Sauteed Zucchini with Garlic is a quick and easy dish for all the zucchini that's in your garden or piling up on the tables at the farmers market or overflowing the shelves at the grocery store. Just a few of the usual ingredients that you probably already have and you'll have a delicious vegetable side dish that goes with everything. Shall we?
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What is Korean Hobak Bokkeum?
Here's your Korean language lesson of the week: "hobak" means squash, and "bokkeum" means stir-fry.
This Sauteed Zucchini is my take on Hobak Bokkeum (호박볶음), a dead-simple Korean side dish of sliced zucchini lightly stir-fried with garlic, onion, and salt until just tender, then finished with sesame oil and sesame seeds for umami.
Hobak Bokkeum is banchan, one of those multitudes of small side dishes you see on a Korean table that are served alongside rice, kimchi, and oftentimes a main dish.
But the true beauty of hobak bokkeum is that it's simplicity often makes it a classic topping for bibimbap (비빔밥). Sauteed zucchini adds a very subtle natural sweetness as well as contrasting color and texture to balance the other ingredients in a bowl of bibimbap.
Dietary Considerations of Sauteed Zucchini
As published, this recipe for Sauteed Zucchini is:
- 100% plant-based, suitable for vegans
- vegetarian
- dairy-free
- refined sugar-free
- anti-inflammatory
This recipe for Sauteed Zucchini is easily keto/paleo/Whole30 and gluten-free-adaptable with easy substitutions.
What Ingredients You Need for Sauteed Zucchini
If you've spent some time around here and made some of the recipes, then you more than likely already have the pantry ingredients. If not, they're some of the easier ones to find at the grocery store.
Sauteed Zucchini fresh/refrigerator ingredients:
- zucchini, 2 large
- ¼ onion, sliced ¼-inch wide lengthwise
- garlic, 1 clove, finely minced
Sauteed Zucchini dry/pantry ingredients:
- avocado oil or other neutral oil for cooking
- sea salt
- sesame oil
- toasted sesame seeds
How Many Zucchini in One Pound?
Because zucchini come in so many different sizes and shapes like so many um, other things, it's better to "measure" zucchini by actual ounces or even in cups, not by number of zucchini.
The average zucchini based on my own experience weighs 10 ounces. So 2 zucchini is about 20 ounces, or 1¼ pounds.
This recipe is cooking though, not precision baking, so it's ok to come close enough with the amount of zucchini.
What's the Best Way to Cut Zucchini for Sauteing?
The best way to cut zucchini for sauteing is to slice the zucchini in half lengthwise, then slice into half moons, either on a mandoline (quicker) or using your knife.
Additional Ingredients Notes and Resources
Sesame Oil. Use toasted, not regular, sesame oil. Toasted sesame oil is dark brown and is used as a finishing oil, not as a cooking oil. This is the Japanese brand that everyone and their mothers' have been using for years. You can usually find organic like this one in natural and higher end grocery stores.
Sesame seeds. Make sure the seeds are toasted, sometimes called "roasted." If they are not toasted, toss them in a hot, dry skillet over medium heat for about 90 seconds or until they are fragrant.
Onions, garlic, and all other fresh herbs and produce from either the Santa Monica Farmers' Market on Wednesday, Mar Vista Farmers Market on Sunday, or Whole Foods Market when I can't find what I need at the farmers' market.
How to Make Sauteed Zucchini
This recipe is so easy. This is a high-level how-to:
- Wash the zucchini. Like I always say about prepping vegetables, wash thoroughly, and especially in the case of zucchini, use a produce wash that helps remove some of the natural waxiness since you eat the skin. This organic vege wash is my fav that I've been using for almost 10 years.
- Cut zucchini into half moons.
- Saute garlic and onion first to soften
- Add zucchini and salt and saute for about 5 minutes until the slivers of zucchini skin turn bright green. Cook for longer if you really want the broccoli softer. Not me, but you do you.
- Drizzle with sesame oil and toasted sesame seeds and enjoy!
Korean Garlic Sauteed Zucchini, Hobak Bokkeum Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 medium zucchini
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil or other neutral cooking oil
- ¼ onion, sliced lengthwise
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
Instructions
- If you haven't already, slice each zucchini in half lengthwise, then slice each half into half-moons.
- Heat 2 tablespoons avocado oil in a large pan over medium heat.
- Add garlic and onions to oil in pan and saute until garlic is fragrant and onions start to become translucent.
- Add all of the sliced zucchini and salt and gently saute until slivers of the zucchini skins turn bright green, about 5 minutes.
- Transfer cooked zucchini to a serving bowl or dish, drizzle with sesame oil and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.
Notes
Nutrition
Advance Prep, Leftovers, and Storage
Sauteed Zucchini tastes great hot and fresh out of the pan. However, you can make Sauteed Zucchini up to three days in advance and store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator.
Tools and Equipment
There isn't any special tool or piece of equipment that is absolutely required for Sauteed Zucchini. You can make it using a sharp chef's knife on a sturdy cutting board to slice the zucchini! However, that isn't to say there are a few tools that might make it slightly easier to get Sauteed Zucchini from the farmers market to your fork (or chopsticks), namely a mandoline!
