Zucchini Recipe Round-Up – Instant Pot style! Here are 20 recipes to make sure not one single zucchini goes to waste. Plus, a bonus tip at the end of the post on what to do with zucchini when you just don't want to eat it anymore.
Are you drowning in zucchini yet? My zucchini plants are just beginning to produce, and I can't wait to start harvesting!
To celebrate zucchini season, I've gathered recipes from my blog, my cookbook, and other blogs I follow and trust so you can make the most out of this extremely versatile vegetable.
Make sure you get to the bottom of this post where I reveal why I keep a supply of frozen zucchini in my freezer at all times.
Here we go!
Instant Pot Chocolate Zucchini Muffin Cake – TIDBITS
Moist, dark chocolate cake that you can serve for breakfast and feel REALLY good about it! Drizzle it with peanut butter or almond butter and sprinkle it with just a dash of flaky sea salt – YUM!
Instant Pot Zucchini Banana Bread with Cream Cheese Yogurt Sauce – TIDBITS
Well hello there beautiful, healthy loaf of bread that I made in the pressure cooker and now like a million times better than the oven version. This has been my go-to oven recipe for years and I couldn't resist trying it out in the Instant Pot. It freezes great as well!
Instant Pot White Chicken Chili – TIDBITS
This beauty is thickened with zucchini and is a favorite in my home. Anytime my kids can top their soup with chips and cheese, it's a winner.
Instant Pot Creamy Asparagus Soup – TIDBITS
Zucchini works so great as a thickening agent in creamy soups! There is no need to add calories to this asparagus soup with heavy cream – zucchini will do the work. This veggie-loaded asparagus soup is loved by all in my home, especially when served in a Whole Grain Bread Bowl.
Clean Eating Instant Pot Summer Soup – Pinch of Yum
This soup is at the top of my list and will also help use my surplus of farro I ordered for testing a new recipe for the blog. This will also make good use of garden/farmer market corn on the cob. Lots of veggies, fast, and EASY, just as summer cooking should be.
Instant Pot Chicken Pesto and Vegetables – 365 Days of Slow Cooking
This is the one-pot meal of my dreams! Chicken and veggies get tossed about in a basil pesto sauce to make your Instant Pot (and me) sing!
Instant Pot Creamy Zucchini Spinach Soup – TIDBITS
I could happily replace every grilled cheese and tomato soup night with this green bowl of goodness instead. This is a recipe from my cookbook, Master the Electric Pressure Cooker, and is one of the few green things my kids will devour. I talk about the soup more in this incredible recipe for Instant Pot Whole Wheat Crusty Bread.
Instant Pot Zucchini Lasagna – Ginger Casa
Zucchini instead of pasta? I have yet to try this but it's covered in tomato sauce and cheese so it doesn't seem like a whole lot can go wrong here, right?
Taco Stuffed Zucchini Boats – SkinnyTaste
This recipe I have made in the oven and it is amazing! So, no, this is not an Instant Pot recipe, but I'm planning on turning it into one and seeing how it turns out. I'm guessing 10 minutes in the pressure cooker should be enough to cook the zucchini through just right. I'll keep ya updated on this!
Instant Pot Zucchini Pesto Sauce – TIDBITS
This recipe is also one of my shining stars from Master the Electric Pressure Cooker cookbook and I make double batches of it so I can have it in the freezer at all times. I tossed it with a bowl of pasta one night and my daughter shocked me by saying, “Why don't you make this more often instead of mac and cheese.” I cried happy tears . . . in the bathroom . . . so they didn't think I was weird.
Instant Pot Marinara Sauce over Zoodles – TIDBITS
I am suddenly a HUGE fan of Zoodles. I never thought I'd say it, but I'll eat a big pile of zoodles over pasta any day with a giant scoop of this tomato sauce.
Instant Pot Zucchini Bolognese – Nom Nom Paleo
A bolognese made with zucchini?! Then served over Zoodles? What the? Genius!
Instant Pot Broccoli Zucchini Cheddar Soup – TIDBITS
I absolutely love the addition of zucchini in this Broccoli Cheese soup. Pureed zucchini adds such a smooth, creamy texture without extra calories. This is a regular at my house all winter.
Instant Pot Zucchini Bread – Ministry of Curry
This recipe comes from one of my new favorite blogs and I can't wait to try this bread out with a whole grain spin. Be sure and check out all her amazing Indian recipes for the Instant Pot. She's a genius!
Pressure Cooker Carrot Cake Oatmeal – Pressure Cooking Today
Before you have the chance to think I really messed up here, let me explain. No, there is no zucchini in this recipe, but at some point, my kids stopped eating this family favorite oatmeal because of the carrot factor. Now I swap the orange out for green zucchini, and it suddenly gets a thumbs up all around the dining table.
Instant Pot Breakfast Peach Cobbler – TIDBITS
One more recipe from Master the Electric Pressure Cooker you simply must try! One of these breakfast cakes served piping hot in a bowl of cold milk is peace, love, and joy all in one. I oftentimes swap out the peaches for whatever berries I have lying around and it is equally amazing.
Pressure Cooker Zucchini and Tomato Melange – Hip Pressure Cooking
This recipe had me at first sight with its suggestion for a side of fresh ricotta or mozzarella. I'm going to try it with a fresh batch of Instant Pot Burrata! Does that not sound like the most glorious thing ever?
