Zucchini Noodles 3 Ways For Summer Flavor and Nutrition

It’s zucchini season! These prolific vegetables are making their appearances in gardens everywhere. While it is technically a fruit related to cucumbers and melons, people tend to call it a vegetable, and it is a healthy and nutritious addition to any meal no matter how it’s labeled. 

Nutritional Benefits of Zucchini

Zucchini is a water-rich food and contains good amounts of both soluble and insoluble fiber. Both of these kinds of fiber are important. Soluble fiber feeds healthy bacteria in the gut. Insoluble fiber helps keep the digestive tract healthy by moving things along. Research also shows that a diet rich in fiber can help stabilize blood sugar levels by contributing to insulin sensitivity (1). 

Besides these benefits, zucchini also contains vitamins A, B6, and C, and minerals potassium, magnesium, manganese, and calcium. Like most fruits and vegetables, zucchini contains many antioxidants that are beneficial for health as well. Many of these compounds are located in the skin, so it’s a good idea to leave the skin on when preparing zucchini for a meal.

Zucchini is very mild, which means it can be added to many dishes. It can be grated and added to baked goods, sliced and added raw to salads, grilled, sautéed, or roasted to be served as a side, stuffed and baked, added to soups or stews, or breaded and fried (an air fryer  can make zucchini fritters a simple meal!).

Zoodles!

Zucchini can also be made into noodles for a fantastic low-carb pasta option. There are several methods to turn zucchini into noodles. First, a spiralizer may be used to create long curly “noodles” similar in size to spaghetti or fettuccine noodles, depending on which blade is used. A vegetable peeler can be used to make ribbon-like noodles, or a mandoline to make very thin slices to use for layered dishes like lasagna. A knife can be used to slice zucchini into planks and then matchsticks for a julienne cut as well. 

Here are three ways to use zucchini noodles, or “zoodles.” If you like your zoodles with a bit of crunch, don’t cook them first and just rely on the sauces poured hot over the top to heat them a bit. If you prefer them softer, you can sauté them gently first in a little olive, avocado, or coconut oil and then add the sauces. If you like the zoodles long, leave them as is but you can also snip into the bowl with kitchen shears to shorten them into more bite-sized chunks. 

1. Basil-garlic noodles

In a large bowl, place a clove or two of minced or pressed garlic. Squeeze half a lemon over the garlic to mellow its bite, and let it sit for a minute while you grate a thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger. Add the ginger to the bowl along with a good handful of chopped cilantro, a good handful of chopped parsley, and a smaller handful of chopped fresh basil. If you have Thai basil, it is delicious in this dish. It has smaller leaves, with a more purple tinge, and a black-licorice basil flavor that is fantastic. Grate or finely chop a carrot, and if you have a handful of pea pods this is a great place to throw them in as well. Then put your zoodles in the bowl: two or three small zucchini or one large large zucchini, made into what ever shape noodles are your favorite. Next, heat a third to a half cup of avocado or olive oil. When it is hot, add a handful of chopped green onions, one spoonful of red curry paste, and a couple tablespoons of Bragg’s aminos or good soy sauce. Carefully stir the hot oil to mix everything around and then pour over the zoodles and herbs. Toss to mix all the components and to let the hot oil heat everything in the bowl. Serve as is or add a fried or hard boiled egg to the top. 

2. Coconut peanut noodles

To make the peanut sauce, add a cup of coconut milk and a large spoonful of peanut butter. If you don’t care for peanuts, it is easy to substitute almond or cashew butter instead. Heat gently, stirring, to melt the nut butter and combine it with the coconut milk. Add a clove of minced garlic, a thumb of grated ginger, a tablespoon or two of Bragg’s aminos or good soy sauce, a tablespoon or so of apple cider vinegar, and a bit of spiciness to your taste, such as a pinch of bere bere seasoning, a splash of sriracha, or a pinch of cayenne or red pepper flakes. If you want to amplify the sweetness, you can add a little maple syrup or pineapple juice, or a bit of your preferred sweetener. Mix and stir until it simmers and then turn it off. In a large saute pan, heat a tablespoon or two of avocado or coconut oil. Add a chopped red onion and brown. If you like mushrooms or peppers, you could add these as well. Then add a clove or two of minced garlic, and any other veggies you’d like, such as sliced carrots, fresh pea pods, or ribbons of kale or chard, and the zoodles. Sprinkle it all with salt and pepper and cook, stirring, for a minute or two to brighten the veggies. Then pour the peanut sauce over everything and stir to combine. If you’d like, you can add handful of nuts for crunch over the top. Pecans, peanuts, cashews, sunflower seeds, or almonds are all good choices. This dish can be served hot or cold. 

3. Lemon olive oil noodles

Place one clove of minced or pressed garlic in a bowl and cover with the juice of one lemon. Add a handful or two of chopped flat leaf parsley. Add a smaller handful of mint, cilantro, basil, or dill, or any combination of those herbs. Add a handful of greens, such as kale or chard ribbons or fresh spinach, along with salt and pepper to taste. Add the zoodles to the bowl and mix everything together. In the meantime, heat a third of a cup of olive oil. Add a clove or two of garlic and stir to toast the garlic, then pour the hot oil over the vegetables and mix well to combine. 

For more recipes that are full of both flavor and nutrition, check out Dr. Kiernan’s e-cookbook, Eating on Purpose. Adding vegetables to your diet is one of the best ways to amp up your nutrition, as veggies are packed with vitamins, fiber, nutrients, antioxidants, minerals, complex carbohydrates, protein, and even a little good fat, depending on the veggie and the preparation. For one-on-one support, TruBalance weight loss experts are ready to educate, inspire, and equip you on your journey to better health. 

1. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18287346/