- Japanese mandoline, for faster uniform slicing
- regular mandoline with storage container
- Chef's knife, my personal workhorse
- Wooden cutting board, oversized
- Glass mixing bowls
- Mini ¼-cup liquid measuring cup
- Mini whisk
- Glass storage containerwith airtight lids, perfect size for storing Korean Zucchini Pancakes you make it in advance
- Glass mason jars, wide mouth because they're easier to use and wash
- Mason jar lids that are better than those horrible 2-piece metal lids
What to Make with Zucchini
Why yes, I love zucchini, how can you tell?
Get this recipe down, then try making these recipes that use suzzhini:
- Korean Zucchini Pancakes with Soy Dipping Sauce
- Doenjang Jjigae, Korean Soybean Paste Stew
- Roasted Zucchini, Chef Thomas Keller's Life-changing Method
- Zucchini Ghanoush
- Easiest Zucchini Bread
- Healthy Zucchini Bread
Best Banchan and Korean-ish Side Dishes
- Oi Muchim, Korean Spicy Cucumbers
- Din Tai Fung Spicy Cucumbers copycat, similar but different
- Spicy Cucumber Avocado Salad
- Korean Spinach banchan "shi-geum-chi"
Mick says
Grew up in South Africa where curry is big. There was a guy in the market called the curry king. he sat in a high chair with a big spoon and mounds of spice all around him. you told him what kind of curry you wanted and he made it. Mick http://rockwatching.wordpress.com
jackt says
Sorry- love your blog but I don't do veggies. :)
Jackt the Carnivore.
swati says
dear sarah,
so you had okra/
ladies-fingers/bhindi/ddhyarosh.
when we make this stuff at home the ting-a-ling taste comes from ground up cilantro seeds.
most north indian curries have this very ingredient to make its mark on the palate.
will you be able to face indian cooking again?!?
Anonymous says
Great food for being vegetarian... JP
sarah says
mick: that sounds, in one word, AWESOME. i would love to go up to the curry king (does he wear a crown of cilantro?!?!?) and say, Your Heighnie, i would like a bowl of fire, thank you.
jackt: do you take fiber supplements?!?!
jp: were you so rone-ree, so rone-ree? LOL! i know you love urkel
swati: lol! i looove okra. and cilantro - is not bad when i can't see it, and i don't mind the leaves, which have a far milder taste than the STEMS, nor the seeds, which seem to have a completely different taste overall. :)
onetomato says
i love veggies. i'm that weird girl that eats all the bok choy when veryone else is fighting for the protein...hee hee. i guess i must've been an elephant in my past life.
and i also drove leisurely along wilshire the other day. it's so funny, you notice all those angry people driving along and shaking their fists at other drivers. oh wait, i just did that the other day too.
Catherine says
you'll find me driving leisurely through the westside when it's half past 10 pm. and here's why, NO ONE ELSE IS ON THE ROAD. and most likely i just got out of a deep tissue massage so i have alllll the time in the world. honk as you may mr. and mrs. road rage, but at this time of the night i ain't going above 35 mph unless it's to run a red light.
:D
and, i agree; indian buffets are BY FAR the least sketchy and most delicious of them all. it's true, i even heard the answer myself when one indian buffet looked into the mirror and asked the very same question.
OK, i think i'm nearing the character max for this comment so i better stop here before i get cut-of
abraxis says
hmmm. Looks good but,
I'm one of them thar carnivores...
and I like roti better than naan! =P
swati says
if you want FIRE,
get hold of some Andhra coastal cooking. The spices of south india are different (you are having mainly punjabi food) and these southies do know how to use chillies!
one spoonful of their own variety of rasam, and you will feel like Krakatoa exploding in 1848.
Tmblweed says
are you talking about the church around Wilshire & Bundy, sort of across Bundy, in front of Ralphs? I think it's a Christian Science church. (Then again, both Christian Scientists & Scientologists have strange views of science...)
Btw, how much did the buffet cost?
Thanks for your entries! It always makes my day brighter when I read them!
joanh says
I'll have to take my mom who is a vegetarian there to try it out!
Elaine says
OMG! I must take you know who here!! Vegetarian heaven!! Thanks Sarah!
Deb says
I've been eating at Chandni over the past 12 years. It is the BEST Indian vegetarian food in LA hands down - I've tried 'em all. I find their food (and spices) to be incredibly fresh and found a few of your comments objectionable. Contrary to the many other Indian restaurants I've tried, the food at Chandni is never greasy and the flavors are not diminished by the use of hot spices that overwhelm the dish. Most of my Indian friends have told me that Indian food in America tends to be considerably hotter with spice than the norm. Maybe your palate has been burned off. Chandni is not shack-like, has a nice atmosphere (not fancy, just nice), serves great healthy food at a very reasonable price and has great service. What more do you want? Not a bad place for "star" sightings either. Oh, and the server's name is Mahesh in case any of you are wondering...
Sybil says
Lifetime vegetarian here, weighing in...Enjoy!