Zucchini slices are baked at a low temperature until crisp then served with a lemon basil tahini cream for dipping. This vegan and gluten free appetizer is perfect for using up an abundance of zucchini in the summer!
It’s that time of year when zucchini and summer squash are growing faster than we can eat them! I’ve been trying to come up with new ways to use them so that I get excited about their abundance instead of slightly bothered. Even though I had some left over from my farm trip, I willingly bought more at the market this past weekend. Zucchini partay!!
I’d be lying if I said I didn’t panic a little at the sight of nearly an entire drawer full of squash. As a kid I wasn’t picky. I would eat pretty much every vegetable…except for squash. I think it was something about the texture of steamed summer squash that triggered my gag reflex. Though I don’t have that reaction anymore, I still struggle to get as excited about summer squashes as I do with other veggies. To help eat through my supply a little quicker, I decided to bake up some zucchini chips. Even though they took a little longer than I was expecting to crisp up, they were totally worth the wait. The slices shrink up in the oven so that their flavor intensifies and they become perfectly crisp. And, since zucchini is a great source of manganese, vitamin C, and dietary fiber, you don’t have to feel guilty about eating a hearty portion of these chips 😉
Since I couldn’t leave well enough alone, I went ahead and made a little summer-inspired tahini dip to enjoy with the chips. It’s not only delicious with the chips but also with anything else you want to spread it on (veggie burgers, avocado toast, tomato slices…).
If you need more ideas to use up a surplus of zucchini, here’s a few favorites from the archives:
- polenta pizza with herbed cashew ricotta & summer veggies
- mint & blackberry zucchini muffins
- zucchini coconut fritters with tomato hemp salsa
Zucchini Chips with Lemon Basil Tahini Cream
- Total Time: 2.5 hours
- Yield: 3–4 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Zucchini slices are baked at a low temperature until crisp then served with a lemon basil tahini cream for dipping. This vegan and gluten free appetizer is perfect for using up an abundance of zucchini in the summer!
Ingredients
- 3–4 zucchini
- sea salt, to taste
- pepper, to taste
- coconut oil (spray or melt and lightly brush)
- 1/3 cup tahini
- juice of 1 small lemon
- 3–4 tbsp water as needed to thin
- pinch of sea salt
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp dried dill
- small handful fresh basil
- splash of maple syrup (or honey if you eat it)
- 1–2 tbsp nutritional yeast
Instructions
Slice the zucchini thinly & evenly to about 1/16 of an inch in thickness. Blot the slices with a paper towel to absorb any excess moisture, then arrrange them on a lined baking sheet so that they are not overlapping. Brush or spray the slices lightly with coconut oil, then flip the slices and do the same on the other side. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt & black pepper (use less than you think you should because the slices will shrink considerably).
Bake the chips in a 225 degree oven for 2 to 2.5 hours or until they are crisp. If you notice the chips aren’t crisping up you can bake them on a cooling rack or broiler pan to help speed up the process. Cool completely before eating or storing in an airtight container.
While the zucchini chips are baking, blend together the tahini, lemon juice, garlic powder, dried dill, basil, maple syrup, nutritional yeast, and 3 tbsp of water. Blend until smooth. If you need to thin it more, add another tbsp of water. Makes a heaping 1/2 cup.
Serve the cooled chips with the lemon basil tahini cream.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 2-2.5 hours
- Category: appetizer
