Simple Summer Side – Sautéed Mixed Vegetables

Sometimes in the heat of the summer you need a simple and quick side dish. You want to add more vegetables to the menu. Tired of raw vegetables and already had enough grilled, it’s time to move on to something different. Something fast, easy, and fresh.

When this happens to me, I go out to the garden to see what’s ready to pick. Green zucchini and yellow squash in abundance. Green beans on the vines. Maybe even a few small carrots ready to be plucked from the ground. Garlic curing in the garage for fall storage. These are some of the vegetables I found the other day and together this bounty added up to a delicious simple summer side.

I sautéed it all in a bit of olive oil. Perhaps a small dab of butter before serving. Some salt and pepper. A few just-picked cherry tomatoes added in at the last moment wouldn’t be out of place, bursting to release their sweet juices. Maybe a sprinkling of fresh herbs. And you’ve got the making of the better half of your dinner. It is the perfect accompaniment to some grilled or sautéed fish, a nice piece of chicken, or even a serious steak.  And it only takes minutes, easily cooked in the time your protein rests after it comes off the grill.

Of course this side is not limited to what you have in the garden or even to summer for that matter. Almost any vegetable will do, in any season. Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and cauliflower in the fall would be great, and snow or sugar snap peas with asparagus in spring would be divine. Just be sure to add the ones that need to cook the longest to the pan first, in order to give them more time.

No matter what you have on hand, a mix of sautéed vegetables makes a tasty part of a meal and adds up to a simple summer side.

Sautéed Mixed Vegetables

These sautéed mixed vegetables don’t really require a recipe. Use whatever you have on hand; yellow squash or green zucchini, green beans, carrots, cherry tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, snow or sugar snap peas, asparagus. Just make sure to cook them in order, starting with those that need a longer cook time. And shower the end result with any combination of fresh herbs – basil, parsley, cilantro, dill, tarragon – if it’s to your liking. Or not, if that’s how you feel.

serves 4, about 20 minutes

2 Tbsp. olive oil

2 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced

1 large or two small carrots, peeled and cut into coins or julienne

¼ lb. fresh green beans, trimmed

1 medium yellow squash, cut into coins or julienne

1 medium green zucchini, cut into coins or julienne

1 Tbsp. butter

¼ tsp. kosher salt, or to taste

¼ tsp. fresh ground black pepper, or to taste

chopped fresh herbs (basil, parsley, cilantro, dill, tarragon) to taste, optional

1. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a heavy skillet, large enough to more than fit all of your vegetables. Add sliced garlic and sauté until soft but not brown, about 1 to 2 minutes.
2. Add carrots and sauté for a minute or two. Add green beans and sauté for another couple of minutes. Stir in yellow squash and green zucchini and sauté until just cooked through, about 2 to 3 minutes. Just before serving stir in the butter and allow it to melt and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a serving dish and top with fresh herbs, if using. Serve hot.

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