![Spinach One-Pot Pasta](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2024/07/23/multimedia/yf-simple-spinach-pastarex-pwvg/yf-simple-spinach-pastarex-pwvg-mediumThreeByTwo440.jpg?width=1280&quality=75&auto=webp)
Smashed Zucchini With Chickpeas and Peanuts
![Smashed Zucchini With Chickpeas and Peanuts](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2022/06/09/dining/as-chile-lime-zucchini/as-chile-lime-zucchini-articleLarge.jpg?width=1280&quality=75&auto=webp)
- Total Time
- 15 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
Advertisement
Ingredients
- 1½ to 2pounds zucchini (about 3 to 4 medium)
- 1jalapeño, halved lengthwise, stemmed and sliced into ⅛-inch-thick half-moons
- 2limes, 1 zested and juiced, the other cut into wedges for serving
- Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
- ¼cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
- 1(15-ounce) can chickpeas or 1½ cups cooked chickpeas, rinsed and patted dry
- ¼cup roasted peanuts (salted or unsalted)
- 1½teaspoons ground sumac, coriander or a coriander-based spice blend like baharat or berbere
Preparation
- Step 1
Trim the zucchini ends and slice lengthwise into quarters. Position cut sides down, then smash with the side of your knife until craggy and split. Rip into ½- to 1-inch pieces. Transfer to a colander set in the sink, then toss with the sliced jalapeño, lime juice and 1½ teaspoons salt. Let drain while you cook the chickpeas.
- Step 2
Heat the oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the chickpeas and peanuts and cook, stirring occasionally, until the chickpeas are lightly browned and crisp, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and add the lime zest, sumac and a sprinkle of salt. Stir until fragrant, then taste and add more salt as needed.
- Step 3
Shake the zucchini to get rid of any excess liquid, then transfer to a platter or plates. Drizzle with a little olive oil, then top with the chickpeas. Get a spoonful of everything and taste. Add salt and a squeeze of lime until flavors are bright and zingy. Serve warm or at room temperature (although the chickpeas will become less crispy as they sit with the wet ingredients).
Private Notes
Cooking Notes
I haven't tried the recipe, but I can confirm that anyone who has gardened in the Pacific Northwest has felt the urge to smash some zucchini.
Cut zucchini into quarters and put Into a ziploc back to smash bc they kept slipping off my cutting board. Then added jalapeño lime and salt to that bag and let marinate for 10min before draining. Super easy!
Wonderful, easy recipe. I was out of straight sumac, so subbed in some za'atar at the end, which had sumac, sesame, etc. Worked great. Otherwise made it exactly to recipe. I liked the lightness that resulted from not marinating the zucchini too long. Served it with a really good baguette with excellent olive oil for dipping. This is definitely going to be a summer-long favourite
I subbed unsalted raw pumpkin seeds for the peanuts -- they hopped around the pan as they toasted, which made it feel like a party in the pan -- and added a handful of flat leaf parsley, cilantro and mint before serving. Sliced avocado and jammy not-really-hard boiled egg along side. Delish.
After reading all these notes, I decided to try this with zucchini ribbons using the spiralizer. Also subbed za'atar with great results. During last 2 mins of sautéing chickpeas peanuts, added 1 1/2 cups (broth-cooked) farro to skillet. After final seasoning step, integrated the zoodles to the skillet and mixed. Great result! The farro helped make it hearty enough to be our main. Flavors are excellent and it's awesome for a summer night!
Try smashing (lightly) with a rolling pin. It will break easily into pieces and not fly off the cutting board. No plastic required.
I read this recipe and didn’t have faith that the zucchini smashing technique or combination of flavours would work but I was So Proven Wrong! I have made this 3x this week so far and still love it. I have fairly large zucchini’s so doubled the lime zest and the peanuts (mostly because I love roasted peanuts - keto people just let that one go!) and added a little extra sumac. I’ve never really appreciated what sumac can do until this dish - it really does make a difference.
Haven't tasted this yet because I'm still cooking but if I make it again, I would add the peanuts to chickpeas last few minutes of cooking. They browned fast and I couldn't "crisp" the chickpeas.
For some people, this could be a main dish, especially if you add some cheese and include some boiled eggs. Otherwise consider it as a nice side for salmon (or other fish) or burgers.
Delicious summertime meal! It’s easy to put together and you can sip a cool white wine while preparing (Sancerre or Vouvrey comes to mind) we decided to give each person a small “candy dish “ type bowl of the chickpeas & peanut mixture to keep it crispiest! It reminded everyone of bar food snacks… This recipe will become a staple with the balance of proteins from the chickpeas (& peanuts) against all the dark green veggies
Raw zucchini may seem to be not good. It it is very tasty indeed. Since we have a garden, we have tons of the squash. Slice the raw zucchini, salt it and spread put in a plate. Sprinkle with olive oil and balsamic, and toss some arugula on the top. We have this quite often and our dinner guests are surprised and delighted.
