Who doesn’t love a good healthy meat-free dish like this flavor-packed vegan zucchini tomato casserole? No cheese, no cream, no beef, no eggs in this casserole, but it is bursting with flavors. Even vegetable haters gobble it up and ask for more!
You know zucchini is a super healthy vegetable as it is rich in fiber and a staple for low carb diets. So we try to use it in several ways during summer.
Summer is the time we enjoy zucchini/courgette the most. Besides this vegan casserole, we often use this versatile vegetable to make vegetarian recipes like mucver fritters and zucchini stew with tomatoes.
This zucchini casserole recipe is one of the most popular recipes on the blog. It is a great summer dish because it is the best option when the temperature is high outside. Perfect way to use up the zucchini you have too! Enjoy it as a light lunch/dinner or a side dish.
Ok let’s move on to the details of this zucchini tomato casserole now.
Why Everyone Loves This Recipe
- It is incredibly easy to make. Very similar to our Cauliflower Bake (Turkish Karnabahar Yemegi). The ingredients themselves are very easy and quick to prepare and once the casserole is in the oven to bake, you can simply sit back and wait.
- It is a favorite vegetarian recipe amongst our readers because of its simplicity and versatility, you can easily substitute any of these ingredients and even easily add some others!
- This is a recipe you can make ahead of time. Reheat it or just serve at room temperature.
- Not only is this a delicious flavor-packed dish, but it is low calorie and stuffed with nutrients too. Zucchini and tomatoes are full of nutrients and antioxidants.
- You can use the leftovers as a topping on your pasta or salad. For example, we love it in our wheat berry salad.
About The Ingredients
For this easy zucchini casserole, the main ingredients you need include zucchini, fresh tomatoes and garlic, fresh parsley and green onions, as well as lemon juice, olive oil, white vinegar or grape vinegar, and some spices.
Each of these ingredients is incredibly easy to find and even substitute if need be. You can have a look at our variations section to see how you can substitute these ingredients.
Because zucchini is the hero ingredient for this dish, make sure to pick the freshest and most ripe ones you can find.
How To Make It
This is an incredibly easy recipe to make and once it's inside the oven, you can simply sit back and relax – or make one of our delicious accompaniments!
- Make the tomato mixture. Combine the pureed tomatoes, garlic, parsley, spices, green onions, olive oil, vinegar, and lemon juice. Make sure you mix the ingredients well so they are equally distributed.
- Thinly slice the zucchini. No need to peel them, but if you want, you can.
- Combine them with the pureed tomato mixture. Each slice should be well coated in the red sauce. Use your hand to help coat them without breaking the slices
- Grease a baking dish with a little oil or using a cooking spray. Transfer the slices to your prepared baking dish.
- Bake the dish for roughly 45 minutes or until the top gets a nice golden brown color.
Variations
- You can substitute the parsley with fresh coriander/cilantro or fresh basil leaves.
- You can easily substitute the green onions with either white or red onions. You can even try using shallots or salad onions.
- To create a chunkier texture, you can use 1-2 tomatoes (sliced or diced) and 1 cup of pureed tomatoes.
- You can make a cheese mixture combining grated Parmesan cheese and mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle some to the mixture before baking if you want.
- You can add a few more veggies like eggplants and cherry tomatoes to get even more summer flavors.
- For a crunchy topping, you can sprinkle panko or bread crumbs on the top and then bake. If you want, use gluten-free breadcrumbs.
Tips
- Slice the zucchini thinly. You can use a mandoline slicer to do this.
- Use the freshest and tastiest tomatoes you can find. They give the best flavor you need in this zucchini tomato casserole. If you can’t find good tomatoes, then we would suggest you add 1-2 tablespoons of tomato paste.
- For the vinegar, it is also very important to use a good quality flavorful kind. For this courgette recipe, we prefer using grape vinegar. Apple cider vinegar is a fantastic choice too and has a good balance of sweetness and tang. Here is a great article describing the differences between types of vinegar. You can experiment with some of them and see which you prefer.
- If you don’t like the aroma of vinegar or don’t have it on hand, use more lemon juice instead.
- Make sure 4-5 slices of zucchini overlap in the baking dish, not more than this. So make sure your baking pan is not too small for all the slices.
Serving Suggestions
You can serve this casserole either hot or at room temperature. We always pair it with some yogurt or cacik dip. If you are following a vegan diet, use your favorite plant-based yogurt.
If you are planning to have it for a lunch or dinner menu, you can also make some orzo rice pilaf or bulgur pilaf to serve on the side.
How To Store
You can store this zucchini tomato bake either before or after it has been cooked. To store it before, combine and layer all of the ingredients inside the baking dish. Simply place a layer of plastic wrap on the surface of the zucchinis and then wrap the entire dish.
The same method applies for an already baked zucchini casserole; simply place a layer or wrap on the surface, then wrap the entire dish.
Store the zucchini and tomato casserole inside the refrigerator for up to 5 days, cooked or uncooked.
If you want to store any leftover casserole, transfer them to an airtight container and keep them inside the refrigerator for roughly 4-5 days.
FAQs
You don’t have to peel them, but you can if you want to. We love the hints of green color it adds to the dish as well as the crunchier texture.
