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Grilled Zucchini & Bread Salad

Grilled Zucchini & Bread Salad Recipe

The only zucchini recipes that have my attention right now call for pounds of it. One half cup here, or a medium zucchini there just isn’t going to cut into the supply coming out of the garden. Apparently many of you feel similarly, because a lot of you made the Pasta with Smashed Zucchini Cream I posted last week (so good! Also uses 2 pounds). Today’s recipe is a panzanella of sorts, a simple bread salad made with torn pieces of toasted multi-grain bread, grilled zucchini, chickpeas, and a simple, garlic-forward ponzu dressing. Like the pasta, it will also put a 2 pound dent in your zucchini haul.

The recipe

You can toast the bread, and pull the dressing together ahead of time if you like. Beyond that, when you see an opening on the grill, get in there. Grilling the zucchini takes ten minutes or so. This is a great side for whatever else you might have coming off the grill, but I also like it as a light main for summer nights.

Tips

  • Choosing zucchini: Although, generally speaking, smaller zucchini have nicer texture and taste better, this is a great way to use up larger zucchini. Sliced zucchini with a larger diameter is easier to grill, if you’re not using a grilling basket.
  • Thickness: You want to get the thickness of your zucchini slices right here. In the recipe, you’ll notice that I I have you slice the zucchini 1/4-inch thick. The main thing is this – I’d rather you err on the thicker versus thinner side when slicing here. This way your squash will maintain some structure. It’s on the grill for a bit, and if you slice too thinly, the slices are more likely to tear or disintegrate. If your slices are right on the money at 1/4-inch-ish, you should be all good.
  • Bread: I like a good-quality multigrain bread here. Tear bread pieces large enough that the edges get crispy, but the interior stays a bit chewy when toasting.

Variations

  • With Crispy Fried Shallots:  I wanted to keep this recipe as simple, summery, and straight-forward as possible, so I didn’t call for any intensive toppings. That said, crispy fried shallots, to finish things off, would be bonus here. If I’d had some on hand, I wouldn’t have skimped using them. I use them in this cilantro salad, and the recipe is included there.
  • Spicier! To let everyone dial up the heat to their liking, serve with a little jar of sesame chile oil on  the table. Drizzle to taste.
  • With cheese: Not for the vegans in the crowd, but a bit of crumbled feta or cotija cheese is a nice touch here.

And if you still need to use more, here’s where I’ve collected all my favorite zucchini recipes. Have fun!

Grilled Zucchini & Bread Salad

I like a multigrain bread here. Tear the bread pieces large enough that the edges get crispy, but the interior stays a bit chewy. Also, if the bottom of your loaf of bread is extra hard, I tend to trim that off before tearing into chunks. Look for ponzu near the soy sauce at the grocery store.

INGREDIENTS
  • 1/2 pound loaf of multi-grain bread, torn into bits
  • 2 pounds (4 medium or 2 XL) zucchini, sliced into 1/4-inch coins
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/3 cup ponzu
  • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
  • 1 medium serrano pepper, seeded & minced
  • 2 cloves garlic, smashed
  • 1 14- ounce can of chickpeas, drained
  • To serve: zest of one lemon // basil / cherry tomatoes
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Toss the chunks of bread in a large bowl with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and a couple pinches of salt. Massage the oil into the bread a bit with your hands, turn out onto a baking sheet and toast until deeply golden in a 375F oven. It should take 8-12 minutes or so – tossing once or twice along the way. Set aside.
2. Whisk the ponzu, toasted sesame oil, Serrano, and garlic together in a small bowl. Set aside.
3. Prep your grill, medium-high heat. Toss the zucchini in the same bowl you used for the bread, along with 2 more tablespoons of olive oil and a couple pinches of salt. Either use a wide grilling basket, or, if your grill has narrow slats, arrange the zucchini across the grill. Cook for 10-15 minutes, turning often with a metal spatula, until the zucchini is tender and golden, with grill marks. It seems like a lot of zucchini, but it really cooks down. Remove zucchini from the grill as it finishes.
4. Just before serving pour the ponzu dressing over the grilled zucchini and chickpeas in a large serving bowl, gently toss. Add the toasted bread and give another good toss. Serve topped with cherry tomatoes, lemon zest and basil.
NOTES

Serves 4.

The post Grilled Zucchini & Bread Salad appeared first on 101 Cookbooks

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Cheesy Vegetarian

Creamy Vegan Corn Chowder (with Coconut Milk)

I am well and truly into soup mode, with all this cold weather we’ve been having – and corn chowder has got to be one of the most hearty, most comforting soups there is. This thick and creamy soup is packed with fresh veggies, and the addition of coconut milk makes it extra tasty (and vegan too!).

A piece of buttered toast being dipped into vegan corn chowder.

The flavours in this soup are just delicious – the slight heat from the chilli and the touch of sweetness from the creamy coconut milk are such a wonderful combination. I might even try it with sweet potatoes next!

This vegan corn chowder is already super filling due to the potatoes and corn, but I do love a bit of buttered toast dipped in… it’s autumn in a bowl.

⭐ What is Chowder?

Chowder is a thick kind of soup, usually made with milk or cream – but this vegan corn chowder uses coconut milk instead, which makes it even tastier.

It’s generally left chunky (unlike a smooth blended soup), which makes it feel much more hearty and filling than a thinner soup. I did partially blend my coconut corn chowder, because it helps to break down the potatoes and corn, making the soup extra thick and creamy – though I didn’t make it totally smooth.

(you can if you want to, though! I’m not the chowder police.)

Overhead shot of vegan corn chowder with buttered toast.

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🥗 Ingredients and Substitutions

Here’s what you’ll need to make this recipe. See the printable recipe card below for detailed ingredient quantities.

