refrigerated in the jars for up to one week; bring to room temperature before using. Advertisement Don't limit the use of these vinaigrettes to leafy greens. They're also great on roasted or steamed vegetables, grain salads, and even grilled, roasted, or pan-seared chicken and seafood. ⅔ cup extra virgin olive oil ⅓ cup lemon juice 1 ounce (¼ cup) crumbled feta cheese 1 tablespoon fresh oregano (minced) 1 medium garlic clove (finely grated) ½ teaspoon kosher salt ¼ teaspoon black pepper In a small jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine the oil, lemon juice, feta cheese, oregano, garlic, kosher salt, and ground black pepper. Seal the jar, then shake vigorously. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Honey, Mustard, and Ginger Vinaigrette Makes 1 cup ⅔ cup extra virgin olive oil ⅓ cup lemon juice 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard 2 teaspoons honey 1 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger ½ teaspoon kosher salt ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper In a small jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine the oil, lemon juice, mustard, honey, ginger, kosher salt, and ground black pepper. Seal the jar, then shake vigorously. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Orange, Garlic, and Olive Vinaigrette Makes 1 cup ⅔ cup extra virgin olive oil 1 teaspoon grated orange zest ¼ cup orange juice 2 tablespoons lemon juice 2 tablespoons finely chopped pitted green olives 1 medium garlic clove (finely grated) ¼ teaspoon kosher salt ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper In a small jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine the oil, orange zest plus orange juice, lemon juice, green olives, garlic, kosher salt, and ground black pepper. Seal the jar, then shake vigorously. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Advertisement Christopher Kimball is the founder of Milk Street, home to a magazine, school, and radio and television shows. Globe readers get 12 weeks of complete digital access, plus two issues of Milk Street print magazine, for just $1. Go to Send comments to
