• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Resources
  • About
  • Contact

Wee Little Vegans

Kid Friendly Vegan Recipes

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Resources
  • About
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipes
  • Resources
  • About
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
×

Home » Recipes » Main Dish

Charred Lemony Zucchini with Quinoa

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

Charred Lemony Zucchini with Quinoa, bright with lemon flavor and herbs. Enjoy as a side dish or a healthy light meal. Made with simple ingredients that you may already have on hand.

Charred Lemony Zucchini and Quinoa on a white serving platter, top view.

The days are warming here in Florida and we could not be more ready. We're looking forward to getting outdoors and maybe back to a sense of normalcy visiting with family and friends, which of course means food will be involved. This Charred Lemony Zucchini with Quinoa is a great dish for those summer get togethers and barbecues.

Close of Charred Lemony Zucchini
Jump to:
  • what's in it
  • how to make this dish
  • tips

what's in it

Zucchini is at its peak in summer so naturally as we're heading into the season we're looking for ways to enjoy as much as we can.

A simple vinaigrette of lemon and herbs adds loads of flavor to the zucchini as well as the quinoa. I often make dressings(A,B,C and D) with non dairy yogurt, but for this one I wanted it to be a simple as possible with ingredients that many people have on hand at any time.

The recipe calls for quinoa to add protein for a more satisfying dish, but really you can use any grain you like. Rice, millet, barley, bulgar, pasta - any would go nicely with the zucchini.

Top view of ingredients on a round wooden cutting board.
Close up of raw zucchini slices coated in olive oil and seasonings in a white bowl.

how to make this dish

There are a few ways the zucchini can be prepared. Grill it, bake it in the oven or sauté it as we did here. The important thing is to get some char on it. This adds flavor and a slight crispness that is just so delicious. Be sure not to overcook though. You want the zucchini to maintain some texture and not be mushy or falling apart.

The dressing is a simple vinaigrette made by emulsifying oil with mustard, lemon juice and a few other ingredients. To do this start by mixing together all ingredients except the oil and herbs. Once those ingredients are incorporated whisk vigorously while slowly drizzling the oil in. This will create a creamy cohesive dressing. Add the chopped herb and it's perfect for coating the zucchini in tons of flavor.

The quinoa is simply prepared with the standard ratio of one part grain to two parts water. So, for our family we used one cup of quinoa and two cups of water.

Charred zucchini before dressing is added.

tips

As we're heading into summer, hopefully to a more normal version now that vaccines have begun rolling out, and get togethers may resume safely enjoy this dish with friends and family. It's a great way to show how delicious vegan food can be without any strange ingredients that might scare away non vegans. You can easily make this for a crowd by doubling or even tripling the recipe.

This dish is also a great way to use a lot of zucchini if you find yourself with copious amounts from the garden.

Charred Lemony Zucchini on a bed of quinoa served on a white serving plate.

If you make a recipe, I would love to know how it turns out! You can leave a comment and rating below or snap a pic and tag it @weelittlevegans on Instagram so I’ll be sure to see it!

Print
Charred Lemony Zucchini and Quinoa
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
 

Charred Lemony Zucchini with Quinoa, bright with lemon flavor and herbs. Enjoy as a side dish or a healthy light meal. Made with simple ingredients that you may already have on hand.

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: gluten free, healthy, vegan
Servings: 5
Author: Melissa
Ingredients
Quinoa
  • 1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
  • 2 cup water
  • ½ tsp salt
Lemon Vinaigrette
  • 1 lemon, juice and zest
  • 2 tsp dijon mustard
  • 1-2 tsp maple syrup optional
  • 2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • salt and pepper
Zucchini
  • 4 medium zucchini
  • olive oil for cooking
  • salt and pepper
Instructions
Quinoa
  1. Bring water to boil in a medium saucepan with a tight fitting lid.

  2. Stir in quinoa and salt, reduce heat to a simmer and cover.

  3. Cook for 20-25 minutes or until water is absorbed and quinoa soft and fluffy. Use a fork to fluff quinoa, do not stir.

Lemon Vinaigrette
  1. Combine lemon juice, zest, mustard, maple syrup, salt and pepper in a bowl.

  2. Whisk vigerously while drizzling in olive oil to emulsify.

  3. Add herbs and stir gently to incorporate.

Zucchini
  1. Slice zucchini into ¼ - ½ inch slices and transfer to a large bowl. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper and toss to coat.

  2. Heat a skillet on medium high or preheat oven to 400 degrees or prepare grill according to manufactoring instructions.

  3. Arrange in skillet or oven or grill and cook for 3-4 minutes to soften and char, flip and char other side. Do not overcook.

  4. Transfer cooked zucchini to a bowl and drizzle with vinaigrette tossing to coat.

  5. Serve zucchini over quinoa or prepared grain of choice drizzling any remaing vinaigrette over the top.

Recipe Notes

I've included instructions for how to prepare quinoa, but feel free to use any grain you like. 

ALT TEXT HERE
ALT TEXT HERE
ALT TEXT HERE
ALT TEXT HERE

More Main Dish

  • Sun-dried Tomato and Spinach Spaghetti Feature Image
    Sun-dried Tomato Spinach Spaghetti
  • Cabbage Stir Fry with Tofu
  • Vegan Tomato Flatbread
  • Maple Dijon Roasted Vegetable Bowl
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Hi, I'm Melissa! Longtime vegan and mom of four little vegans. I share simple recipes our family loves and my tips for raising healthy, happy vegan kids.

More about me →

Popular

  • Close up of a spoon of granola resting on a baking sheet of more granola.
    Oat Free Granola
  • Strawberry Cream Cheese Puff Pastry Feature Image
    Strawberry Cream Cheese Breakfast Pastry
  • Close up of Cashew Cream Cheese in a small bowl on a wooden board.
    Cashew Cream Cheese
  • Creamy Asparagus Soup with a spoon.
    Creamy Asparagus Soup

Footer

↑ back to top

About

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions

Newsletter

Sign Up! for emails and updates + receive a 7 day weekly meal plan with complete shopping list.

Contact

  • Contact
  • About
  • Work with me

Copyright © 2022 Wee Little Vegans

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Do not sell my personal information.
Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT