A four-ingredient, one-pot zucchini rice you simply won't be able to get enough of!
This simple Garlicky Zucchini Rice packs a flavor wallop. All you need to help the versatile green squash shine in this dish is a bit of oregano and loads of garlic. The oregano gives this dish an Italian flair but you can easily tweak one or two ingredients to make it go with nearly any dish you are serving, I'll show you how. This is a vegan, soy-free, nut-free and gluten-free recipe.

This very simple and easy one-pot recipe goes from scratch to done in just over 30 minutes and it's so tasty you'll be asked to make it over and over.
Spring is a wonderful time to cook with zucchini. This tasty vegetable is a nutritional star, with tons of fiber and hardly any calories. It is rich in antioxidants and loaded with potassium and vitamin A.
Flavor-wise it lends itself perfectly to both savory and sweet dishes, from Vegan Zucchini Breakfast Strata, Easy Pan-Roasted Zucchini and Garlicky Zucchini Quinoa Cakes to Vegan Zucchini Orange Cake and Vegan Zucchini Bread.
In this savory and garlicky Zucchini Rice its deliciousness is accentuated by a dash of fresh oregano and oodles of garlic. Oregano is a great flavor to pair with zucchini and it adds a bit of an Italian flair to this recipe. But you can replace it with any herb you have on hand. Mint would be amazing here, as would basil. Or use sage or thyme. I'll have more ideas on tweaking this recipe to suit other cuisines and dishes in the notes below.

Ingredients for zucchini rice recipe
- 1 tablespoon olive oil. Or any vegetable oil. I used olive oil because I wanted to give this an Italian flavor, but you can use another flavorless oil with great results.
- 6 cloves garlic. I told you this is a garlicky rice, and you will need lots of garlic. If you aren't a garlic fan you can cut it down but the garlic does add lots of flavor.
- 3 medium zucchini (about 1.25 pounds). You can also use yellow squash for a variation.
- 1 tablespoon oregano. I used fresh oregano. This early bloomer is already waking up and growing in my garden and it goes so nicely with zucchini. You can use dry oregano but if you do use between 1 and 2 teaspoons depending on how much oregano flavor you want in there as the flavor of the dry herb is much more concentrated.
- 1.5 cups rice. I used basmati. You can use any long-grain rice, including jasmine, but basmati will give a nice-looking result with separate grains. You can also use brown rice or quinoa, see instructions in the FAQs below.
- 3 cups water. You can use vegetable stock but I like to keep things simple here so the flavors of the zucchini, oregano and garlic take center-stage.
- Salt and ground black pepper to taste.
Optional ingredients and substitutions
- Snip a few garlic chives or regular onion chives into the finished dish for a garnish and more fresh flavor.
- Stir in the zest of a lemon into the zucchini and rice before adding the water for a pop of citrusy freshness.
- Sprinkle on and stir in a quarter cup of vegan cashew parmesan cheese for a rich, cheesy flavor to the zucchini rice. Add it after cooking is done and you've let the rice stand for at least 10 minutes. This would be a wonderful side dish with an Italian dish like my vegan eggplant parmesan.
- Use another herb like mint, basil, sage or thyme instead of the oregano for a different flavor.
- To give this rice an Indian touch use vegetable oil instead of olive oil and saute three green cardamoms, three cloves and a teaspoon of cumin until they are a shade darker. Then add the zucchini and proceed with cooking the rice. Use mint or cilantro instead of oregano and add them in after cooking and resting the rice.
- For a middle eastern flavor stir in za'atar instead of oregano.

How to make Garlicky Zucchini Rice
- Grate the zucchini using a grater or a food processor. Use the smallest to medium sized holes on the grater. Set aside.
- Heat oil in a saucepan or saute pan or large skillet with lid. Add the olive oil with the garlic and saute for a minute or two as the oil heats up and the garlic begins to turn lightly blonde.
- Add the oregano and mix a few more seconds so the flavor infuses through the oil.


- Stir in the grated zucchini and saute for a couple of minutes until it expresses its juices.
- Now add in the rice. You don't need to soak it, dry rice is fine. Saute the rice for a couple of minutes until the grains begin to turn opaque.


- Add 3 cups of water and add salt and ground black pepper to taste. As always taste the water after stirring it in and make sure it's slightly saltier than you want your final dish to be.
- Bring the mixture to a rolling boil. Cover the pot with a tight fitting lid, then turn down the heat to the lowest point on your largest burner, and cook undisturbed for 10 minutes.
- Open the pot, stir the rice one last time very gently so as to not break the grains, then cover again and cook, undisturbed, for 10 minutes more. Don't peek during this time and don't stir the rice again.
- Turn off the heat but don't open the pot--let it stand 10 minutes more so the rice can continue to steam.
- Fluff the grains of rice with a fork before serving. Serve hot.



