Courgette Recipes: 3 Easy Ways From Bland to Brilliant
Last updated on October 17th, 2026
Courgettes or zucchinis, however you know them, we all share the same problem. They’re in abundance for most of the year, but there’s a lack of interesting recipes to match this abundance.
So in this blog post I’ll share 3 of my favourite recipes to make using these courgettes. They’re quick, simple and of course tasty. If you’ve still got a glut after these, my simple courgette and chilli pasta is another quick way to use them up.
Courgette Carpaccio: Raw Ribbons With Lemon and Thyme
Peel the courgette into long ribbons with a veg peeler, stopping when you reach the seedy centre, then cure the ribbons for 10 minutes in a little salt and the juice of half a lemon, mixing by hand. Finish with thyme, toasted pine nuts, a touch of olive oil and parmesan. There is no cooking and it takes about 15 minutes. Full method and quantities in my courgette carpaccio recipe.
Greek-Style Courgette Fritters
Grate the courgette, salt it in a colander for about 30 minutes, then squeeze out the water. Mix it with feta, mint, spring onion and an egg, add just enough flour to hold it together, and fry gently for 2 to 3 minutes a side. If you only make one recipe from the video, make this one. Full method in my courgette fritters with feta and mint.
Grilled Courgette With A Quick Chimichurri
Cut the courgette into little boats, score the cut side, salt it for around 15 minutes and pat it dry. Sear it cut side down until golden, then finish it in the oven at 180°C for roughly 10 minutes, or on a cooler part of the barbecue, and toss it in a quick chimichurri while it is still hot. Full method in my grilled courgettes with chimichurri.
How to Cook Courgettes Without Them Going Soggy
Courgettes hold a lot of water, so each of these recipes deals with it before the courgette meets the pan or the bowl. The ribbons get a quick 10 minute cure in salt and lemon. Grated courgette is salted and left to drain for about 30 minutes, then squeezed. The halves are salted for 15 minutes and dabbed dry with paper towel, because the drier they go into the pan, the better they fry.
What Can You Do With Lots of Courgettes?
Make all three: a raw ribbon salad, fritters and chimichurri courgettes use them up in different ways and none of them takes long. Keep the squeezed-out water and the seedy centres from the ribbons too, because you can use them to make a simple, light, summery soup.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can courgette be eaten raw?
Yes. Peel it into thin ribbons and cure them for 10 minutes in a little salt and lemon juice, and you have a light raw salad. Leave out the seedy centre, which turns mushy once cured.
How do you cook courgettes on a barbecue?
Prepare them the same way as the oven version: cut into halves, scored, salted for 15 minutes and patted dry. Then place them in an area of the barbecue with low heat and let them cook gently through. Toss them in chimichurri while they are hot.
How do you cook courgettes in the oven?
Fry the salted, dried courgette halves cut side down in a pan over a medium to low heat for a couple of minutes until golden, then put the whole pan into an oven preheated to 180°C for around 10 minutes, until they have softened on top.
