Zucchini with Pesto is a perfect low-carb and Keto summer side dish and if you use purchased basil pesto this is extra quick and easy to make! I first made this recipe with my early summer Spinach and Basil Pesto, but use any pesto you have on hand!
PIN the Zucchini with Pesto recipe to try it later!
For this week’s Friday Favorites post, I’m recommending this easy and tasty recipe for Zucchini with Pesto! Whether you’re growing basil and making pesto or buying purchased pesto, this dish that combines quick pan-fried zucchini with pesto is a great side dish. I’d love this recipe with any kind of pesto, and I first tried it with the Spinach and Basil Pesto I made when I didn’t have much basil.
Then I made it with my favorite Basil Pesto with Lemon and that was absolutely delicious as well. And if you want to make this extra easy to get on the table, you can definitely make it with my favorite purchased pesto as well.
If you’re growing a vegetable garden, you may not have zucchini yet, but PIN the recipe now so you can find it in August when the zucchini are in overdrive. For those of you who are lucky enough to have a garden, you can never have too many zucchini recipes, so check after the main recipe for some more zucchini dishes I’ve enjoyed.
What ingredients do you need for this recipe?
- zucchini
- Olive Oil (affiliate link)
- large cloves of garlic, sliced
- Pesto
- salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
Can you make this recipe with other summer squash?
Summer squash refers to squash that has a soft skin that can easily be pierced with a fingernail, and this recipe is a perfect way to use any type of summer squash, including yellow crook-neck or straight-neck squash, Patty Pan squash, or other summer squashes.
Want more tasty ideas for using pesto?
Check out My Favorite Low-Carb and Keto Recipes with Pesto for more tasty ideas for using basil pesto!
How to make Zucchini with Pesto:
(Scroll down for complete printable recipe with nutritional information.)
- Wash zucchini and cut into slices that are about 1/2 inch thick.
- Heat the oil and then saute the garlic slices for 1-2 minutes, or until you smell garlic. (This is called “seasoning the oil” in Chinese cooking.)
- Add zucchini to the hot pan, in a single layer if possible.
- Cover and cook about 4 minutes, turning the zucchini once or twice so it gets browned on all sides.
- Here’s my zucchini the first time I turned them, just starting to get brown.
- When I turned them again I was getting more of the nice browned color I wanted. After four minutes, remove lid and cook zucchini a minute or two longer if needed, or until the zucchini is nicely browned and is tender-crisp.
- As soon as it reaches that point, stir in Spinach and Basil Pesto, Basil Pesto with Lemon, my favorite pesto from a jar, or whichever pesto you’re using.
- Stir around gently until all the zucchini is coated with pesto, season with salt and fresh ground black pepper, and serve immediately.
Ten Amazing Zucchini Recipes to Start Zucchini Season:
Easy Cheesy Zucchini Bake
Garlic-Lover’s Vegetable Stir-Fry
Vegetarian Stuffed Zucchini
Zucchini Bake with Feta and Thyme
How to Grill Zucchini
Zucchini Carpaccio (Raw Zucchini Salad with Lemon, Herbs, and Goat Cheese)
Grilled Zucchini Greek Salad
Roasted Summer Squash with Feta Cheese and Basil
Zucchini Crust Vegetarian Pizza Margherita
Marinated Zucchini Salad
Ingredients
- 3 medium sized zucchini
- 1 T olive oil
- 3 large cloves of garlic, sliced
- 1/2 cup Pesto (see notes)
- salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- If using pesto that has been refrigerated, remove it and let come to room temperature.
- Wash zucchini and trim off ends. Cut zucchini into 1/2 inch slices. (For larger zucchini, I would cut in half lengthwise and then into slices.
- Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in large heavy frying pan with lid.
- Add garlic cloves and saute 1-2 minutes, just until you start to smell the garlic, then remove garlic cloves and discard.
- Add zucchini to hot pan, arranging them in a single layer if possible.
- Turn heat to medium, then cover and cook about 4 minutes, turning the zucchini once or twice.
- After 4 minutes, check to see if both sides are browned and the squash is getting as tender as you’d like it.
- Cook 1-2 more minutes, uncovered, as needed until zucchini is tender-crisp and any liquid is evaporated.
- Turn off heat and spoon pesto over zucchini and stir gently. Let it melt for a minute or two, season the zucchini to taste with salt and fresh-ground black pepper, put into serving dish, and serve immediately.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4
Serving Size:
1
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 223Total Fat: 20gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 8mgSodium: 313mgCarbohydrates: 8gFiber: 3gSugar: 3gProtein: 6g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.
Did you make this recipe?
Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating (under the PRINT button in the recipe) or share a photo of your results on Instagram! THANKS!
Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
This Zucchini with Pesto is a perfect side dish for any low-carb or Keto diet plan as well as any phase of the original South Beach Diet. Although pesto like this is relatively high in fat, pine nuts and olive oil are both considered “good fat” by South Beach and you’re not eating a huge amount of pesto.
Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Zucchini Recipes to find more recipes like this one.Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.
Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This recipe was first posted in 2007, when I was making pesto with spinach from my garden! The recipe was last updated with more information in 2022.
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Tomato Avocado Salad with Edamame
I love summer salads like this Tomato Avocado Salad with Edamame that has an amazing cumin-lime vinaigrette! And did you know that edamame is low in net carbs and high in protein!
PIN Tomato Avocado Salad with Edamame to try it later!
