Genius recipes come along every once in a while and change the way I cook and eat. This is one of them.
Zucchini Butter is the brainchild of Los Angeles chef Jennie Cook, as posted on Food 52. Chef Cook’s recipe for zucchini butter has shallots, which I omitted, because I wanted the pure zucchini and olive oil taste to shine through, and her zucchini butter was rustic and chunky. I decided to go clean, simple and very smooth.
It truly is pretty miraculous what happens to zucchini in this process. Zucchini plus olive oil, cooked down and blended, turns into a velvety smooth and creamy spread. The texture is what is most surprising about this recipe – it is very similar to butter. Really.
I like to leave the skin on the zucchini, but you can peel it if you want to remove the grassy, vegetable taste. Using peeled zucchini will result in a more neutral taste and a color that is more yellow than green, so your zucchini butter will look more like actual butter.
There are so many health benefits to this spreadable zucchini. It is vegan. It is low carb. It is Whole 30 friendly. It is lower in fat than any buttery spread you will find in the dairy case at your local grocery store. Just Win-Win-Win-Win!
Just a genius way to use up that summer zucchini!
Check out another blogger’s spin on Zucchini Butter at Local Haven.
ZUCCHINI BUTTER
Makes about 2 cups
2 pounds zucchini*
2 teaspoons kosher salt
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Peel zucchini on the large holes of a box grater. Stir in salt. Place in a strainer over a larger bowl and let sit for about 20 minutes to drain. Discard liquid in bowl. Place zucchini in a thin kitchen towel and wring out over the sink to remove as much water as possible.
Heat a skillet to medium heat. Add olive oil and squeezed zucchini and let cook, stirring occasionally until zucchini is very soft and most of liquid is removed.
Place cooked zucchini in a blender and blend until very smooth. Taste and add a little more salt to taste. Chill in refrigerator until cold. Serve cold or at room temperature.
- NOTE: You can use peeled or unpeeled zucchini for this recipe. If you want a more neutral taste, use peeled zucchini. Leaving the peels on will result in a more grassy, vegetable taste.
- Makes about 2 cups
- 2 pounds zucchini*
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Peel zucchini on the large holes of a box grater. Stir in salt. Place in a strainer over a larger bowl and let sit for about 20 minutes to drain. Discard liquid in bowl. Place zucchini in a thin kitchen towel and wring out over the sink to remove as much water as possible.
- Heat a skillet to medium heat. Add olive oil and squeezed zucchini and let cook, stirring occasionally until zucchini is very soft and most of liquid is removed.
- Place cooked zucchini in a blender and blend until very smooth. Taste and add a little more salt to taste. Chill in refrigerator until cold. Serve cold or at room temperature.
- NOTE: You can use peeled or unpeeled zucchini for this recipe. If you want a more neutral taste, use peeled zucchini. Leaving the peels on will result in a more grassy, vegetable taste.
