Perfectly Cooked Sous Vide Zucchini

Learn how to sous vide zucchini so that it's perfectly cooked inside and out.

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As in most things in life we want it all! We want our vegetable be tender both inside and out. Sometime it's not all that easy.

Take zucchini for example. Whenever I sauté it in a pan, I often end up cooking it until it's falling apart but done. Not that way I want it. I want to be tender all the way through. Not tender on the outside and mush inside.

In my quest for perfect cooking, it's time once again to turn to the trusty sous vide machine to give me what I want. Let's show you how it's done. But first....

Jump to:

• 🛀 Why Sous Vide?
• ⏲️ How Long Does it Take?
• 📏 Choosing Size
• 📋 Instructions
• 🧂 Seasoning
• 💨 Instant Pot Sous Vide
• 📚 More Sous Vide Recipes
• Sous Vide Zucchini

🛀 Why Sous Vide?

It can be a challenge to cook zucchini so that it's still firm without falling apart, but completely done in the middle. I have found that even when I do get some perfectly cooked pieces when cooking in a pan, I end up with many ones that have fallen apart.

Zucchini aren't even all the way around. You may find one end is thicker than the other end. This means they cook at different rates. Sous vide will help you get every pieces cooked perfectly. It's a lot more forgiving as the heat is gentle at a lower temperature which is also the exact temperature the veggie needs to be cooked to.

⏲️ How Long Does it Take?

30 minutes for perfectly done via sous vide.

It takes longer to sous vide than it does to sautéed in a pan. But I believe that your patience will be rewarded. Add to the 30 minutes of time as long as it takes for your machine to bring water to 183 degrees.

📏 Choosing Size

When picking out zucchini for this, choose ones that aren't too big. The medium to smaller zucchini tend to be more tender and be done faster. Also if you can get your zucchini to be as equal in size as possible that would be best. But don't worry if they aren't all exactly the same.

Sometimes you might find the really mini zucchini. I have seen them at Trader Joe's. I would say those are too small and you would best just tossing those in a pan as they cook enough anyway.

📋 Instructions

Start by slicing the zucchini into even pieces. The pieces should be about ½ inch to 1 inch thick or so. Consistency is the key. I might go a little thinner on the pieces towards the end of the zucchini that is normally larger.

Next it's time to season the zucchini and put in it your vacuum bag. We will talk more about what seasonings are good in a moment.

The goal is to try arrange the zucchini in a single layer and then suck out as much air as you can.

Make sure your water bath is up to temperature (183 degrees). Then add your zucchini and cook for 30 minutes. If it's floating, make sure to weigh it down. I often use a pot. Be careful not to pass the max fill line on your immersion circulator/sous vide machine.

Once done, remove and enjoy. If you want to brown your zucchini, get a pan really hot with some oil and quickly brown it, no more than 1-2 minutes.

💡 Tip - You can sous vide your zucchini and store in the fridge until later. Then brown it in a pan until hot. It's a great way to make dinner prep easier.

🧂 Seasoning

Zucchini is a great vegetable to play around with different types of seasoning. Here are some seasonings to consider

• Salt
• Freshly cracked black pepper
• Garlic powder
• Fresh chopped garlic
• Everything But the Bagel seasoning
• Lemon zest*
• Lemon juice*
• Parmesan cheese*
• Rosemary
• Red pepper flakes
• Italian seasoning

*The parmesan cheese and lemon juice I would add when serving only.

💨 Instant Pot Sous Vide

I have the Instant Pot Duo Plus which has a sous vide function. I gave this recipe a try in it. How did it do?

I thought it came out just as good as with my regular sous vide machine. The downside is that it took a lot longer for the Instant Pot to get the water to the right temperature.

💡 Tips - Place the vacuum bag with the zucchini in the pot. Add enough water to cover. Remove the zucchini and put the lid on. Allow the water to get to the proper temperature before adding.

I did have to weigh down the zucchini in the pot. I just used a metal plate to keep it in the water.

📚 More Sous Vide Recipes

Here are some of the other sous vide recipes on the blog

• Chuck Eye Steak
• Burgers
• Mashed Potatoes
• Sweet Potatoes
• Pumpkin Pie
• Chicken with Creamy Pepper Flake Sauce