It doesn’t get much better than this delicious, healthy zucchini recipe! Zucchini is in season right now and we’re keeping it simple and flavorful with this vegetarian zucchini appetizer. Serve this simple zucchini in garlic sauce at dinner, for a quick lunch as part of wraps or bowls…The recipe really does a great job at the family dinner table and is so simple.
What Is Zucchini In Yogurt Garlic Sauce
Zucchini in garlic sauce is a typical appetizer I grew up eating in Bulgaria. It’s usually made with fried zucchini, yogurt, garlic and salt. You can also add herbs like dill, mint or parsley.
My grandma used to make a variation of this appetizer pretty much all summer long because she used to have a ton of zucchini in her garden.
She would wash and cut up the zucchini in circles. Then start the fire in her outdoor oven and pour like one cup of sunflower oil into a large pan. We would then fry the zucchini until they were golden brown and eat them for lunch with yogurt garlic sauce and some salad. So simple and so good.
Few Simple Ingredients
Zucchini. You can use as many zucchini as you want, just remember that you will need to sauté them and it takes time and space. I usually have enough of cooking after I’ve done 2 zucchini. You can also use fried, grilled or roasted zucchini for this.
Yogurt. You can go for strained Greek yogurt here or just your usual plain yogurt for the sauce. The yogurt I used was a probiotic yogurt, 3.6% fat and it worked very well.
Garlic. As much as you want…one big garlic clove is usually enough for me, but you can never really have too much garlic. It’s all or nothing with this vegetable. I saw a quote somewhere that said you have to measure garlic with your heart. I feel like it’s the truth.
Salt and pepper. And don’t forget the salt because it really makes the flavors pop!
Fresh herbs. These are optional, but if I have some, I like some parsley or dill in there too.
How To Make Zucchini in Garlic Sauce
Start by washing the zucchini, then cut them up in circles (about 0.2-0.3 inches / 6-9mm thick). Add to a bowl and rub with about a teaspoon of olive oil and a few pinches salt.
Grease a pan generously with olive oil, then arrange the zucchini in a single layer and saute at medium-high heat for about 2-3 minutes on each side. The zucchini should get browning spots. I usually use a spatula or a fork for flipping. Just make sure if using a fork to not scratch the pan, but to pinch the zucchini just enough in order to “grab it”, then flip on the other side. Repeat this for as many zucchini as you have.
Add the yogurt, garlic and salt to a bowl and mix.
From here, you can either add the zucchini to the sauce or just dip the cooked zucchini into the garlic sauce.
Zucchini Appetizer Serving Options
Lately, I’ve been cutting up the roasted zucchini into cubes and just adding it directly into the yogurt sauce. Pretty great!
It’s a similar sauce to tzatziki. I used that sauce in these amazing Mediterranean pita pockets, and also in these hummus wraps. Or you can just enjoy as a topping for bowls with salad and chicken/ or other protein source.
However, if you would like to use the zucchini or the yogurt sauce in other recipes, you could also serve and store them separately!
I hope you enjoy this delicious healthy appetizer at your dinner table as well!
More Healthy Appetizer Recipes
Zucchini In Garlic Sauce
Zucchini in garlic sauce is a delicious, healthy appetizer with few simple ingredients that everyone at dinner will love! This easy zucchini recipe is great for Mediterranean pita pockets, wraps and bowls!
Ingredients
- 1 cup zucchini, cut in circles
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1/2 cup yogurt
- 1 tsp olive oil
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Cut the zucchini and rub them with a little bit of olive oil and salt (I found the easiest option to be with my hands and in a bowl). If you have, you can also use grilled or roasted zucchini and chop them before adding to the sauce.
- Grease a nonstick pan with olive oil and saute the zucchini in a single layer at medium high on both sides until golden brown (about 2-3 minutes on each side). Make sure the pan is always greased with olive oil and continue until you run out of zucchini.
- To a bowl, add the cooled zucchini, minced garlic, some olive oil and yogurt. Mix it all together and add salt and pepper to taste.*
- Optionally, you can also serve the zucchini and garlic with yogurt and salt separately.
Notes
*The last time I made the recipe I thinly chopped the roasted zucchini and mixed it with the yogurt and garlic to make a sauce similar to tzatziki. I used that sauce in these amazing Mediterranean pita pockets, but it also does great in these hummus wraps as well.
Nutrition Information
Yield 1 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 148Total Fat 7gSaturated Fat 2gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 5gCholesterol 7mgSodium 382mgCarbohydrates 15gFiber 2gSugar 12gProtein 9g
Originally published in June 2022, last updated in July 2026 with new images and tips.