My wife's not a fan of jalapeños, so I subbed grated fresh ginger. Seemed to work.
I just had to try this - it is delicious! I didn't have an jalapeno but I added a few shakes of aleppo. I used a mixture of berbere and sumac and cashews in lieu of peanuts. So easy and perfect for summer.
This is a great recipe if you’re building muscle and want plant-based protein, and zucchini is a favorite vegetable of fitness people.
This had good individual tastes, but it did seem weird to eat. I added yogurt and Indian roti bread…-still - needed something to tie it all together. And it made a humongous mess when I added the chickpeas to the oil. I don’t know how I got this so wrong.
Added some shredded raw green cabbage. Delicious!
This was a huge hit with two people who were very skeptical that raw zucchini could be delicious. The lime marinade changes the bite of the zucchini, the chickpeas and peanuts added two great texture enhancements and deepened flavor, and the pops of lime brightened the entire dish. It will go on my permanent rotation.
I smashed the zucchini in a plastic bag and marinated with the jalapeños and lime to save on dishes and make a lil dressing with the lime juice and salt. I beefed it up a bit too by adding farro and then cooled with the chickpeas and peanuts in a big bowl. I added sliced cucumber and chopped up bell peppers and then mixed it all in the bowl. I also subbed za’atar because I didn’t have sumac and added some mint from the garden. Yum!
I haven't tried this yet, but I will soon. It sounds like a perfect summer lunch recipe for hot days. I'm a wimp when it comes to peppers, and spicy foods give me stomach problems. So, I'll probably substitute a green bell pepper for the jalapeno.
I just don't get raw zucchini as a thing, smashed or cubed...(and i love cooked zucchini). I would make this with cukes instead and enjoy their juicy crunchy texture better.
I liked the garbanzos and peanuts, but I felt like the combo with uncooked zucchini was strange. Perhaps I didn't smash the zucchini enough as it remained crunchy and raw. Flavors were OK, but again I didn't feel like the zucchini was well integrated with the cooked part of the dish.
I wanted to hate this recipe while I was making it. So much mess, splatters of hot oil everywhere, etc. But it is SO good! Next time, I’ll put the zucchini in a bag before smashing with a rolling pin, and I’ll crisp the chickpeas in the oven.
Used pumpkin seed raw instead of peanuts. Also I cooked the zucchini a bit. Next time I’ll slice them much smaller and cook them only a few minutes. Basically delicious.
A wonderful recipe, exactly as made. I served it over some leftover farro, and the textures and flavors were fabulous. I did use a large non-stick frying pan, rather than the medium specified. It gave the chick peas room to get brown and crispy. We're drowning in garden zucchini, and now I don't feel so defeated by it.
Love this recipe! It makes me look forward to zucchini season. I have always used za'atar in place of sumac--because that's what we have. I upped the peanut volume. It is easily a light summer meal on its own but I'm sure would be delicious with yoghurt, cheese, pita.
This was delicious! I added feta, cherry tomatoes, and fresh cilantro, and skipped the zesting. (The juice is mandatory.)
Highly recommend - delicious, unexpected and easy!Swapped in almonds and chili flakes because that’s what I had and it was still delicious. Really unexpected flavor. Makes a great side salad or main dish paired with grains or pasta or roasted sweet potatoes (what I had). I can see it at a bbq or picnic too.loved it!
I would suggest that it would be helpful to smash the zucchini underneath a kitchen towel/tea towel. Otherwise I loved the flavors.
A winner recipe in the flavor per effort ratio. It’s not just a straight summer dish: I made this the week before Halloween and zapped the zucchini briefly to make a warm salad. Readily accepts a garnish of scallions and cilantro.
Such an unexpected and pleasant dish! I took the advice to add farro (cooked in broth) to the chickpeas, smashed the zucchini in a bag and let it marinate, and used lemon and lemon zest instead of lime because that’s what I had. Very enjoyable.
Advertisement
More From Cheap and Easy Dinner Ideas
Trending on Cooking
Cooking Guides
Cooking Guide
Basic Knife Skills
Cooking Guide
How to Plan and Cook Thanksgiving
Cooking Guide
How to Frost a Cake
Cooking Guide
How to Make Cooking Substitutions
Cooking Guide
How to Use an Instant Pot
Cooking Guide
How to Make a Sheet-Pan Dinner
Cooking Guide
How to Make Burgers
Cooking Guide
How to Make Stuffing