Caramelized Zucchini and White Bean Salad

Updated Oct. 11, 2023

Caramelized Zucchini and White Bean Salad
Andrew Purcell for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Carrie Purcell.
Total Time
45 minutes, plus cooling and chilling (optional)
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
35 minutes
Rating
4(632)
Notes
Read community notes

This flavorful and hearty salad makes use of one of summer’s most abundant vegetables, zucchini. You start with a big pile of shredded zucchini and onions, then might marvel at how much it cooks down as it browns and caramelizes. Next, you’ll toss that potent blend with creamy white beans and herbs to make an easy, flavorful side or main. The mint adds brightness, and it pairs well with other soft herbs, like parsley, dill and basil. The caramelized zucchini mixture makes a great base for bean salad, but it is so versatile it can be used in many other ways: Make a big batch and toss it with pasta, serve it on top of ricotta-slathered toast, or top a flatbread with it; you really can’t go wrong.

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Ingredients

Yield:6 servings
  • 2large zucchini, shredded on the large holes of a box grater
  • 1large yellow onion, thinly sliced
  • 4tablespoons olive oil
  • ½teaspoon red-pepper flakes
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 2(15-ounce) cans white beans, like cannellini, rinsed
  • 1lemon, plus more if needed
  • ½cup roughly chopped mint
  • ½cup roughly chopped parsley, dill or basil
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

281 calories; 10 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 7 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 39 grams carbohydrates; 10 grams dietary fiber; 5 grams sugars; 13 grams protein; 723 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Wrap the shredded zucchini in a clean kitchen towel and gently squeeze it to remove excess moisture.

  2. Step 2

    In a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, combine the zucchini and onion with 3 tablespoons olive oil, the red-pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Cook the mixture, stirring occasionally, until the water has evaporated and the zucchini and onion turn golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. You will have to stir more often toward the end of cooking to prevent burning.

  3. Step 3

    Add the cooked zucchini mixture to a large bowl along with the beans. Zest and juice the lemon over the top and add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil; stir gently to combine. Let the mixture cool to room temperature, then add the herbs and stir gently. Season to taste with salt, pepper and additional lemon juice, if desired. Serve at room temperature or cold.

Ratings

4 out of 5
632 user ratings
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Cooking Notes

Instead of grated zuke, I cut thin slices. This helped avoid a zucchini blob and improved caramelizing. Very tasty.

How large is "large" zucchini? Approximate weight?

Could you provide a suggested amount of zucchini by weight? Not sure if a "large zucchini" means one of those watermelon-sized ones...

I add the beans for the last ten minutes to a similar dish so they absorb more of the flavor. Also good adding a handful of chopped cherry tomatoes at that time and letting all liquid cook down

This is good as is. I tasted it before adding half a lime and the beans, and after adding a good bit of parmesan cheese, and loved it as a dip. With the beans it is good too, but I think two cans of beans is excessive. One or zero would do.

The mixture really cooks down to almost nothing. I used three regular sized 8 to 10 in zucchinis and they cooked with the onion down to about four cups of carmelized paste. All of the water has to be cooked out — so leave uncovered. I used black eyed peas instead of white beans and this was a mistake. Black eyed peas are too hard. Mint and dill worked well with the lemon. The end result is almost more of a dip or a topping than a salad.

Yes, I third the request for more specific weight for zucchini. We gardeners know that zucchini sizes can range from a finger to a baseball bat.

Pushie- uncovered. You want water to evaporate and sugars to condense and caramelize. Good luck! I’m going to try this one tonight as well.

Great summer salad. Adapted with what I had on hand. Grated 4 - 6in zucchini. To me the key is caramelization of the zucchini & the onion. You want them browned & a little crispy. So cook them on low heat for at least 1/2 an hour. Drain on paper towels & use any left over oil to dress the salad. Added a fresh red pepper for color & crunch. A combo of white & garbanzo beans, with fresh basil & parsley. Save a little zucchini & your fav cheese & sprinkle the top just before serving.

This definitely needs garlic!

Wonderful just as written. Suble but complex flavors and textures. Definitely a repeat.

1 can cannellini beans with two 8-inch zucchini. Zest of whole lemon - juice of half. Great BUT next time will give onions a head start sautéing and while doing so let salted shredded zucchini drain. I think this will lead to deeper caramelization and less steaming. Had fresh mint and basil in the garden. When tomatoes come I will add diced tomatoes. Still have lots more zucchini for further experimentation.

I used some large dried limas I had in hand (pre-cooked) and I think they were actually better than the white beans the recipe calls for. The meatiness stood out against creaminess of the caramelized zuch for an appealing contrast. The whole dish needed more zestiness, though, for my personal taste. I added a bit of creole seasoning.

Served warm as someone suggested. Added extra red pepper. Quite tasty!

I used one person’s advice of about 800 grams of zucchini. I think I might add in another 200 grams if I make this again. This was a very time consuming dish. I slice my zucchini with a 2mm blade on the cuisinart. Salted and let sit for 45 minutes. Then squeeze the water out. Between the prep time and cooking time this dish takes a good while. I served it hot mixing the beans in to the caramelized onions and zucchini. Served with dill, mint and a sprinkle of Parmesan on top of sourdough toast.

Surprisingly tasty for such a simple dish! I served this warm, over some hot buttered Banza pasta for extra protein. The lemon flavor is lovely. The only change I made was to "mandoline" slice the zucchini on one of the sides of my box grater.

Took Yossy’s suggestion of serving on toast with ricotta, which was absolutely delicious. Added plenty of salt at the end. I used parsley and mint, think i’ll do basil next time for some extra pop. Great recipe!

A bit too sour for my families preference, so I’ll use less lemon juice next time, and maybe add some bacon. I served this as a main over creamy polenta.

Definitely 1 can of beans only. I'm going to add some Parmesan as suggested.

Diced the zucchini instead of shredding. Used mint, basil and tarragon for herbs. A greatr and easy weeknight meal and will freeze easily to keep for later meals.

This was great. I used two zucchini that were 350-400 grams each. It helps to sprinkle some salt on them to help dry them out and use a very large skillet so it’s not overcrowded. The flavor was delicious. I used mint and parsley but might try basil instead next time as parsley’s not my favorite. Very pleased with how this came out though.

Not really a salad, though it was a tasty pasta sauce

Shred the zucchini, then salt it. Wait a few minutes, then squeeze the water out by hand. No need for a towel, and you get more water out this way.

The flavor is excellent, and makes a great late summer / shoulder season dish. The texture of my zucchini became entirely mush but I just gently stirred it into the beans to keep them intact and then the lemon zest and fresh herbs added the brightness and the mild texture that it needed. We particular enjoyed it with good bread on the side, almost like a bruschetta topping.

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