How delicious are summer vegetables that allow us to create many tasty and light dishes, like these split zucchini. And even if it’s hot, no problem, just use the air fryer instead of the oven, quicker and without overheating the house!
Split eggplants are a very well-known vegan side dish that will soon appear here on my blog, but I wanted to try with zucchini, and I loved them. Plus, they take just a few minutes to prepare and don’t require much oil. Just use spices that add flavor but fortunately have zero Weight Watchers points.
Prepared this way, split zucchini, or split zucchini, are delicious and light, but of course, you can change spices and add cherry tomatoes in the cuts, as you like. Come read how I prepared them.
Here are some other recipes with zucchini:
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very cheap
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 2
- Cooking methods: Air Frying
- Cuisine: Healthy
- Seasonality: Spring, Summer
Ingredients
- 2 zucchini (2 if very large otherwise 4 small ones)
- 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil (2 measuring teaspoons)
- to taste spices (make a mix of dry spices as you like, I use oregano and thyme)
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- to taste basil
- to taste mint
- to taste balsamic vinegar (optional)
- to taste salt
- Points per serving = 1 WW point
Tools
- Air Fryer
Steps
Start by washing the zucchini well and trimming them. Then cut them in half to divide them into 4 pieces each. If using small zucchini, you can also just cut them lengthwise.
With a small knife, make deep diagonal cuts on the surface of the zucchini without reaching the skin.
Gently open the zucchini pulp just a little, just enough to insert the seasoning. First, brush the zucchini with oil, then add the dry spices, garlic powder, and a bit of salt. You can add the fresh herbs now, but they will cook too much in the fryer. I added some during cooking and some at the end.
Place the zucchini directly on the air fryer basket and cook at 356°F for 20 minutes, then open and check, and if necessary, continue cooking until the zucchini are slightly golden on the surface. It took me about half an hour.
If you have a less powerful fryer, you may need to cook them at 392°F, as each fryer is a bit different.
If using the oven, bake the zucchini at 428°F for about half an hour and use a nonstick pan or place the zucchini on parchment paper.
At this point, you can serve the zucchini right away, with basil and/or mint on top, or let them cool down (better cold in my opinion)… Even a sprinkle of balsamic vinegar goes perfectly!
Anyway, these split zucchini are spectacular, without frying anything! And I said to prepare 1 large zucchini per person, but if you want, you can eat more, there’s never a limit with vegetables…
Let me know if you tried this recipe, it was well received at home. I’ll be waiting for you in my Facebook group with the photo of this side dish prepared by you.
Enjoy your meal!
by Giovanna Buono
Storage
You can store split zucchini in the fridge for at least 3 days. However, I don’t think it’s a good idea to freeze them.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
Can I also use the oven?
Absolutely, as mentioned before, you can bake the zucchini in the oven at 428°F for about half an hour: use a nonstick pan or place the zucchini on parchment paper.
