Even though I’ve been out of academia for a few years, when August rolls around I still feel like I should be prepping for the new school year. Part of this prep would always include gearing up for more rushed weeknight dinners which is where this turmeric zucchini bowl (and most of the recipes I share in August) come in to play. Minimal ingredients, quick to make- a perfect compliment to faster weeknight dinners. Turmeric provides the backdrop for a beautiful, creamy sauce that works well with many different vegetables but zucchini is one of my favorites.
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For those days when you need a healthy but full of flavor recipe in a hurry, these zucchini bowls are ready in about 20 minutes and are perfect served over quick cooking quinoa.
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 medium shallot (minced)
- 1 clove garlic (minced)
- 1 medium zucchini (diced)
- 1/2 cup white beans (drained and rinsed if using canned)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoons turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 2/3 to 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 1/4 cup minced flat-leaf parsley
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- Parsley (for serving)
- Almonds (for serving)
- 2 cups cooked quinoa (for serving)
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook until fragrant and tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for a minute more. Add the zucchini and conitnue to cook for another 3 to 4 minutes, just to start the zucchini softening. Add in white beans, tomato paste, turmeric, chili powder, and almond milk. Stir until well combined. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and let cook until the sauce has thickened slightly, 4 to 5 minutes.
- Stir in the parsley, salt, and pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired. Serve over quinoa with a sprinkle of parsley and almonds.
Notes
Tips and Tricks: The creamy sauce would also work well with coconut milk if you do not have almond milk on hand.
Stock up: Get the pantry ingredients you will need: white beans, zucchini, quinoa
Nutrition: See the information.
Nutrition
- Calories: 345
- Sugar: 7
- Sodium: 522.9
- Fat: 9
- Carbohydrates: 54.9
- Fiber: 10.7
- Protein: 14.5
- Cholesterol: 0
Turmeric Zucchini
variations
I would typically pair the flavors of this zucchini bowl with coconut but I like the bit of nuttiness that comes with using the almond milk. You can easily use full-fat coconut milk and to add a special touch, top the bowls with toasted coconut flakes.
Winter Varation: While it will add a bit of time to the overall cooking time, small cubes of butternut squash or sweet potato are a perfect swap for the zucchini.
Legumes: I used navy beans for the white beans in the recipe but chickpeas or a bigger cannelinni bean would be nice as well.
Spices: One of my favorite spices to pair with turmeric is smoked paprika. Replace the chili powder with 1 teaspoon of sweet smoked paprika.
Explore Zucchini
If you’re kitchen is like mine right now, you’re looking for so many ways to use up a massive amount of zucchini. This zucchini bowl is a great start and a litle healthier then all that zucchini bread you might be thinking about making. Beyond this recipe, a few other ways to use up zucchini in a savory fashion include:
Cumin Zucchini Pinto Salad
Garlic Soba and Zucchini Noodle
Zucchini and Corn Hash Egg Skillet
Linda says
This looks so good!
★★★★★
Hallie Ann says
I have a question: can you think of a replacement for the tomato paste? I’ve eliminated nightshades from my diet, but this dish looks divine, and I would love to make it.
erin says
I do, you could probably just not use it and this would turn out just fine!
Hallie Ann says
Thanks – I will give it a try!
Marsha says
What did you serve it over? Te text left out that word. It says serve it over over. Thanks!!
erin says
Ah, fixed! Quinoa!
Adrienne says
You know it’s a good recipe when it can stand up to substitutions. No white beans? No problem. I substituted with black beans. No chili powder? A pinch of paprika, cumin, and cayenne will do. No almonds? Pepitas still lend a crunch. This is so good it should be listed as 1 serving.
★★★★★
Jodi says
Tis looks delicious! Do you think this recipe would be just as good served over brown rice instead of quinoa?
Thanks!
★★★★
erin says
I do- I usually just use quinoa because it cooks quick but you can’t really go wrong with any other grain!
Jodi says
Thanks! 🙂