Ginger-marinated zucchini with lime yogurt is a dish chock-full of contradictions, which might not exactly make it sound like something you’d want to try. But bear with me.
Its flavor base relies on the ginger and garlic combination so widely used in our favorite cuisines, yet the recipe does not neatly fit into an Indian, Mediterranean or Chinese playbook. It tastes light and refreshing, yet rich, thanks to olive oil and yogurt. Marinating is involved, but nobody has to sit around or rearrange their spices; the zucchini is sliced so thin that by the time you compose plates and fry the eggs — yep, this is one of those put-an-egg-on-it meals, suitable for breakfast or brunch as well — dinner’s done.
Ginger and garlic can both pack a sharp bite, but they do mellow here. That will depend in part on how much you break them down on the cutting board with a fine chop or mashed with a little kosher salt. Choose a buttery-tasting or “smooth” olive oil for them to infuse.
And here’s the best part, in triplicate: It takes 20 minutes to prepare, cleanup is minimal and it will augment your summer zucchini arsenal.
Ginger-marinated zucchini with lime yogurt
Ginger brings a new level of refreshing to warm weather’s most prolific vegetable.
This is a light meal that would welcome some toast for scooping, as well as a side of sauteed peas or green beans.
1 lime
2 scallions
1 piece fresh ginger root (2 inches)
2 medium cloves garlic
⅛ teaspoon and ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
2 medium zucchini (12 to 13 ounces total)
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more as needed
⅓ to ½ cup full-fat plain yogurt, for serving
Pinch sugar
2 large eggs
Use a Microplane grater to zest 1 teaspoon of peel from the lime. Cut the lime and squeeze the juice into a measuring cup. Coarsely chop the white and light-green parts of the scallions to yield at least 3 tablespoons. Use a spoon to peel the ginger, then grate or mince the ginger to yield at least 1 tablespoon. Mince the garlic, using a little salt to mash it into a paste.
Rinse the zucchini and trim the ends. Use a wide vegetable peeler, a mandoline or a sharp chef’s knife to cut each vegetable lengthwise into equally thin planks (less than ¼-inch thick).
Use 2 teaspoons of the oil to lightly coat each zucchini plank on both sides, then season with the 1/8 teaspoon of the salt and the ¼ teaspoon of pepper.
Heat a large, dry grill pan over medium-high heat. Arrange as many zucchini planks as will fit in a single layer in the pan; reduce the heat to medium and cook for about 1½ minutes on each side. The planks will soften and turn into ribbons. Repeat to cook all the zucchini, transferring it to a large plate as the ribbons are done.
Stir together the lime zest, a drizzle of the oil and the yogurt (to taste) in a small bowl. Season lightly with pepper.
Whisk the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil into the lime juice (in its measuring cup), then add the scallions, garlic, ginger and the pinch of sugar. Pour over the zucchini ribbons, tossing them gently to coat. Let them sit/marinate while you make the eggs. If the mixture looks dry, drizzle in a little more oil.
Heat a small nonstick skillet over medium heat. Crack in the eggs and fry, sunny-side up, just until the whites are set but the yolk is still a bit runny. Season them with the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt and a pinch of pepper.
To serve, divide the lime-zest yogurt between plates, spreading it around with the back of a spoon. Top with equal amounts of the ginger-marinated zucchini, then place an egg on each portion.
Makes 2 servings. Nutrition per serving: 310 calories; 25 grams total fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 220 milligrams cholesterol; 310 miligrams sodium; 15 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 7 grams sugar; 11 grams protein.
— Based on a recipe from “No Crumbs Left: Recipes for Everyday Food Made Marvelous,” by Teri Turner; Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2019.
