These flavorful Simple Sautéed Vegetables make the perfect healthy side dish that are seasoned to perfection and easily made in just 20 minutes!
Anyone ever get in a rut for dinner and never know what to serve as a side dish? I know, I know, I’m pretty sure this happens to all of us, but I have your solution! This easy sautéed vegetables recipe is my favorite go-to when I want a quick, healthy side dish for dinner and they’re ready in just 20 minutes! This recipe is perfect for those busy weeknights when you have an assortment of veggies in your fridge that need to be used up and you don’t want them to go to waste.
There are so many way you can cook fresh vegetables. Grilling, roasting, boiling, steaming, but I just LOVE sautéing veggies because not only do they cook really quickly, but they get this delicious caramelization (browning) on them that only a good skillet and some oil can achieve. It’s also nice to have more control over what you’re cooking.
Why You’ll Love This
- Easily made in just 20 minutes!
- A great way to add lots of veggies to your meal in one perfect side dish.
- Made all in one pan for easy clean-up.
- Flavorful, tender fresh veggies seasoned to perfection with garlic, herbs and delicious spices.
Here’s What You’ll Need
- zucchini – filled with nutrients and I just love how tender the zucchini gets.
- asparagus – these have such great texture and sauteed asparagus tastes amazing with all the garlic flavors.
- bell peppers – I used a red bell pepper because I love colorful veggies, taste and crispness, but any color bell pepper would work.
- carrots – for that beautiful color and added nutrition!
- mushrooms – I sliced up some baby bella mushrooms, but any type of mushrooms will work in this.
- green onions – adds extra flavor and color, but you could also use a white or yellow onion in this as well.
- olive oil – I like to use a good olive oil that doesn’t have to be expensive, just make sure it’s cold-pressed and organic for the most flavor. You could also use avocado oil, vegetable oil or butter.
- garlic – fresh minced garlic tastes SO good with these veggies! I used 3 cloves in this, but you could substitute fresh garlic with about 1 1/2 teaspoons of garlic powder.
- seasonings – combination of Italian seasoning (or oregano), onion powder, paprika, kosher salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes to kick up the spice.
Other Vegetable Options
There are so many different types of vegetables you could use in this recipe. So many great vegetable options for picky eaters!
- Broccoli
- Grape tomatoes
- Cauliflower
- Green beans
- Snow peas or snap peas
- Brussels sprouts
- White, yellow or red onion
- Yellow squash
- Sweet potatoes
- Leafy greens such as kale or spinach
- Fresh herbs such as parsley, basil or dill
How to Make Simple Sautéed Vegetables
Learn how to make this sauteed vegetables recipe in just a few easy steps!
- Chop vegetables. Chop and slice all your veggies so that everything is ready to go in the pan to cook. Make sure to chop all the veggies in similiar sizes to ensure that they cook evenly.
- Get the pan hot. Drizzle a little oil in a large sauté pan or non-stick skillet on medium high heat and let it get nice and hot. Then add the garlic and sauté for about one minute, stirring constantly so that the garlic doesn’t burn.
- Sauté the vegetables. Add in the carrots and asparagus to the pan first as harder vegetables take longer to cook than the softer vegetables, and saute vegetables for about 6 minutes. Next add in the rest of the vegetables (zucchini, bell pepper, and mushrooms), the green onions and dried seasonings and cook for an additional 8 to 10 minutes, until veggies are tender and cooked through.
- Serve and enjoy! Taste veggies and adjust any seasonings as needed. Feel free to sprinkle a little parmesan cheese over top before serving.
Can I Sauté Frozen Veggies?
I really prefer using fresh, crisp vegetables for sautéing, however you can definitely use frozen vegetables if that’s all you have on hand. I will warn you though, they tend to release a ton of water so they can get soggy really easily and they only need half the cooking time. Make sure your skillet is really hot so that any water that comes out will evaporate quickly and don’t let the veggies thaw before cooking them. Add them straight into the skillet still frozen so that they maintain their vibrant color and stay more crisp!
Tips, Tricks and Substitutions
- Make sure to add hard vegetables in the skillet first as they have the longest cooking time over softer veggies. You don’t want perfectly cooked carrots and mushy zucchini!
- Use a really large skillet so that the vegetables don’t get too crowded and can really get that nice caramelization on them. This is my favorite cast iron pan to cook pretty much EVERYTHING in (hence why it’s called the “Everything Pan” ha) and this cast iron skillet just so happens to be on sale right now! Non-stick pans are a great option as well, it’s just harder to get those browned edges that taste amazing.
- You really want to use medium-high heat when doing a vegetable sauté to keep them nice and crisp so that any water coming out of them will evaporate quickly and not make your vegetables soggy.
- Be patient with your veggies and try not to stir them TOO often in order for proper browning.
- To switch things up, try using a variety of different seasonings, fresh herbs and even a splash of soy sauce (or coconut aminos). Chili-garlic sauce would taste amazing!
- Feel free to add in some protein such as chicken, shrimp or salmon to make this a complete meal or keep it a simple recipe and serve as a delicious side dish to the main course.
Prepping and Storage
This sautéed vegetable recipe will last in your refrigerator in a sealed, airtight container for about 3 to 5 days. A great recipe for meal prep! You can easily reheat leftovers in the microwave or hot skillet.
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Hope you all enjoy this simple way to make delicious vegetables! If you love this as much as we do, please leave me ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ below and don’t forget to tag me on Instagram using the hashtag #eatyourselfskinny! I love seeing all your delicious recreations!
Simple Sautéed Vegetables
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup carrots, sliced
- 1 lb asparagus, ends trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 zucchini, sliced
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced
- 8 oz mushrooms, sliced
- 3 or 4 green onions, chopped
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- Pinch of red pepper flakes
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, drizzle olive oil and sauté garlic for about a minute, stirring constantly so that it doesn't burn.
- Next add the carrots and asparagus and sauté for about 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then add in zucchini, bell pepper, mushrooms, green onions and seasonings. Cook an additional 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally so that all the vegetables will evenly cook.
- Taste veggies, adjust seasonings as needed and serve immediately. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Made this recipe for this week’s meal prep and will make it at least twice a month from now on, simple and delicious. I did a tablespoon of butter and was even better!
Hi,what is the proper accompaniment for cream soups
Hi
If I swap carrots for green beans how much should I use?
I would use about a cup 🙂
This is incredible. Very light and delicious. This is exactly what I needed. But I add a little piece of meat to it and now it is a perfect lunch for the lunch break at coworking Göteborg.
It was nearing dinnertime and I had no idea what I wanted. I only had to cook for me so it should have been an easy decision but it wasn’t. I wanted something healthy and filling but simple and not too time consuming. I started surfing for ideas and soon the picture of this big, beautiful pan of vegetables flew by. I scrambled back looking for it and landed on the best, healthiest, most beautiful meal, sauteed vegetables! Lot’s of colorful, beautiful veggies with some just right spices. I had some of them but not all so I headed to the grocery store and came home with everything I needed. This recipe fit the bill and was easy and simple and what a great dish! I made enough to for 2 or 3 days of a healthy, tasty dinner with a WOW factor. This recipe will also serve me well as the vegetables pile up this summer! Thank you for sharing!
I have made this so often. This is such a big hit in my home. Even those that do not like certain veggies eat it!
Why do you show geen onion but don’t list it ?
Oops my mistake! I definitely add green onions to this, I’ll update the recipe card 🙂 Sorry about that!