What to serve with the zucchini rice
- I especially love the zucchini rice with vegan eggplant parmesan.
- Made with spices and mint it goes beautifully with a spicy Indian curry like this Railway Mushroom Curry or My Dad's "Not Mutton" Mushroom Curry.
- It would also pair nicely with this Lebanese Chickpea Stew, which is one of my favorite chickpea recipes, or this Moroccan Chickpea Stew.
Storage and freezing instructions
- Refigerator: Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to four days.
- Freezer: To freeze the zucchini rice for longer storage, first spread it out on a baking sheet and let as much moisture as possible evaporate. Then place the rice in airtight containers or freezer bags and store for up to three months.
- Reheating: To reheat the zucchini rice place the frozen rice in a microwave-safe bowl. Cover with a microwave-safe lid or cling wrap and zap for 2-3 minutes on high or until the rice is soft and becomes fluffy again when teased with a fork.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, but you will need to use a slightly different technique so as to not let the zucchini overcook. Add the rice to the pot right after you saute the garlic and oregano. Saute for a couple of minutes, then add 4.5 cups water and cook the rice, undisturbed, for 35 minutes.
After 30 minutes stir in the zucchini, then cover again and cook 15 more minutes or until the rice is done.
Yes. You can proceed with the quinoa exactly as you would when making the recipe with white rice, but add less water: 2 ½ cups. Make sure you rinse the quinoa before adding it to the pot.
Absolutely. You can cut down the cooking time -- as well as the carbs -- significantly by using cauliflower rice. This is especially useful for those following a low-carb or keto diet. Proceed with the recipe exactly as you would for rice but turn off the stove after 10 minutes of steaming. Stir one last time about 5 minutes into cooking, then leave the rice alone for the remaining 5 minutes of cooking time and while it stands for 15 minutes after cooking is done.
More Spring recipes you might love


Garlicky Zucchini Rice
Equipment
- Food processor (or hand grater or box grater)
- Saute pan or skillet with tight lid
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (or vegetable oil)
- 6 cloves garlic (minced or crushed using a garlic press)
- 3 medium zucchini (about 1.25 pounds. You can also use yellow squash)
- 1 tablespoon oregano (I used fresh. If using dry use 1-2 teaspoons as the flavor is more concentrated)
- 1.5 cups basmati rice (or any long-grain rice. See notes for how to cook with brown rice or quinoa)
- Salt and ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Grate the zucchini using a grater or a food processor. Use the smallest to medium sized holes on the grater. Set aside.
- Heat oil in a saucepan or saute pan. Add the olive oil with the garlic and saute for a minute or two as the oil heats up and the garlic begins to turn lightly blonde.
- Add the oregano and mix a few more seconds so the flavor infuses through the oil.
- Stir in the zucchini and saute for a couple of minutes until it expresses its juices.
- Now add in the rice. You don't need to soak it, dry rice is fine. Saute the rice for a couple of minutes until the grains begin to turn opaque.
- Add 3 cups of water and add salt and ground black pepper to taste. As always taste the water after stirring it in and make sure it's slightly saltier than you want your final dish to be.
- Bring the mixture to a rolling boil. Cover the pot with a tight fitting lid, then turn down the heat to the lowest point on your largest burner, and cook undisturbed for 10 minutes.
- Open the pot, stir the rice one last time very gently so as to not break the grains, then cover again and cook, undisturbed, for 10 minutes more. Don't peek during this time and don't stir the rice again.
- Turn off the heat but don't open the pot--let it stand 10 minutes more so the rice can continue to steam.
- Fluff the grains of rice with a fork before serving. Serve hot.
Recipe notes
- Substitutions and additions: Snip a few garlic chives or regular onion chives into the finished dish for a garnish and more fresh flavor.
- Stir in the zest of a lemon into the zucchini and rice before adding the water for a pop of citrusy freshness.
- Stir in a quarter cup of vegan cashew parmesan for a rich, cheesy flavor to the zucchini rice. Add it after cooking is done and you've let the rice stand for at least 10 minutes. This would be a wonderful side with an Italian dish like my vegan eggplant parmesan.
- Use another herb like mint, basil, sage or thyme instead of the oregano for a different flavor.
- To give this rice an Indian touch use vegetable oil instead of olive oil and saute three green cardamoms, three cloves and a teaspoon of cumin until they are a shade darker. Then add the zucchini and proceed with cooking the rice. Use mint or cilantro instead of oregano and add them in after cooking and resting the rice.
- For a middle eastern flavor stir in za'atar instead of oregano.
- Using brown rice or quinoa: To make this with brown rice add the rice to the pot right after you saute the garlic and oregano. Don't add the zucchini at this time. Saute for a couple of minutes, then add 4.5 cups water and cook the rice, undisturbed, for 35 minutes. After 30 minutes stir in the zucchini, then cover again and cook 15 more minutes or until the rice is done.
- To make this with quinoa, rinse the quinoa and then proceed exactly as you would when making the recipe with white rice. Add less water: 2 ½ cups.
- Storage, freezing and reheating: Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to four days.
- To freeze the zucchini rice for longer storage, first spread it out on a baking sheet and let as much moisture as possible evaporate. Then place the rice in airtight containers or freezer bags and store for up to three months.
- To reheat the zucchini rice place the frozen rice in a microwave-safe bowl. Cover with a microwave-safe lid or cling wrap and zap for 2-3 minutes on high or until the rice is soft and becomes fluffy again when teased with a fork.
susan
This is a great recipe on it's own...I did add a prepared Indian vegan green chili sauce that had coconut and serrano and this was a quick meal as I used precooked basmati. I wouldn't have thought of shredded zucchini...what a great addition!
Vaishali
Sounds delish! So happy you made it.
Donna Griffard
Made this today with red quinoa. Turned out well but a tiny bit moist maybe (used the 2.5 cups of water with 1.5 quinoa). Might try some more spice or bullion cube or even more lemon next time for more pow. Good recipe, thanks!
Vaishali
Hi Donna, happy you made it! You should absolutely feel free to add more ingredients--this is a base recipe and it would work nicely with more spices or bouillon. You can try reducing the water by 1/2 cup next time.
Thandi
Fantastic recipe! Look forward to trying.
Vaishali
Thanks so much. Hope you try! 🙂