salt and pepper

Finally, you can hit your veggie goals!

The struggle is real. I get it.

You know you should be eating more veggies.

You know you should be feeding yourself and your household more veggies.

You actually like vegetables, but you feel like you’re working way too hard “selling” veggies to your kids/spouse/partner/roomie.

This veggie-loaded Zucchini Fritter recipe is your answer to delicious veggies that you and your household will actually be excited to eat! They’re easy to prepare, and any extras are perfect for a quick reheat & eat anytime later in the week. In my house, we enjoy these fritters at any meal of the day, or even for a snack.

Keep the shredding step quick and easy by using a food processor! This is the one I use in my kitchen, and I love it.

But wait, there’s more!

Yes, more veggies. . . you can make these fritters with a variety of different veggies! It doesn’t have to be zucchini. This means you can use up all of those forlorn veggies in your fridge that have been, ahem, patiently waiting for you to finally eat them.

Building a meal with fritters

When adding these to a meal, I typically plate them with some additional protein (i.e. poultry, eggs & egg white scramble, Greek yogurt, seafood, tempeh, etc.), and little bit more slow carb such as fruit or a starchy veggie like squash or sweet potato. The fritter itself is, of course, a good source of non-starchy veggies, but also contains some slow carb (from the chickpea flour), a lil’ bit of protein (from the chickpea flour and the egg), and nourishing fat (from the avocado oil and the egg).

This meal combination works well for my needs, but please do what works for YOU. Your individual needs with regard to protein, carbohydrates and fat may vary, which means you might choose to build your plate differently than mine.

• Add to your dinner or lunch plate for a delicious, filling, satisfying boost of veggies.
• Add to your breakfast plate to start your day with some veggies (we love them plated with Trader Joe’s maple breakfast sausage on the side, and some Fage Greek yogurt and fresh fruit).
• They are easy to pack up for a portable, balanced snack.

And if you have a garden and you are STILL trying to use up the last of your zucchini from this growing season, this is your ace in the hole. Just keep doubling the recipe until you’ve used up your last zucchini. That’s what I do!

Here’s the quick & dirty on this easy recipe: (full recipe below)

what you need:

• shredded zucchini
• a few dried herbs, salt
• some flour (I used chickpea flour, which is a slow-acting carb, and also happens to be gluten-free. Experiment with whatever kind of flour suits you, honestly. It’s all good.)
• egg
• oil

what you do:

• Shred zucchini, salt it, let it sit for a bit, and then wring it out.
• Mix dry ingredients.
• Add whisked egg, zucchini, and dry ingredients to bowl and combine.
• Heat little bit of oil in skillet, and pan-fry mixture by the spoonful for a few minutes on each side.
• That’s it. If you want to get extra about it, you can make a quick dipping sauce, too.

Print Recipe

Gluten-free Zucchini Fritters with Dipping Sauce

Course

Appetizers, Breakfast, Salads & Side Dishes, Snacks

Servings

Ingredients

Zucchini Fritter batter

• 1 lb zucchini shredded and pressed dry by wrining gently in clean kitchen towel (Shred with food processor or box grater. One pound of zucchini equals about 4 cups grated zucchini; or 2 cups of salted and squeezed zucchini)
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 cup chickpea flour (Bob's Red Mill is my favorite.); Also known as besan flour, or experiment with flour of your choice
• 1/2 tsp ½baking powder
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp kosher (or coarse) salt for grated zucchini
• 1/4 tsp kosher (or coarse) salt to add to fritter mixture
• ground black pepper
• Avocado oil for pan frying

Dipping Sauce:

• 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
• ¼ avocado mashed (optional)
• heavy splash of red wine vinegar or fresh lemon juice
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 garlic clove minced or pressed

• salt and pepper
• 1 garlic clove minced or pressed

Course Appetizers, Breakfast, Salads & Side Dishes, Snacks Servings Ingredients Zucchini Fritter batter 1 lb zucchini shredded and pressed dry by wrining gently in clean kitchen towel (Shred with food processor or box grater. One pound of zucchini equals about 4 cups grated zucchini; or 2 cups of salted and squeezed zucchini) 1/2 teaspoon onion powder 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano 1/2 teaspoon dried basil 1/2 cup chickpea flour (Bob's Red Mill is my favorite.); Also known as besan flour, or experiment with flour of your choice 1/2 tsp ½baking powder 1 egg 1 tsp kosher (or coarse) salt for grated zucchini 1/4 tsp kosher (or coarse) salt to add to fritter mixture ground black pepper Avocado oil for pan frying Dipping Sauce: 1/2 cup Greek yogurt ¼ avocado mashed (optional) heavy splash of red wine vinegar or fresh lemon juice salt and pepper, to taste 1 garlic clove minced or pressed salt and pepper 1 garlic clove minced or pressed

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, combine shredded zucchini with 1 teaspoon kosher (or coarse) salt. Set aside for ten minutes.
2. Wring out shredded zucchini by bundling it in a clean kitchen towel or cheesecloth and gently squeezing OR by pressing in a colander. Do not skip this step! This ensures the perfect texture fritters (instead of watery, soup-y batter that won't cook properly).
3. Combine zucchini with remaining fritter ingredients.
4. In a large, heavy skillet, heat oil over medium high heat (until gently shimmering). Plop batter by spoonful into heated oil. Gently smooth flat with spoon. Optional (but highly recommended): Place a spatter guard over the pan.
5. Cook 3-4 minutes each side. (Reduce heat to medium as needed.)
6. Place on a paper-towel lined plate or platter to cool slightly before serving.
7. Optional: Combine dipping sauce ingredients. Serve on side, for dipping or drizzling.