Pressure Cooker Zucchini Basil Soup – My Food Story
This zucchini soup has similar notes to the one I mentioned above with the addition of spice, sour cream, and lime juice. This could be magical!
Instant Pot Mexican Style Poblano Zucchini – Two Sleevers
Yes! Mexican flavors meet zucchini. The world is right again.
Instant Pot Thai Curry Zucchini Soup – My Life Cookbook
If Thai is in the title, you've already got me. I can't wait to load this up with steamed veggies and chicken!
Now that you feel much more prepared to handle the masses of zucchini taking up space on your countertop, here's some extra TIDBITS of information I've learned about using zucchini.
Zucchini FAQ
How to store zucchini
Freshly picked or storebought needs to be stored in the refrigerator in an open plastic bag. Zucchini will keep this way for about a week. Be sure not to cut it until you're ready to use it.
Do you need to peel zucchini?
No, you do not need to peel your zucchini. Nature just saved you an extra step in your cooking. However, when my kids were younger, I did peel it when I used it in baked goods. This resulted in them devouring zucchini bread (or pancakes, muffins, etc) without the fear of green poison entering their bodies.
Substitute yellow squash for green
Yep, it totally works and it's actually kind of pretty. I don't notice a difference in the flavor or texture at all.
Best method for shredding zucchini
I LOVE letting my food processor handle this for me! I can shred crazy amounts of zucchini at a time and throw it all in a produce bag (see next note) to use throughout the week. The food processor results in a consistent, fine shred that mixes into baked goods so smoothly. No food processor? Add it to your Christmas want list and then bust out the standard grater and work those arm muscles!
How to strain zucchini
My favorite way to strain zucchini is in these Reusable Produce Bags. I grate several zucchinis at a time and then store it in these bags. They make it so easy to squeeze, squeeze, SQUEEZE all that extra liquid out. If I don't use all the zucchini, I place the produce bag inside a ziplock bag and place it in the fridge for a few days.
Nut milk bags could also be used in the same way, but the mesh on the produce bags is bigger so the liquid drains more easily. A lint-free towel will work as well, but won't store like the produce bags will.
How to freeze zucchini
To freeze shredded zucchini, squeeze as much liquid out as you can, add 1 – 2 cups of zucchini to freezer safe ziplock bags, flatten bags, label them, and place them in the freezer. When you're ready to use them, thaw them out and squeeze out any extra liquid.
Here's my favorite way to freeze zucchini: Chop it up, spread it out on a sheet pan covered with non-stick foil, freeze it, bag it up, and throw handfuls into all of my smoothies.
This is my new favorite way to add creaminess and bulk to an otherwise thin and small smoothie, without adding extra calories and sugar. Seriously, 6 bags of frozen zucchini will go fast when you discover how magical this is.
I enjoy a Chocolate Cherry Smoothie nearly every day and I've started swapping out half the frozen banana called for with frozen zucchini. It's genius!
Zucchini frozen this way is also perfect for recipes that will be blended like the soups and chili above.
Check out this article on How to Freeze Zucchini for tips on how to freeze zucchini when you want to use it in slices or cubes.
This concludes our session of Zucchini 101 by Marci TIDBITS
If you have more tips, let me have it!
What are your favorite zucchini recipes? Share them all! No need to stick with just pressure cooking recipes either. My other appliances need some zucchini love as well.
Enjoy!
I have made stuffed grey zucchini, which are short and squat in the instant pot a few days ago.
They are about 6″ long and more oblong than green zucchini. I hollowed them out with a melon baller to about 1/4″ rim, then chopped the zucchini flesh, added one mashed hot Italian sausage, Italian breadcrumbs, grated parmesan, garlic salt and onion powder, and a little water. Cooked in the Instant Pot on a trivet on High Pressure for 8 minutes with a 10 min NPR. Then I added grated Mozzarella and more Parmesan and roasted them in the Air Fryer until the cheese melted and formed a nice brown crust. Used the meat thermometer to make sure that the stuffing was fully cooked (we survived!). My at first very skeptical husband liked it a lot! (Anything with hot Italian sausage, LOL!)
Frauke, that sounds amazing! Thank you so so much for the recipe!
Did you ever figure out a zucchini boat instant pot recipe? My kids love zucchini boats and my oven is out of commission at the moment, so I’d love to do a instant pot or an air fryer version while we are in quarantine.
Brandy, I haven’t yet! But I’m thinking I would do 1 layer, then top with a second layer (turned the opposite direction so they can sit on top). I’ll bet 2 -3 minutes would be plenty to cook the zucchini through. Let me know if you try it before I get to it!
Not only are these recipes great for dinner, these are some of my favorite Instant Pot lunches: Chicken Tortilla Soup, Quinoa Taco Casserole, Chicken Marsala, Cauliflower Cheeseburger Mac , Butternut Squash Soup
I have a question. I looked at the Zucchini Pesto recipe in my Tidbits Master the Electric Pressure Cooker cookbook and calls for 5 medium zucchini. Locally the zucchini is about 5″ round by 1 1/2′ long. My question is what do you consider a medium sized zucchini? Or better yet, how many cups would that be? 😉
Sheila, It can vary and still be fine, But about 8-9 inches long and 4-5 inches around. I’ll try and measure it in cups the next time I make it!
Thank you for answering. It is much appreciated.
So many great ideas. Thanks for including my recipe – what a fun way to change it up.
Barbara, it works great and it uses up my plethora of zucchini. Such a great recipe!