These Marinated Zucchini and Red Onions are the perfect snack, salad topper, bowl mix-in, or side dish to any meal! They are made with white wine vinegar, good quality extra virgin olive oil, garlic, herbs, and spices. Super quick to throw together, and to keep in the fridge all week! A great way to use up late summer zucchini too!
These are the marinated zucchini and red onions I’ve been obsessing over for the past two months! Finally! I’ve been talking about them since I shared these summer pesto bowls and I knew that they deserved their own blog post! You will want to keep these in your fridge at all times, summer or not.
I know this seems like the simplest non-recipe recipe, but they’re just too good not to share. I’ve been putting them on nearly all my salads and bowls all summer, and I can’t get enough.
I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t LOVE zucchini. Probably the only vegetable I’m not obsessed with honestly. Zoodles are just “ok” to me (I’d rather have butternut squash, carrot, or sweet potato noodles!), and I just find it kind of boring. Unless it’s tucked into mac & cheese, pasta, or zucchini bread, of course.
But! Raw zucchini is another story. Sounds weird, right? I promise it’s not.
It allll starts with paper-thin slices of red onion and zucchini. I’m a huge fan of raw red onion in salads. They’re kind of punchy, but when you marinate them in this delicious mixture, they really mellow out and become extra delicious.
The zucchini soaks up the olive oil, vinegar, herbs, and garlic essence, and kind of softens up, and it’s amazing.
The marinade couldn’t be simpler.
All you need:
- white wine vinegar
- garlic
- chopped fresh herbs (I used parsley, thyme, and oregano here, but you can use whatever you have in your fridge and/or herb garden! Chives are great here too.)
- crushed red pepper flakes
- good quality extra virgin olive oil
- salt and pepper
Too good to be true, right? You probably have everything to make these already!
Basically, all you have to do, is whisk up the marinade, add your zucchini and onions, and let them sit for at least 20 minutes or so! That’s it! I personally like to let them sit sometimes for an hour if I have time, because they just soak up all of the flavors more and more the longer they sit.
They’ll keep in the fridge for a week, before the herbs start to get weird. You might even want to double this. They’re THAT good.
The ways I like to use them:
- added to salads along with a drizzle or two of the marinade to act as the dressing to your salad!
- as a topping for bowls like these summer pesto couscous bowls
- stirred into to pasta salad
- thrown into warm pasta with a little (or a lot) of grated parm and handful of arugula
- for a super refreshing summer side dish
- as a snack straight out of the fridge!
- scooped up with a crusty baguette and some burrata or any cheese, really 🙂
- there are no limits!
The best way to use up your late summer zucchini!
Marinated Zucchini and Red Onions
These Marinated Zucchini and Red Onions are the perfect snack, salad topper, bowl mix-in, or side dish to any meal! They are made with white wine vinegar, good quality extra virgin olive oil, garlic, herbs, and spices. Super quick to throw together, and to keep in the fridge all week! A great way to use up late summer zucchini too!
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
- 1 clove garlic, crushed and peeled
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh herbs (I used parsley, thyme, and oregano here, but use whatever you have! Chives work great too!)
- pinch of red pepper flakes
- 1/4-1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 1/2 cup good-quality extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 of a small-medium red onion, very thinly sliced
- 1 medium zucchini, thinly sliced
Instructions
In a medium bowl, whisk together the white wine vinegar, garlic, herbs, red pepper flakes, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, pepper, and olive oil until combined. Add the zucchini and red onion and toss to combine. Let them marinate for 20-30 minutes, or up to 1 hour at room temperature. After they've sat for a bit, season to taste with additional salt if needed. They will keep in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 1 week!
Recipe Notes
*The ways I like to use these:
-added to salads along with a drizzle or two of the marinade to act as the dressing to your salad!
-as a topping for bowls
-stirred into to pasta salad
-thrown into warm pasta with a little (or a lot) of grated parm and handful of arugula
-for a super refreshing summer side dish
-as a snack straight out of the fridge!
-scooped up with a crusty baguette and some burrata or any cheese, really 🙂
-there are no limits!
*They will keep in the fridge in a sealed container for up to 1 week!
Love this! Can’t wait to try!
Last comment for today, I promise! But I wanted you to know we made this today and are munching on it right now with some toasted baguettes. We love this one too! 3 for 3! And we just found you a few days ago. We can’t thank you enough for these recipes and needless to say we’re looking forward to making more. THANK YOU.
Awwww thank you so much Sarah!!! You have seriously made my day. I can’t thank you enough!! I can’t wait to hear what else you end up making! 🙂
These are delicious!!!!! I added an additional 2 tablespoons of the vinegar because I like a strong vinegar taste, and I let them sit overnight. I’ve been eating them as is, but today I added some to my tuna fish sandwich and it was AMAZING! This recipe is going into my weekly rotation. Delicious, healthy and raw -can’t beat it with a stick 🤣🤣😂
Ahhh yay!!! This makes me so happy!! I like them super vinegary too 🙂 So glad it’s going in your weekly rotation! Thank you SO much!!! <3
Can you use apple cider vinegar? That’s all I have on hand.
Yes, absolutely! Let me know if you try it!
Wow, made this last night and ate it for breakfast as a side to fried eggs. Delicious. My daughter who doesn’t like cooked zucchini thought it was good too!
I am so happy to hear that! Thank you so much Carrie!!