Yes, you can. Both have a mild taste, so you will probably end up with the same result.
This dish can be frozen and will keep well inside the freezer. Make sure you place a piece of plastic wrap on the surface of the casserole before covering it. You can either store it inside an airtight container or wrap the entire baking dish.
Keep the dish inside a freezer for up to 2 months. To heat again, simply thaw the casserole in the fridge before heating it in an oven.
Yes, you can. Use a shallow pan for this so that the zucchini slices won’t get steamed and mushy. That being said, we should say that oven baking gives the dish a nicer flavor.
More Zucchini Recipes
- Turkish Stuffed Zucchini
- Fried Zucchini Chips
- Zucchini Baba Ghanoush from Little Ferraro Kitchen
You might also like:
As always: If you make this recipe, let us know what you think by rating it and leaving a comment below. And post a pic on Instagram too—tag @give_recipe so we can see!
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📖 Recipe
Zucchini Tomato Casserole (Vegan)
No cheese, no cream, no beef, no egg in this casserole, but it is bursting into summer flavors. This is an addictive zucchini casserole even for vegetable haters!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Side Dishes
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Turkish
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
- 3 large zucchini, (1 pound) thinly sliced
- 3 large tomatoes, pureed (makes 2 cups)
- 6 cloves garlic, mashed
- ¼ cup chopped parsley
- ½ cup chopped green onions
- 1 lemon, squeezed
- 1 tablespoon vinegar
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon chili powder, Mexican or another type
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F (180C).
- Mix pureed tomato, garlic, parsley, green onions, lemon juice, vinegar, olive oil and spices in a medium bowl.
- Put zucchini slices in a large bowl and pour the pureed tomato mixture over them. Stir well using your hand so that each zucchini slice is coated with the red sauce.
- Transfer them in a large baking dish so that the layer is not very thick. Bake for about 45 minutes or the top gets golden.
- Serve hot or cold.
Notes
- Slice the zucchini thinly. You can use a mandoline slicer to do this.
- Use the freshest and tastiest tomatoes you can find. They give the best flavor you need in this zucchini tomato casserole. If you can’t find good tomatoes, then we would suggest you add 1-2 tablespoons of tomato paste.
- For the vinegar, it is also very important to use a good quality flavorful kind. For this courgette recipe, we prefer using grape vinegar. Apple cider vinegar is a fantastic choice too and has a good balance of sweetness and tang.
- If you don’t like the aroma of vinegar or don’t have it on hand, use a bit more lemon juice instead.
- Make sure 4-5 slices of zucchini overlap in the baking dish, not more than this. So make sure your baking pan is not too small for all the slices.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 160
- Sugar: 8.1 g
- Sodium: 1210 mg
- Fat: 11.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 14.3 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Megan says
Absolutely delicious. Thank you!
Zerrin & Yusuf says
Glad you liked it! Thank you for letting us know what you think and for the 5-star rating 🙂
Vi says
It was a delicious dish-however the ingredients list shows chili powder? but the picture shows paprika-made it with chili powder this time, but will try paprika the next time...seems like one of them may be incorrect?
Eunice M. Cheshire says
It was a big hit with the family!
I do recall some directions on how to freeze it when I originally downloaded it. Could you please provide those to me again?
Zerrin & Yusuf says
Hi Eunice!
Glad to hear that your family liked this easy recipe. It is one of our summer favorites.
This dish can be frozen and will keep well inside the freezer. Make sure you place a piece of plastic wrap on the surface of the casserole before covering it. You can either store it inside an airtight container or wrap the entire baking dish. Keep the dish inside a freezer for up to 2 months. To heat again, simply thaw the casserole in the fridge before heating it in an oven.
Cheers 🙂
Michelle says
I have never had better zucchini! I sprinkled with seasoned bread crumbs for a little crunch ! My 2 year old even loved it!
Zerrin & Yusuf says
Hi Michelle,
We are so happy to hear that you enjoyed this zucchini recipe.
And it is a bonus for us when kids like our recipes. Thank you for letting us know, and for the 5-star rating.
Cheers!
Susanna says
Hello!
Can’t wait to give this delicious looking recipe a try. A question about your note, “To create a chunkier texture, try using sliced tomatoes instead besides tomato puree.”
Can I use sliced tomatoes instead of puréed or should I use both?
Thank you!
Zerrin & Yusuf says
Hi Susanna,
Thank you for asking this. We need to correct that sentence. So you can use two tomatoes (sliced or diced) and 1 cup of pureed tomatoes. That tomato puree gives a nice taste. So yes, we recommend using them both.
Jacky says
Can this recipe be frozen before cooking or afterwards?
Zerrin & Yusuf says
Hi Jacky,
Well, we have never tried freezing this dish before or after cooking. So we don't want to mislead you.
However, we think it might not be a good idea as zucchini could be mushy when thawed.
Nina says
I made this tonight after a harvest of zucchinis from the garden and it was delicious. I subbed passata and half a brown onion because that's what I had and it still worked great
Zerrin & Yusuf says
Hi Nina,
Glad you liked the recipe. Passata is a nice sub. Thanks for letting us know!