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I’ve been looking for the perfect summer vegetable side dish lately. I love roasted vegetables and eating veggies in soups and stews. In the summer, though, these things can be too heavy. I don’t want to heat up my kitchen, and who wants to eat a stew when it feels like a wet blanket outside? Not me.
So I rounded up all my odd and ends veggies that I have laying around — an onion, a couple of ears of corn, a zucchini, some jalapeños, a tomato. I love salads, but if I’m eating a salmon filet, I want a hot summer vegetable side dish. I know I can grill those veggies, I know. But in the dead heat of the summer, I sometimes don’t want to go outside even for that. I like my air conditioning too much. Sorry, not sorry.
That’s where this quick sauté comes in. A good high heat oil and a skillet is all you need. This method works well for cooking soft veggies like zucchini and onions because they don’t take long to cook. And I love sautéing corn because it brings out its sweetness. It’s really great for in-season summer corn that’s already super sweet.
While I’m usually a big fan of lots of seasoning, I didn’t use more than salt and pepper for this because I really wanted to taste the veggies. This dish is sweet and spicy, bright and fresh, all without any additional seasoning. It’s proof that real food can taste amazing and that you don’t need tons of extras to accomplish that.
As a bonus, it cooks so quickly that you don’t heat up your kitchen. Oh, and you don’t have to stand outside on a hot day and grill. Oh, and it’s healthy and nutritious. It’s bonuses all around!
Summer Vegetable Sauté
This quick and easy summer vegetable side dish is customizable, delicious, and fresh. It’s perfect for all your summer favorites!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 1 onion diced
- 1-2 jalapeños seeded and diced
- 1 zucchini diced
- 2 ears corn cut off cob
- 1 roma tomato diced
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Fresh chopped parsley or basil
- Sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large heavy skillet, heat the oil to medium high heat. Add the onions and peppers, and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the zucchini and corn, continue cooking and stirring until veggies are tender.
- Add the diced tomato and stir and cook for about a minute or two. Add lemon juice.
- Add fresh chopped herbs and season with salt and pepper.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
Storing leftovers: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge and reheated on the stove for best results.
Variations: Almost any summer vegetable can be used here — mushrooms, bell peppers, or summer squash would work well.
Pairs well with: Mango Quinoa Baked Salmon, Black Pepper Cheddar Bread, Blackened Salmon with Cheddar Jalapeno Brown Rice
Nutrition
Calories: 247kcalCarbohydrates: 27gProtein: 5gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 1gSodium: 25mgPotassium: 660mgFiber: 4gSugar: 11gVitamin A: 624IUVitamin C: 35mgCalcium: 34mgIron: 1mg
Nutrition information is only an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. View full nutrition disclousre.
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