Wednesday, August 24, 2022

Zucchini, Corn, and Bean Sauté

Zucchini, Corn, and Bean Sauté
Fresh tomatoes brighten this vegan meatless Monday delight

Fresh local produce! It’s super abundant in our markets right now. So we’re using it any way we can.

In this easy sauté, for instance. Squash, sweet corn, and beans are a traditional American combo, dating back long before European settlement. We added tomatoes for extra color and zing.

Because it don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that zing.

 

Zucchini, Corn, and Bean Sauté

Recipe: Zucchini, Sweet Corn, and Bean Sauté

This is a great dish for weeknight dinners because it’s quick to prepare and has depth of flavor. It’s also hearty enough to serve as a one-dish meal – though you can of course supplement it with a salad or some nice bread.

Prep time for this dish is about 15 minutes. Cooking time adds another 15 to 20 minutes.

This dish yields 3 to 4 main-course servings.

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, cut into dice or thin slices
  • salt to taste (about ½ teaspoon kosher salt for us; see Notes)
  • 2 cloves garlic (or to taste), finely minced or thinly sliced
  • ~¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (or more to taste)
  • ~½ teaspoon dried thyme (or more to taste)
  • ~8 ounces zucchini, quartered lengthwise and cut into slices
  • additional salt to taste (maybe another ½ teaspoon kosher salt)
  • ~1 cup sweet corn (fresh or frozen)
  • 1 15-ounce can of beans, drained and rinsed (see Notes)
  • 1 to 2 handfuls of grape or cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
  • a big handful or two of fresh basil, minced (reserve some whole leaves for garnish)

Procedure 

  1. Place a large frying pan over medium stovetop heat. When the pan is hot, add the olive oil. When the oil is heated (it’ll shimmer – about 15 seconds), add the chopped onion. Season to taste with salt, then sauté until the onion is just becoming translucent (maybe 5 minutes).
  2. Add the chopped garlic, red pepper flakes, and dried thyme. Sauté for about 30 seconds. Then add the chopped zucchini, add additional salt to taste, and sauté for 5 minutes.
  3. Add the sweet corn and the beans, then sauté until the mixture is warm and the zucchini is almost cooked through. 
  4. Add the tomatoes, then cook for about 2 minutes (or longer if you prefer; see Notes).
  5. Add the chopped basil, stir to combine, then remove the pan from the heat. 
  6. Dish up, garnishing with basil leaves. Serve and enjoy.

Zucchini, Corn, and Bean Sauté
Notes

  • You can alter quantities and ingredients to make this dish better suit your preferences. So feel free to experiment.
  • We used yellow onions when we made this dish, but red or white onions would work just as well. Shallots would be nice, too.
  • Fresh sweet corn is abundant right now, so it’s ideal for this dish. Just shuck it and cut the kernels from the cobs, then add them to the dish. 
  • But you can use frozen sweet corn, too – its quality is quite good, and it’s convenient.
  • We’re using black beans in this dish because we like their flavor. But white beans would work quite well. Or any kind of bean you fancy.
  • We cook the tomatoes lightly, so they still retain some of their character. If you prefer the tomatoes to begin breaking down, just cook them a bit longer (add them with the sweet corn and beans in Step 3).
  • Want to turn this into a pasta dish? Skip the beans, but stir in cooked pasta at the end. We’d probably add some of the pasta cooking water to make it a saucier dish. Or maybe substitute pesto sauce for the basil (we’d still use some of the fresh basil for garnish, though).
  • Whether you go the pasta route or not, a sprinkling of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese would be a welcome addition to this dish (though of course it would no longer be vegan).
  • We use kosher salt in cooking. It’s less salty by volume than regular table salt (the crystals are larger and more irregular, so they pack a measure less tightly). If you’re using table salt, start with about half the amount we suggest. But always season to your taste, not ours.

Zucchini, Corn, and Bean Sauté
Easy Does It

“Love all the fresh veggies in this dish,” said Mrs. Kitchen Riffs. “Healthy and tasty. It goes down easy.”

“Easy to make, too,” I said. “Easy as shooting fish in a barrel. Though why would you want to shoot fish in a barrel? Couldn’t you just net them out?”

“Lots of ‘easy’ comparisons out there that don’t make much sense,” said Mrs K R. “Easy as pie? Pies can take some work.”

“Or ‘easy as duck soup,’” I said. “Why would making duck soup be particularly easy?”

“Depends on whether you have to shoot the duck first,” said Mrs K R.

“Yeah, getting up at 4 AM and sitting on wet logs waiting for ducks doesn’t seem easy to me,” I said.
 
“Though falling off the log would be easy as . . . .,” said Mrs K R.

“Don’t say it,” I begged.

“Feeling uneasy?” said Mrs K R.

Nah, I’m just over easy.

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62 comments:

Angie's Recipes said...

A lovely summer dish with lots of textures and amazing colours, John.

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Angie, we really do like colorful food. As long as it's good! :-) Thanks for the comment.

Anne in the kitchen said...

Commenting in my best Ella voice___Doo ah, Doo ah, Doo ah, Doo ah, Doo ah

Looks and sounds like a perfect summer veggie meal, especially served with a side of jazz!

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Anne, :-) A side of jazz goes with anything! Thanks for the comment.

Terry at Blue Kitchen said...

It was easy to smile and groan over your exchanges with Mrs. Kitchen Riffs, John. That said, this looks like a lovely, lively summer dish. Thanks for the recipe!

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Terry, we leave no bad pun unspoken. :-) Thanks for the comment.

Mae Travels said...

Yes to summer produce! The one problem with foreign travel in summer is that you miss the peaches!

best… mae at maefood.blogspot.com

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Mae, peaches and fresh corn ARE summer for us. :-) Thanks for the comment.

