This luscious, flavorful Zucchini Dip is a delicious way to use up your garden zucchini! Serve it up with pita chips or crackers for a tasty, healthy appetizer; everyone will love. Vegan, Gluten-Free. Video.
Even if you are on the right track, you will still get run over if you just sit there.
Will Rogers
This Zucchini Dip is similar to Baba Ganoush, the smoky, sultry Middle Eastern eggplant dip we all love but made with zucchini instead! Grilled, sauteed, or roasted, cooked zucchini is pureed with fresh garlic cloves, tahini, lemon juice, and fresh herbs and transformed into the silkiest dip. Serve it warm or cold as an appetizer with grilled pita bread, crackers, or pita chips, or use it as a luscious spread for wraps or sandwiches. Gluten-free, low-carb, and vegan, this checks all the boxes for us!
Zucchini Dip Video
Zucchini Dip Ingredients
- Zucchini – use either fresh garden zucchini or summer squash. Medium-sized zucchini work best here.
- Garlic cloves – fresh garlic adds a delicious bite!
- Tahini paste– creamy tahini paste adds a lovely richness while being vegan and keto. If allergic to tahini, substitute avocado!
- Extra virgin olive oil – use the best quality olive oil you can!
- Lemon – fresh lemon juice adds a lovely brightness.
- Fresh herbs- choose either Fresh basil, fresh dill, Italian parsley, mint or cilantro to add fresh flavor.
- Salt , black pepper and ground cumin
- Optional: creamy yogurt can be added for extra creaminess.
- Garnishes: fresh herbs, olive oil, dukkah or zaatar, urfa biber or Aleppo chili flakes
Zucchini Dip Instructions
Step one: Prep the zucchini. Cut the zucchini into thin 1/3-inch slices. (If sauteeing, dice or shred.)
Step two: Cook the zucchini. (Grill, roast or saute!) Brush with olive oil and either roast the zucchini in the oven on a baking sheet, or grill the zucchini until charred, translucent and soft. (Alternatively, dice or shred zucchini and saute it on the stovetop.)Grilling the zucchini gives a beautiful smoky flavor which I especially love.
Step three: Blend. Place the cooked zucchini, garlic cloves, tahini, lemon juice, salt and pepper into the food processor and puree.
Add the fresh herbs and pulse. The herbs also add vibrant color, which is always a plus in my book.
Taste the zucchini dip and adjust the salt, pepper and lemon to taste. If you would like it a little creamier or tangier, add a little yogurt and puree again.
Step four: Serve. Spoon the Zucchini Dip it into a bowl, and make a little “well” with the back of a spoon and drizzle a little olive oil in the well. Garnish with zaatar or dukkha and fresh herbs. Now is a great time to use your Urfa Biber or Aleppo Chili Flakes! Edible flowers are very pretty here too.
Serve Zucchini Dip with
Health Benefits of Zucchini
Zucchini is not only delicious but also highly nutritious. Here are some health benefits of zucchini:
- Rich in nutrients: Zucchini is low in calories and contains important nutrients like vitamin C, vitamin A, potassium, manganese, and fiber.
- Promotes digestion: The high fiber content in zucchini can aid in digestion and prevent constipation. It also supports a healthy gut by promoting the growth of beneficial bacteria.
- Supports weight loss: Due to its low calorie and high water content, zucchini can be a great addition to a weight loss diet. It helps you feel full while providing essential nutrients.
- Hydrating properties: With about 95% water content, zucchini is hydrating and can help maintain proper hydration levels in the body.
- Boosts immunity: Zucchini is rich in vitamin C, which is known to strengthen the immune system and protect against illnesses and infections.
- Good for heart health: The fiber, potassium, and vitamin C in zucchini contribute to heart health. It helps maintain healthy blood pressure levels and reduces the risk of stroke and heart disease.
- Anti-inflammatory properties: Zucchini contains antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds that can help reduce inflammation in the body and protect against chronic diseases.
- Aids in eye health: Zucchini is a good source of carotenoids, including lutein and zeaxanthin, which are beneficial for eye health and may help prevent age-related macular degeneration.
- Supports healthy skin: The vitamin C and antioxidants in zucchini promote healthy skin by protecting against oxidative stress and promoting collagen production.
- May assist in blood sugar control: The fiber content in zucchini can help regulate blood sugar levels, making it a suitable choice for those with diabetes or those looking to maintain stable blood sugar levels.
More Zucchini Recipes
- 30+ Mouthwatering Zucchini Recipes!
- Zucchini Noodles with Garlic and basil
- Kung Pao Zucchini
- Zucchini Rolls
- Zucchini Basil Soup
- Zucchini Corn and Basil Stir Fry
- Greek Zucchini Fritters
Zucchini Dip Recipe
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 2 Cups 1x
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Blended
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This luscious, flavorful Zucchini Dip is a delicious way to use your garden zucchini! Serve it up with pita chips or crackers for a tasty, healthy appetizer; everyone will love. Vegan, Gluten-Free with a video.
Ingredients
- 3 medium-large zucchini (1 1/2 lbs, or 6 cups diced) – or summer squash, or use a combo.
- 2 fat cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice, add more to taste
- 1/4 cup tahini paste (or sub 1/2 an avocado)
- 1/2–3/4 tsp salt, more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 tsp cracked pepper
- 1/4–1/2 cup or more fresh herbs (optional) – choose either flat-leaf parsley, basil dill, mint, basil, or a combo.
