You can never go wrong with a liberal dose of salt and pepper and a pat of butter when cooking zucchini on the grill, in a sauté pan or in the microwave. Add a spritz of lemon juice to brighten the zucchini flavor and consider the seasoning complete. That said, an assortment of herbs and spices brings variety to your zucchini side dishes. Its mildly sweet, yet also slightly astringent or vegetable, flavor has an affinity with lots of herbs and spices.
Preparing the Zucchini
Look for younger, smaller zucchini in the grocery to help ensure that you get a more tender vegetable. Store it in plastic in the fridge. It will keep for 4 to 5 days.
To let the flavor of zucchini shine, cut it into slices or planks, brush each piece with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, then grill on your barbecue or in a grill pan for a few minutes on each side. Cook the zucchini long enough for it to develop caramelized char marks and a soft interior.
Fresh Herb Seasonings for Zucchini
Any of the fresh herbs that grow profusely in the summertime along with zucchini bring similar light, bright and fresh flavors. Sprinkle any one of these fresh, chopped herbs on zucchini pasta, pizza, quiche or soup after you finish cooking, or mix a few of the herbs together:
- basil
- chives
- cilantro
- dill
- lemon thyme
- mint
- oregano
- parsley
- rosemary
- sage
- tarragon
- thyme
Dried Herbs for Seasoning
Dried herbs, added either during cooking or sprinkled on after cooking, bring more potent flavor to zucchini and work well in zucchini casseroles, grilled zucchini, sautéed zucchini, and baked, stuffed zucchini. Use about one-third of the amount of dried herbs that you would use for fresh herbs since the former have stronger flavors and tend to overpower zucchini.
- basil
- parsley
- red pepper flakes
- rosemary
- thyme
- Italian herb blend with a mix of dried herbs, salt and pepper
Season with Spices
Because it has such a quiet taste, zucchini blends well with an assortment of spices. Use some familiar combinations, or experiment with your favorite spice blends or individual spices. Spices typically associated with zucchini include:
- cajun seasoning blends with garlic powder, black pepper, dry mustard and celery salt
- cinnamon
- coriander
- cumin
- curry powder
- garam masala, a blend of Indian spices that includes black pepper, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, cumin, cardamom, dried chilies and nutmeg
- garlic powder
- saffron
- smoked paprika
- sumac, a fruity, spicy spice made from dried berries and used extensively in Middle Eastern cuisine