Ingredients for vegan corn chowder laid out with text overlay.
  • sweetcorn – I used frozen corn, but you could use canned or fresh corn instead, if you prefer.
  • unsweetened coconut milk – use the canned stuff, as it’s thicker and creamier than the kind that’s designed for drinking. I used light coconut milk, but regular would also be great (and would make an even creamier soup).
  • onion
  • celery
  • carrot
  • potatoes – you could even try using sweet potatoes (or a bit of both kinds) instead, if you want an extra hint of sweetness in your soup.
  • vegetable stock – I used a crumbled stock cube plus some water, but liquid stock would also work well.
  • red chilli – just use a small amount to begin with! You can always spice up your soup more later if it needs it, but adding too much chilli is a good way to quickly ruin a tasty soup.
  • smoked paprika
  • cumin
  • garlic

Becca’s Top Tip

If you don’t want to buy a whole pack of red chillies to only use a small amount, a dollop of sweet chilli sauce will also work really well in this recipe.

📹 Recipe Video





🔪 Equipment

To make this vegan corn chowder, I used an immersion blender (hand blender) to partially blend the soup. It helped to break down the potatoes and corn, making the soup extra thick and creamy.

If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can choose to leave the soup unblended – but if you’d like to make soup regularly, a hand blender is definitely something worth buying, as they’re not expensive, and they’re a tool you’ll probably use regularly. I make soup about once a week, so my immersion blender is one of my most-used kitchen tools.

Here’s a great one on Amazon, with really positive reviews:

Sale

OVENTE Electric Immersion Hand Blender 300 Watt 2 Mixing Speed with Stainless Steel Blades, Powerful Portable Easy Control Grip Stick Mixer Perfect for Smoothies, Puree Baby Food & Soup, Black HS560B

OVENTE Electric Immersion Hand Blender 300 Watt 2 Mixing Speed with Stainless Steel Blades, Powerful Portable Easy Control Grip Stick Mixer Perfect for Smoothies, Puree Baby Food & Soup, Black HS560B

I use this kind of hand blender at least once a week to make homemade soup.

If you’re in the UK or Australia, click ‘Buy on Amazon’ to view a local product.

$17.08

Buy on Amazon

A bowl of vegan corn chowder topped with cilantro.

🖨 Printable Instructions

Buttered toast being dipped into a bowl of coconut corn chowder.

Print

Vegan Corn Chowder (with Coconut Milk)

This creamy vegan corn chowder recipe is made with coconut milk, which makes it extra luxurious and extra delicious!
Course Appetiser, Light lunch, Soup
Cuisine American
Diet Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 3 people
Calories 360kcal
Author Becca Heyes

Ingredients

  • 1 Tbsp oil
  • 450 g (~ 1 lb) potato (~ 3 medium)
  • 1/2 large onion (or 1 small)
  • 1 medium carrot
  • 1 large celery stick (~ 80g / ~ 3 oz)
  • 250 g (~ 9 oz) frozen sweetcorn
  • 1/2 small mild red chilli, finely chopped
  • 1 tsp minced garlic
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • 400 ml tin coconut milk (~ 1 1/2 cups) – I used light
  • 1 vegetable stock cube, crumbled
  • 500 ml (~ 2 cups) water
  • Salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Dice the potato, onion, carrot and celery stick fairly small (1cm or less). Heat a dash of oil in a large saucepan over a medium-low heat, and add the chopped vegetables. Cook for 5 minutes or so, until fragrant.
    Diced potatoes and other vegetables in a saucepan.
  • Add the frozen sweetcorn, chilli, garlic, smoked paprika and cumin. Mix well, and cook for a couple more minutes.
    Sautéed vegetables and spices in a saucepan.
  • Next, add the can of coconut milk and the vegetable stock – I used a stock cube and water, but you can use liquid stock if you prefer.
    Vegetables and coconut milk in a saucepan.
  • Bring to a simmer, and cook for 25 minutes or so, until all the vegetables are very soft.
    Chunky corn chowder in a saucepan.
  • Use an immersion blender to partially blend the soup, breaking down some of the potatoes and corn, and leaving some whole.
    Vegan coconut corn chowder in a saucepan.
  • Season to taste, and serve warm.
    Coconut corn chowder in a bowl with buttered toast.

Video





Nutrition

Serving: 1bowl | Calories: 360kcal | Carbohydrates: 49.2g | Protein: 8.4g | Fat: 15.4g | Saturated Fat: 8.5g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 552mg | Potassium: 1083mg | Fiber: 7.6g | Sugar: 5.7g | Calcium: 554mg | Iron: 3mg

💭 Recipe FAQs

Does this corn chowder reheat well?

Yes! The leftovers are great reheated – just microwave until piping hot. This means you can also prepare the soup in advance if you need to, and reheat when you’re ready to serve.

Can I freeze corn chowder?

Soup generally freezes very well – just allow it to cool and store it in an airtight tub in the freezer.

How should I serve corn chowder?

Because of the potatoes and corn, this is a hearty soup that doesn’t really need anything else alongside. However, I do love it with a slice of crusty, buttery toast for dipping.

🥣 Other Soup Recipes

Vegetarian Soup Recipes
Buttered toast being dipped into a bowl of coconut corn chowder.

Creamy Vegan Corn Chowder (with Coconut Milk)

Easy red lentil soup topped with Greek yogurt and red pesto.

Seriously Easy Red Lentil Soup

A bowlful of creamy potato and spring onion soup.

Creamy Potato and Spring Onion Soup

Vegetable gyoza soup in a bowl.

Vegetarian Gyoza Soup

The post Creamy Vegan Corn Chowder (with Coconut Milk) appeared first on Easy Cheesy Vegetarian.

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