This tasty Tomato Avocado Salad with Edamame is something I’d love to make over and over in the summer when fresh tomatoes are so good. And both edamame and avocado are healthy foods that always feel like a treat!
I first made this recipe years ago when frozen edamame was only available in the shell, at least at the stores where I shopped. But now I can get shelled edamame at Kroger near me, and they make it much easier to get this on the table. And recently I came across this recipe back in the archives and got inspired to make it again, and I think the new photos really show off the deliciousness of this combination!
If you’ve enjoyed edamame as an appetizer in a sushi restaurant, I bet you’ll enjoy them in this salad. And if you’re lucky enough to have fresh garden tomatoes, that will only make the salad better!
What ingredients do you need for this recipe?
(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)
What is Edamame?
Edamame is the name for immature soybeans that are shelled out of the pod and then eaten, and they’re a favorite appetizer with Asian food. You can probably find shelled edamame, which I do highly recommend, and they are often sold frozen, near the frozen vegetables.
Is Edamame high in carbs?
Edamame does have some carbs, but it’s also very high in fiber. One cup of shelled edamame has about 13.8 carbs, but 8 grams of fiber, and edamame is also high in protein. Check out the nutritional information for edamame and you might be surprised.
How to store avocado so it stays good longer:
I used to look longingly at those big bags of avocados at Costco but never buy them because I couldn’t use that many avocados before they went bad. Then I learned that once avocados are ripe, if you keep them in the fridge they last for days and days without getting any softer. I wish I remembered who told me about this, because that bit of avocado storage information has changed my life.
How to Make Tomato Avocado Salad with Edamame:
(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)
- Dice the avocados, put in a bowl, then add fresh lime juice and stir until avocado pieces are all coated with lime.
- Drain thawed edamame into a colander placed in the sink. Pat dry with paper towels if needed.
- I took a photo of the edamame in a measuring cup to show you that a 12 oz. bag of frozen shelled edamame made almost exactly two cups of shelled edamame.
- Cut tomatoes in half so you have 2 cups of tomatoes.
- Slice green onions, more or less to taste.
- For an easy dressing I whisked together lime juice, olive oil, ground cumin, Spike Seasoning, and Vege-Sal (links are affiliate links).
- I love this dressing with lots of lime, but taste after you mix the dressing and see if you want to add a bit more olive oil.
- Mix together tomato and edamame and toss with the dressing. (You might not need all the dressing.)
- Then mix in avocado.
- Serve salad right away.
- This was surprisingly good when it had been in the fridge overnight, although I don’t think it would last more than one day.
Make it a Low-Carb Meal:
I would definitely eat this Tomato Avocado Salad with Edamame as just a whole-meal salad for a light lunch, but it would make a geat side dish for something like Grilled Fish with Lemon and Capers, Grilled Chicken Kabobs with Vegetables, or Marinated Grilled Flank Steak.
More Salads with Avocados
If you’re an avocado fan like I am, check out 26 Amazing Salads with Avocado.
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 2 small avocados
- 1 T fresh lime juice
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes
- 12 oz. frozen shelled edamame (see notes)
- 1/2 cup sliced green onion
Cumin-Lime Vinaigrette
- 4 T fresh lime juice
- 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
- 1 tsp. Spike Seasoning
- 1/2 tsp. Vege-Sal (or salt)
- 3 T extra-virgin olive oil (more or less to taste)
Instructions
- Dice the avocados into a bowl, then add fresh lime juice and stir until avocado pieces are all coated with lime. (This keeps the avocado from turning brown
- Thaw frozen edamame overnight in the fridge, then drain into a colander placed in the sink. I would pat them dry with paper towels after they dry,
- Cut cherry or grape tomatoes in half until you have enough to make 2 cups of tomatoes. (Or use diced fresh garden tomatoes if you have some!
- Slice about 1/2 cup of green onion, more or less to taste
- Whisked together lime juice, olive oil, ground cumin, Spike Seasoning, and Vege-Sal (or a slightly smaller amount of salt) to make the dressing.\
- I loved this dressing with lots of lime, but taste after you mix the dressing and see if you want to add a bit more olive oil
- Mix together tomato and edamame and toss with the desired amount of dressing
- Then gently mix in the chopped pieces of avocado
- Serve salad right away, although this was surprisingly still quite good when it had been in the fridge overnight.
Notes
Twelve ounces of frozen shelled edamame is about 2 cups.
Recipe created by Kalyn.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6
Serving Size:
1
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 198Total Fat: 17gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 263mgCarbohydrates: 11gFiber: 6gSugar: 2gProtein: 4g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.
Did you make this recipe?
Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating (under the PRINT button in the recipe) or share a photo of your results on Instagram! THANKS!
Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
Tomato Avocado Salad with Edamame is a great option for low-carb or Keto diets with only 5 net carbs per serving! All the ingredients here do have some carbs, but they’re also loaded with nutritional benefits, and edamame has lots of fiber so it’s low in net carbs. This is also good or for any phase of the original South Beach Diet, although it might be a bit of a splurge on fat for South Beach.
Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Salad Recipes to find more recipes like this one. Use the Diet Type index pages to find more recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.
Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This favorite salad with tomato, avocado, and edamame was first posted in 2009, probably with a photo that would make me shudder now. The recipe was last updated in 2023, with greatly improved photos and more information.
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We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
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Nutrition Facts
Amount per serving
- Calories N/A
- Total Fat N/A
- Saturated Fat N/A
- Cholesterol N/A
- Sodium N/A
- Total Carbohydrates N/A
- Protein N/A
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