Celebrate your favorite summer produce with this quick Zucchini Corn Stir-Fry! Here, I flavor the vegetables with umami-rich miso, savory soy sauce, and creamy butter to accentuate their sweetness and vibrancy. It’s simple, speedy, and enjoyable! {Vegan adaptable}
What are some of your favorite ways of handling a surplus of zucchini that show up this time of year? In my Japanese kitchen, I love these summer squash on grill and glazed with a tare saucesometimes tossed in a light pastaand occasionally deep-fried for vegetable tempura. However, when I need a quick side dish, I will turn to this lovely stir-fry featuring zucchini and sweet corn.
Why You’ll Enjoy This Recipe
The mild yet silky texture of zucchini contrasts beautifully with crisp and starchy sweet corn, which make them a tasty duo, even in speedy dishes like this. The simple Japanese seasoning only makes the vegetables taste full and satisfying without eclipsing their flavors.
Plus, you can cook it up in a snap when you need a last-minute side to with your meal.
How to Make Zucchini Corn Stir Fry
The Ingredients You’ll Need
- Zucchini
- Large ear of corn – Frozen or drained canned corn would work for this recipe.
- Garlic
- Cooking oil
- Unsalted butter
- Seasonings – miso, I am willowand sugar
The Cooking Steps
- Prep: Cook the corn (I microwave the ear of corn for 2 minutes). Cut the zucchini into 2-inch wedges. Mix the seasonings together in a bowl.
- Cook: Cook the zucchini on medium-high heat. When browned, add the corn and seasonings and quickly toss together.
- Serve: You can serve the dish on a large serving platter or individual plates. Serve immediately.
What Type of Miso to Use
For this stir-fry dish, I used Hikari Miso’s Organic Red Eyes. The flavor of red miso is distinct, deep, and rich, yet not too overwhelming. You can get a tub of this miso at Japanese or Asian grocery stores or on Amazon.
You can definitely use any type of miso, as long as it’s not Saikyo miso and hatcho miso, both of which have a strong flavor. If you’re interested in learning more about miso, read more here.
Variations
This recipe also works great with yellow squash, Pattypan squash, eggplant, kabocha, and carrot. If you switch the zucchini for kabocha or carrot, cut into a ¼-inch (6 mm) thickness and cook for a little longer.
Recipe Tips and Techniques
- Cut the zucchini into sticks. Zucchini gets cooked really fast because of its high water content. Therefore, I prefer not to cut into thin rounds. We do not need to peel the skin because it’s thin and has a mild taste. The skin also helps retain the shape and prevents it from becoming mushy.
- Do not overcook the zucchini. It can go from tender to mushy very quickly, so be careful not to overcook it. You need to quickly brown the zucchini on medium-high heat for about 3 minutes. At this stage, the zucchini should still be tender and has its original shape, not wilted or mushy.
- Quick stir-fry with corn. Corn is already cooked, so all you need to do is coat it with the seasonings.
What to Serve with Zucchini Corn Stir Fry
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Zucchini Corn Stir Fry
Celebrate your favorite summer produce with this quick Zucchini Corn Stir-Fry! Here, I flavor the vegetables with umami-rich miso, savory soy sauce, and creamy butter to accentuate their sweetness and vibrancy. It‘s simple, speedy, and enjoyable!
Ingredients
Prevent your screen from going dark
Instructions
To Prepare the Ingredients
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Wrap a wet paper towel around 1 ear sweet corn (you can leave the husks on) and cook in the microwave for 2 minutes (1000W).
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Carefully remove the paper towel, husks, and silk from the hot ear of corn. With a knife, cut off the corn kernels from the cob.
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Cut 1 zucchini into thirds (sections about 2 inches or 5 cm long). Cut each piece in half lengthwise, then cut each half lengthwise into 3 wedges.
To Mix the Seasonings
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Combine 2 tsp miso, 1 tsp soy sauce, 1 tsp sugarand 2 Tbsp water. Mix it all together until the miso and sugar dissolve. Set aside.
The Stir-Fry
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Heat a large frying pan on medium-high heat. When it‘s hot, add 1 Tbsp neutral oil. Then, add the zucchini and quickly sear on medium high or high heat until nicely browned on the edges. Tip: The goal is to sear the zucchini fast so it remains firm yet tender. If the heat is too low, the zucchini will wilt and get mushy before it browns.
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Once browned, lower the heat. Mince or press 1 clove garlic (I use a garlic press) and add it to the pan. Toss to cook briefly and keep the garlic from burning. Then, add the corn kernels and stir quickly to reheat.
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Add the seasonings mixture and ½ Tbsp unsalted butter.
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Toss quickly to coat. Your Zucchini Corn Stir-Fry is now ready to serve.
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
Zucchini Corn Stir Fry
Amount per Serving
% Daily Value*
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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