The summer vegetables in air fryer are a simple, healthy, and tasty idea to enhance seasonal vegetables like eggplants, peppers, and tomatoes, which in summer reach the peak of their sweetness and flavor. This colorful mix of vegetables is ideal to enjoy either hot or cold: as a light side dish for meat or fish, as a vegetarian main course, or to enrich a summer savory pie, a rice salad, or a cold pasta. Using an air fryer to cook summer vegetables has several advantages: it requires less oil than the classic pan cooking, avoids the oven, and spares you the heat of the stove on the hottest days. The result? Roasted and golden vegetables on the outside, soft and flavorful on the inside, with a perfect texture and full taste. To further enhance the aroma and freshness of the dish, I add freshly chopped basil at the end of cooking. Alternatively, you can use other herbs like oregano, mint, parsley, or marjoram, depending on your taste or what’s in your pantry. If you’re looking for an easy, quick, and tasty idea to vary your summer dishes, the summer vegetables cooked in an air fryer are a perfect solution: healthy, versatile, ready in minutes, and suitable for the whole family. Try them and be captivated by the lightness of summer!
You might also be interested in:
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Very Cheap
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 4People
- Cooking methods: Air Frying
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Summer
- Energy 124.27 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 12.41 (g) of which sugars 11.73 (g)
- Proteins 2.22 (g)
- Fat 7.65 (g) of which saturated 1.02 (g)of which unsaturated 0.07 (g)
- Fibers 4.57 (g)
- Sodium 200.05 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 115 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for the Summer Vegetables Cooked in Air Fryer
- 1 eggplant
- 1 pepper
- 250 g cherry tomatoes
- 8 leaves basil
- 2 pinches salt
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Tools
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Knife
- 1 Bowl large
- 1 Air Fryer
- Air Fryer Paper
How to Cook Diced Vegetables in the Air Fryer
To prepare the summer vegetables in the air fryer, first wash and dry all the vegetables. Then cut them into cubes not too small, to prevent them from burning or drying out too much. Start with the pepper: remove the stem and seeds, then cut it into large strips and remove the inner filaments (1). Cut the strips into pieces about 1.5-2 cm (0.6-0.8 inches) in size (2). Cut the eggplant into slices about 2 cm (0.8 inches) thick (3).
Cut each slice into cubes about 2 cm (0.8 inches) in size (4). Simply cut the cherry tomatoes in half (5). Place all the vegetables in a large bowl and season them with a pinch of salt and olive oil (6).
Mix thoroughly with your hands to ensure the seasoning is evenly distributed over all the vegetables (7). Line the air fryer basket with the appropriate parchment paper (8). Pour the vegetables in, forming an even layer (9).
Cook the summer vegetables in the air fryer at 356°F for about 15 minutes. Halfway through, stir them with a spoon (10). At the end, you should have a mix of soft and slightly golden vegetables (11). Depending on the fryer models and the size of the vegetable cubes, cooking times may vary by 2-3 minutes. Once ready, transfer the vegetables into a bowl and add the freshly torn basil (12). Mix well.
You can serve the summer vegetables either hot or at room temperature, or use them for other preparations, such as savory pies, pasta or rice salads, or use them to top pizza.
Storage
You can store the cooked vegetables in the refrigerator for 2 or 3 days, sealed in a glass container.
Tips and Variations
If you want to add a touch of extra flavor to this summer vegetable mix, you can also use a scallion or half a Tropea onion: slice it fairly thin and cook it along with the other vegetables.
