How to Boil Zucchini

Zucchini is a highly healthy vegetable. It has numerous health and beauty-related benefits. If you want to incorporate this magic ingredient in your meals, you’ll first have to learn how to boil zucchini.

Boiled zucchini with a dash of seasoning makes a delicious vegan snack too. High amounts of nutrients and vitamins give it anti-aging properties while the high fiber content aids digestion. Boiled zucchini can be eaten as is or can be further cooked to make fancy meals. It is a quick snack or meal to prepare. Considering all the benefits it offers, you definitely need to learn how to boil zucchini so that you can harness all the advantages!

How to boil zucchini (Step-by-step)

Boiling zucchini is as simple as it can be. All you need to do is be careful not to hurt yourself around flames and knives. Before you start the process of boiling, you’ll have to choose the perfect zucchinis. When it comes to boiling, a mid-size zucchini should be perfect. The bigger the vegetable is, the longer it will take to become tender. Unless you’re going to be using the boiled zucchini in another recipe, it is best to stick to smaller sized pieces.

Step 1: preparation

To begin with, you have to choose the right sized pan. It should be big enough to allow all the zucchini to be deeply soaked in the water. However, it shouldn’t be oversized or the process will become longer than usual.

Step 2: fill the pan with water

Once you have the right pan, fill it up with water. It shouldn’t be filled to the top or else the water will flow out of the pan when you add in the zucchini.

Step 3: boil the water

Next, turn on the flames. Also, add in salt in the water. Mix it well with the help of a spoon. Salt will allow your boiled zucchini to have a mild taste instead of being completely bland. Now, cover the pan and let the water come to a boiling stage.

Step 4: prepare the zucchini

Meanwhile, you can start chopping your zucchini. Start by washing the vegetable. It is important to get rid of any leftover pesticides or dust. Next, cut off both ends of the zucchini. This will give you a somewhat uniform cylinder to work with. Then, start peeling the zucchini. Use a sharp peeler for this step in order to neatly peel off the entire top layer. The skin of zucchini doesn’t get soft no matter how long you cook it, therefore, it is important to remove it.

After that, take a sharp knife and start chopping the zucchini. It is up to you to decide what shape you want your vegetable to be. The most convenient way is to cut it in circles since you’ll simply be cutting horizontal slices. Keep the pieces around half an inch thick to ensure even boiling.

Step 5: boil the zucchini

Next, carefully place your chopped zucchini in the boiling water. Make sure you are extra careful or the hot steam could burn your hands. Furthermore, don’t toss the zucchini in or hot water splashes could cause injuries too.

Now, cover the pan. Let the zucchini boil for 5 minutes. Use a knife to poke the zucchini. If it feels soft throughout the width of the piece, your zucchini is done.

Step 6: serve it up

Finally, turn off the flames. Using oven gloves pick up the pan and bring it near your sink. Use a straining bowl to drain the water and separate the zucchini.

Another way to do this is by using a big spoon with holes. Use it to pick up pieces of zucchini and drain the leftover water. Serve the zucchini as is or add it in another recipe for a fancier meal!

How long to boil zucchini

The average time for boiling zucchini is 5 minutes. However, a number of factors can alter this time. Assuming that you are using 250 grams of a mid-sized zucchini, here is a table explaining how long to boil zucchini:

Specifics	Time
Uncovered pan	5 to 7 minutes
Covered pan	3 to 5 minutes

Useful tips

If this is your first time learning how to boil zucchini, you need to know of some extra tips that will definitely help you along the way.

• Covering the pan actually speeds up the process.
• If your pan doesn’t have a lid, use any metal or heat-resistant plate to do the job.
• Never leave anything unattended when the flames are lit. Keep a close eye on the pan to make sure that no water flows out for safety purposes.
• If you’re going to be using the boiled zucchini in a recipe that involves more cooking, do not fully boil the vegetable.

Calories per serving size

250 grams of zucchini has 40 calories. However, boiled 250 grams of zucchini has 30 calories only. You’ll get 0.45g fat, 3.02g protein, and 8.38g carbs in raw zucchini. On the other hand, the same amount of boiled zucchini will have 0.08g fat, 1.02g protein, and 7.08g carbs.