These are the three best ways to cook zucchini noodles that are crisp, springy, and easy to pair with your favorite healthy pasta sauces for a low-carb meal.
One of the questions I’m asked most frequently is, “What’s the best way to cook zucchini noodles?”
Zucchini can be tricky to cook well. That’s because the vegetable contains over 95% water. It can easily become watery and mushy when cooked. However, it’s also flavorful, low-carb and easy to turn into noodles with your spiralizer.
If you’re struggling with mushy noodles, be sure to read the tips in my post all about How to Avoid Watery and Soggy Zucchini Noodles.
And below, you’ll find my three best ways to cook zucchini noodles that come out bright, crisp and refreshing every time. After years of careful testing countless zucchini, I’m excited to share what I’ve learned!
Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat, then season the water generously with salt. Add the zucchini noodles and cook until the noodles are crisp tender, 1 to 2 minutes. Use tongs or a spider to immediately transfer the zoodles to a large bowl filled with ice water.
Simmer in a broth
While you would think that adding zucchini noodles to liquid would make them mushier, it’s the exact opposite. Thanks to osmosis, when you add zucchini to liquid, the zucchini doesn’t release as much moisture, because it’s floating in moisture.
Without getting too technical, the broth or soup liquid will keep the zucchini firm. However, moisture release is inevitable and does happen, so it will thin out and dilute your broth a bit. To combat this, add extra flavor to your soup at the beginning.
For example, add an extra couple of teaspoons of soy sauce to your ramen to counteract the water from the zucchini. If you’re serving your soup immediately, you don’t need to worry about this. But the longer a zucchini noodle soup sits, the more diluted the flavor will become.
Should I Salt Zucchini Noodles?
Don’t pre-salt your zucchini noodles. First of all, one of the benefits of spiralizing is that it’s SO quick (just spiralize, cook, and enjoy pasta in under 5 minutes!). Salting adds extra prep work. In addition, it also leaves your noodles limp and overly salty. Whatever you do, do not let your cut zucchini noodles sit in salt before cooking.
Likewise, never salt the zucchini once it’s heating in the pan. If you are cooking your zucchini in a skillet, don’t salt it! The salt will cause the water in the zucchini to release and thus, a soggy mess. Instead, season your noodles just before serving.
THE BEST WAY TO COOK ZUCCHINI NOODLES – HOW TO COOK ZOODLES (good recipe for
FAQ
How do you cook zoodles so they are not mushy?
Are zoodles eaten raw or cooked?
Do zucchini noodles taste like regular noodles?
Should zoodles be blanched?
How long do you boil zoodles?
Add the zoodles to the pot and cook for 1 to 3 minutes. Use a spoon to stir them until they’re fully submerged. Let the zoodles boil in the water for 1 to 3 minutes, stirring them occasionally. If you’re just making 1 serving of zoodles, 60 seconds is probably all they’ll need.
How do you cook zoodles in a crock pot?
Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat, then season the water generously with salt. Add the zucchini noodles and cook until the noodles are crisp tender, 1 to 2 minutes. Use tongs or a spider to immediately transfer the zoodles to a large bowl filled with ice water. This will shock the zoodles and stop any additional cooking.
Can you cook zoodles too long?
Zucchini are comprised of 95 percent water (yes, 95%). So when you cook them, you may end up with a soggy, mushy mess of watery noodles – just by cooking one minute too long. The exact opposite of al dente. So when you’re cooking zoodles, remind yourself that your intention is simply to heat them up and not really to “cook.”
Can you cook zoodles on a stovetop?
Cooking zoodles on the stovetop is a great one-pan method that works well during the summer months when you don’t want to turn on your oven. However, with this method, you do risk mushy noodles and you get a smaller volume of noodles. Drain. Place the zoodles in a colander over the sink and toss with salt. Let them sit for 30 minutes.