Pam said...

Such a great combination and a nice summer side dish.

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Pam, isn't this nice? And SO good! :-) Thanks for the comment.

Chef Mimi said...

Very nice. And a perfect time for all of that beautiful produce. I love black beans, but white would also be lovely with the rest. I've been using some Italian jarred white beans lately - lupini and butter beans. Really good. Amazon, of course.

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Mimi, Amazon has become a really important ingredient supplier for us, too. :-) I almost made this with white beans for the pictures (in fact I usually do make this dish with white ones), but just felt like black beans, so that's what we have here. :-) Thanks for the comment.

bread&salt said...

Very easy and colorful recipe. But looks fingerlickingly delicious. I loved. Thanks for the recipe.

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi B&S, this is a good one! :-) Thanks for the comment.

gluten Free A_Z Blog said...

Being vegan, I am always on the lookout for some new ideas! This colorful vegetable dish looks and sounds delicious and easy.

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Judee, this would be perfect for you. :-) Thanks for the comment.

Denise Browning said...

One of the best summer salads ever!

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Denise, really good stuff. :-) Thanks for the comment.

savorthebest said...

This is a great summer dish and perfect to take to cookouts.

Sherry's Pickings said...

this looks colourful and tasty and healthy KR. great work!:)

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Pat and Dahn, you're right -- terrific for cookouts! :-) Thanks for the comment.

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Sherry, definitely colorful, and pretty healthy. Winner! :D Thanks for the comment.

Ben | Havocinthekitchen said...

Beautiful late summer dish - colourful and packed with flavour!

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Ben, isn't this a great dish? We love it! :-) Thanks for the comment.

R's Rue said...

Delicious.

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi R, it really is! :-) Thanks for the comment.

Sherry's Pickings said...

actually i can't see anywhere to subscribe by email on your blog!

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Sherry, alas, since Google turned off Feed Burner emails (RSS still works -- I think!). No email notifications from us. Still looking at alternatives, but not happy with the choices. :-( Thanks for the comment.

Healthy World Cuisine said...

Loving all the summer vibes and textures of this delicious corn, zucchini and bean dish. A delicious and easy way to use up all of that ZUCCHINI! (smiling) Got this one bookmarked for later. Wishing you and Ms. Riff a fantastic weekend.

Debra Eliotseats said...

Love this. I have got to think of ways to use our farm bag and garden produce more efficiently!

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Bobbi, yup, at this time of the year our thought definitely turn to "how do we get rid of all this zucchini?!! :-) Thanks for the comment.

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Debra, this really is a celebration of seasonal produce, isn't it? :-) Thanks for the comment.

Valentina said...

Love the "zing." And I adore summer corn, so I'm in on this one. Delicious! :-) ~Valentina

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Valentina, peak corn season is way too short! So we make every effort to make the most of it. :-) Thanks for the comment.

Anonymous said...

Look at the colours, absolutely gorgeous! I’m thinking a poached egg would be delicious on top too.
Éva http://kitcheninspirations.wordpress.com/

Frank said...

That's what I call summer on a plate! We eat a lot of fresh veggies in the summer so this should be making an appearance on our table very soon...

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Eva, like the idea of a poached egg! Going to do that. :-) Thanks for the comment.

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Frank, fresh veggies and fruit (particularly stone fruit) is most of our summer diet. And the occasional cocktail, of course. :-) Thanks for the comment.

Ashley @ Wishes and Dishes said...

Just look at those juicy fresh tomatoes!! This is so perfect for the end of summer!

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Ashley, we're loving all the great produce we're getting at the moment! :-) Thanks for the comment.

Food Gal said...

A perfect summer dish if there ever was one. I love how this can be a meal unto itself or a side to most anything.

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Carolyn, we do really like those dishes that can be either a main or a side. :-) Thanks for the comment.

Jeff the Chef said...

This dish looks so beautifully fresh, John! And it's definitely time for corn!

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Jeff, we're suckers for colorful food. :-) Thanks for the comment.

Dawn @ Words Of Deliciousness said...

This recipe is a great one for using fresh vegetables from the garden. Perfect for a late summer dinner. Love the colors in this dish.

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Dawn, doesn't this look great? Tastes great too. :-) Thanks for the comment.

Bernadette said...

Just bought corn and little tomatoes. I have zucchini in the fridge. You know what I will be making. Thanks, Joh.

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Bernadette, this is SO worth making! :-) Thanks for the comment.

Raymund said...

That is one vibrant meatless salad

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Raymund, it's wonderful! :-) Thanks for the comment.

mjskit said...

What a delicious little vegetable saute. Luckily I'm growing many of the vegetables in the garden. A perfect dish for dinner next week. Thanks John!

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi MJ, isn't this nice? Loads of flavor. Loads. :-) Thanks for the comment.

Marcelle said...

John, I love everything about this dish! I'm already thinking of what I can serve it with. I also love the suggestion to make it a main by mixing in some pasta, I think we have to try it that way. Great recipe for any time of the year, but it certainly screams summer with the vibrant colors. 💖

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Marcelle, this actually started out as a pasta dish, but we took a turn as we were making it. :-) Thanks for the comment.

Izaa said...

very delicious dish

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Izaa, it is! :-) Thanks for the comment.

R's Rue said...

Enjoy your day.

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi R, you too! And thanks for the comment.

Kelly | Foodtasia said...

A tasty and healthy dinner! Love all the veggies!

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Kelly, we love veggie-heavy meals! :-) Thanks for the comment.

Inger @ Art of Natural Living said...

Perfect seasonal recipe John!

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Inger, it's totally good stuff. :-) Thanks for the comment.,