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You are here: Home » Vegetarian

Spiciness: Mild

Chunky Pan Seared Onions, Peppers, Zucchini

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This easy chunky pan seared onion, peppers, and zucchini recipe is fast, simple, healthy, and versatile. Sautéed stovetop vegetables takes around 10 minutes to cook.

Top down view of colorful cooked veggies on a brown plate. this …

Serve chunky pan seared onions, peppers, and zucchini cook as a side dish, with quinoa or pasta and feta cheese or Parmesan cheese, or over meats.

Raw chunked zucchini, red peppers, and sliced onions on a brown plate with garlic and spices on the side in small blue bowls.

Seasoning For Chunky Pan Seared Onions, Peppers, Zucchini

Start by cooking pan seared onions, peppers, and zucchini in your favorite high heat cooking olive oil, vegetable oil, avocado oil, etc... Basics are good! Season with salt and pepper.

Next, level up your stovetop veggies with different seasonings every time. Try:

  • Italian seasoning or any blend or dried herbs like parsley, thyme, sage, rosemary, etc...
  • All purpose seasoning
  • Old bay seasoning
  • Spices like cayenne, paprika, curry, or five spice powder...
  • Garnish with fresh herbs like basil, rosemary, parsley, etc...
  • Add a cheese garnish: feta cheese, Parmesan cheese, colby jack...
  • Add a nut: sliced almonds, crushed pistachios, pine nuts...
Side view of chunky vegetables cooking in a stainless steel pan on the stovetop.

Serve Seared Onions, Peppers, Zucchini With

  • Toss with orzo or your favorite pasta and more olive oil.
  • Serve over steak, chicken, or tofu
  • Serve as a side dish.
  • Combine cooked vegetables with farro, quinoa, or beans.
Top down view of cooked chunky vegetables in a stainless steel pan with a white napkin on the side.

Troubleshooting Pan Cooked Vegetables

A couple important things to remember when trying to cook crunchy vegetables that still have a slight sear:

  • Use a big pan (at least 12") on your highest heat burner. It doesn't matter if it's stainless steel, nonstick, or cast iron.
  • Get it hot first, but not smoking hot. Add a thin layer of oil.
  • Don't crowd the pan. If you do, that's ok but it does mean the vegetables need to be disturbed / stirred less.
  • This also means that heat has to be moderated up and down depending on if something is burning or not cooking fast enough.
  • Add oil if something is burning, remove pan from heat, and turn the heat down!
  • Salt the vegetables in the pan as salt will draw out moisture faster.
Side view of chunky cooked onions, zucchini, peppers on a brown plate with white napkin in background.
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Chunky Pan Seared Onions, Peppers, Zucchini

Top down view of chunky cooked onions, zucchini, peppers on a brown plate with white napkin in background. Close up.
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This easy chunky pan seared onion, peppers, and zucchini recipe is fast, simple, healthy, and versatile. Sautéed stovetop vegetables takes around 10 minutes to cook.

  • Author: Beckie Hemmerling
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: 4
  • Category: Side Dish
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: International
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Ingredients

  • 2 + tablespoon olive or vegetable oil
  • 1 medium onion, chunked or big slices
  • 2 medium zucchini, chunked
  • 2 medium red, yellow, or orange bell pepper, seeds removed and chunked
  • 1 tablespoon garlic, minced or sliced
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, old bay seasoning, or all purpose seasoning
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • pinch white or black pepper

Instructions

  • Add oil to a warm 12 inch skillet. When hot, add onions, zucchini, peppers, salt, pepper, and chosen seasoning.
  • Cook uncovered on medium high for ~ 10-12 minutes, adjusting heat as necessary.
  • Turn once or twice but try not to disturb the pan too much so that the vegetables can lightly brown.
  • Add oil as necessary.
  • Salt to taste.  Serve as a side or mix with pasta or quinoa. Happy veggie eating! Beckie

Things In My Kitchen:

  • pastry scraper - One of my favorite kitchen things for picking up food from the cutting board & transferring to bowls or pans.
  • cutting board - 18 x 14 x .75 is my board. Sustainably harvested, easy on knives, got the juice grooves, and pretty.
  • 12" nonstick skillet - 12" with a lid, oven safe to 400F, PFOA free.  Perfect for seafood and delicate meats.

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Serving Suggestion

Serve this pan cooked onions, peppers, and zucchini recipe with complementary dishes like these to round out your dinner:

  • Wood bowl of brown dip garnished with chopped parsley and lemon zest. Purplee and white napkin in background. Top view. Close up.
    Simple Eggplant Dip (No Tahini)
  • Side View of 13 bean soup in a red tomato sauce on a white wood table. side view. white bowl. Thyme sprigs in the back ground
    Simple Vegetarian 13 Bean Soup
  • Mashed Carrots and Sliced Leeks in a cast iron pan with a wood spoon on a brown counter. side view
    Mashed Carrots and Butter Leeks
  • White plate of seared slices of smoked sausage on a bed of vegetables or diced red peppers, onions, and zucchini. Silverware, napkins, plates in background. Close up.
    Turkey Kielbasa, Onions, Peppers, and Zucchini

You May Also Like

If you like healthy vegetable recipes, then you may also like these easy veggie dishes:

  • Wood bowl of Kale greens sauteed with a fork sticking out. white table. colorful flower napkin. top view.
    Easy and Simple Cooked Kale Greens
  • White plate with yellow flowers filled with a slaw like recipe with nuts. Wood spoon and white plates in the background. Close up.
    Sliced Brussels Sprouts with Almonds and Balsamic
  • Eight seared leeks in a cast iron skillet on a white table cloth. Leeks are garnished with Parmesan cheese and lemon zest. Top down view. Red and white kitchen towel around handle of cast iron skillet. Close up.
    Braised Leeks with Parmesan and Lemon
  • Small yellow oval bowl of chopped roasted brown fennel. Large fork in bowl. On white table. Side view. Close up.
    Easy Oven Roasted Fennel

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Hey y'all!

I’m Beckie Hemmerling. I love food and I think of it on a basic level of providing strength & nourishment. Cooking has helped me *try* to figure out life, not just my own, but also other people's. I have cooked through many joys / sorrows and cooking has always been a meditative place through these highs & lows. More background info →

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