It is about this time of year that my freezer is full of zucchini bread. I'm looking for ways to creatively use up the rest of the 20+ zucchini that are waiting to be picked. And it's still 90˚. That's where this grilled zucchini dish comes into play. The lemon and labneh along with the za'atar makes for a quick and really flavorful side and you won't have to turn on your oven.
Pairings for Grilled Zucchini
It's rare that I post vegetables as a side, but this recipe definitely falls into that category (it's not really main-dish filling). I however don't have an extremely good main dish on my site to pair with it (it's been on the side of vegetable burgers) but I wanted to share a couple of options. The first is a really nice lentil dish that is heavy on the garlic and the second is a traditional fattoush salad. Either would be good or you could go all out and make the lentils, salad, and these grilled zucchini for a nice weekend feast!
Main: Garlic Lentils. This is really less of a main but more of a perfect companion for the grilled zucchini. However, it's a nice flavor pairing and good bump of protein to the meal.
Salad: Fattoush Salad. Since you will most likely need to pick up sumac for the za'atar mixture, you might as well make this salad which also calls for it (because pita sprinkle with sumac is really good).
Drink: I'm currently stuck on Rosé (and that's okay, because I think it goes nicely with the spices.)
Grilled Zucchini with Lemon Labneh and Za'atar
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins
- Total Time: 20 mins
- Yield: 3 to 4 side servings 1x
Ingredients
- 1 medium zucchini
- 1 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 ounces labneh (store bought or homemade)
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- Olive oil, for serving
- 2 teaspoons or more za'atar, for serving (recipe here)
Instructions
- Preheat the grill to medium heat.
- Trim ends off zucchini and cut zucchini in half, horizontally. Take each half, cut in half lengthwise and then cut each zucchini pieces into 3 or 4 wedges. Alternatively, you can cut the zucchini into ¼" thick slices but I prefer the wedges. Toss with olive oil and place on the hot grill. Cook on each side for 3 to 4 minutes, turning once. Zucchini should have nice grill marks and be cooked through.
- In a small bowl, mix together the labneh, lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt.
- Before serving, drizzle the labneh with olive oil and sprinkle the zucchini and labneh with za'atar.
Jennifer @ Delicious Everyday says
It looks very delicious! It's very simple yet this side dish could complete a hearty lunch or dinner! Who doesn't like grilled veggies, right?
Brian @ A Thought For Food says
All my favorite flavors... that beautiful charred zucchini, the fat from the labneh, the cut from the zesty lemon, and the spices of za'atar. Just thinking about it... I'm pretty sure I can taste it.
Sophie says
I love this idea! If I had a grill I would be all over this... yet another recipe to add to my list of reasons why we need one!
Ella Slater says
This looks delicious! I'll definitely be trying it out!
Ella x
★★★★★
Mairead says
Looks awesome! Always looking for new ways to cook zucchini!
Barbara (BarbB) says
The recipe looks really good. I, also, do not have a grill. I may have to get one!!
Susan says
This sounds wonderful, especially because it uses za'atar - probably my favorite ever spice combo. Love having a recipe to make it, too. The first za'atar I ever had was from Israel, and stuff I've found since does not make the grade for me. So it will be nice to make my own. 🙂
Gaby says
Love that you've been doing drink pairings! It's so hard sometimes to figure out what to serve with veg (maybe cause anything is fine!h