- Optional: 2-3 tablespoons of yogurt.
Garnish with a drizzle of olive oil and zaatar spice or Dukkah. Add Aleppo chili flakes for a little heat if you like.
Instructions
- If grilling or roasting, cut zucchini into 1/3-inch thick strips, brush with olive oil, season with salt. If sauteeing the zucchini, either dice or shred.
- Grill: Place on a greased grill over medium heat until charred and translucent. Roast: place on a parchment-lined baking sheet, roast in a 375 F oven until tender and translucent, about 15-20 minutes ( dont let it get dark. (If you have very large zucchini with thick skin, you can half it lengthwise, roast in the oven, and then scoop out the flesh, leaving the skin out.). Saute: Heat an extra-large skillet over medium heat with olive oil, season with salt and saute until translucent, tender and falling apart, about 15 minutes.
- Blend: Place the cooked zucchini and the rest of the ingredients in a food processor, and puree until vibrant green and smooth. To get it extra vibrant green add more herbs and blend blend blend! Taste and adjust salt and lemon to taste—stir in a little yogurt for extra creaminess.
- Serve: Place it in a serving bowl, making a little circular “well” using a spoon, and drizzle a little olive oil in the well, sprinkle with Zaatar or Dukkah, and fresh herbs and serve either warm or chilled.
Notes
The zucchini dip will keep up to 4 days in the fridge.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ¼ cup
- Calories: 72
- Sugar: 0.8 g
- Sodium: 148 mg
- Fat: 5.9 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 4.7 g
- Fiber: 0.7 g
- Protein: 1.8 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Super simple and tasty recipe! A little tip; if you grill the courgettes in the oven, put half a bulb of garlic in the middle of your tray. When your courgettes are done, so are you cloves 🙂
Love it Louisa- perfect!
Absolutely delicious! I used half an avocado instead of the sesame paste – ingenious suggestion!
Awesome! Glad that worked!
So good. Its not even out of the food processor bowl and I keep dipping back in with sourdough crackers. Lacking a grill, I roasted the bejesus out of the zucchini in a cast iron pan in a hot hot oven.
Haha! Love it!
Hello, I roasted my zucchini and loved the recipe. Easy and delicious.
Ilona
Great to hear!
tasty and easy!
Can you freeze this recipe? Excited to try!
Not sure how it would be after thawing….honestly, have never tried freezing!
This sounds delicious. Can it be made a day in advance?
Yes, but best day of. 🙂
Great recipe, easy to make and delicious to eat. Great to find new recipes for zucchini as we have so many growing at this time of year. Thank you
So happy you enjoyed this!
Loved this recipe, we didn’t have any garlic or herbs but it was gorgeous without, I bet herbs would be ace though. Starting to grow my own this year, both courgettes and herbs so this will be a regular for my mezze lunches
Absolutely amazing recipe!!
Such a rich flavor from such simple ingredients.
Just made this tonight for my husband and myself. So so good! I brushed the zucchini slices with garlic infused olive oil and he made sure to get a nice char on them. I had a little fresh basil to use up so I threw it in there with the parsley and mint. We absolutely loved it! I can’t wait to make it for a party. Also, I could not find pita at our store so I bought lavash and cut it into squares, brushed it with the garlic olive oil and baked them until crisp. Perfect chip!
Made this and added a bit of smoked cayenne and garlic salt on the zucchini before it cooked, the recipe came out amazing! Thank you so much for sharing!
Absolutely. Delicious. Added a bit more lemon juice and garlic and the smoked paprika, next time would roast garlic. Texture and feel of hummus, lighter and more flavorful. Will be making this a Whole30 staple 🙂 thank you!
Hi Sylvia, just made this tonight. Started it on the grill and finished the zucchini broiling in the oven. I used fresh dill and it was great. I gently sautéed the garlic as I do not like raw garlic….roasted would be even better. Lighter than chickpea hummus, less intense than baba ganouje (sorry, I cannot spell). A really nice flavor-full dip for anytime of. year. I can imagine it would be great with parsley and/or a bit of cilantro. thanks for another way to use zucchini.
You are so welcome and I love how you adapted this to your own preferences and used fresh dill! Made my mouth water! Appreciate the comment so much. All the best to you wherever you are.
Made this exactly as written with mint from the garden. Unbelievably delicious. We gobbled it all up with grilled pita. Thanks!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!!
Pick thin firm zucchini , and eggplant , slice lengthwise , , drizzle with olive oil …..grill or broil . Add Tahini or yogurt with lemon , salt , pepper , dill or mint . Delicicious .
I made this tonight with zucchini roasted on the grill. There was a fabulous smoky flavor. It is delicious!
That sounds delicious!! Thanks for sharing Yasmeen!!
This looks so yummy, definitely going to make it!
Ooo! Yummmo this is a brilliant idea! Such a big fan of zucchini!! Defs on my to make list:)
Absolutely love this! Getting a bit bored of salads at the moment and I think this would work really well alongside one. Thanks – have a great weekend!
Thanks Jo, you too!
Wow! Your blog is so beautiful. I’ve never thought about making hummus using zucchini before, I’m so inspired!
Just came here from your facebook page! Oh my, you have such a lovely blog 🙂 Have to check it all out!
Have a nice weekend!
Thanks for visiting Ines!
I love hummus… Thank you for sharing your recipe! 🙂
Thanks Francoise!
What a perfect combo. I would love this!
I love zucchini and I love hummus – what more could I want?!