Instead · 1
yellow squash or any summer squash
one for one
- What it gets you
- The identical vegetable under a different name, cut and cooked the same way.
- What it costs you
- Nothing.
Substitutions · 13 dishes here use it
Out of zucchini
Water in a vegetable costume. Salt and drain it, or cook it hot and fast — anything in between gives you gray, soft pieces and a puddle.
Everything below is judged against that job. A swap that covers it is a swap; one that only looks similar is not.
What to reach for
Instead · 2
eggplant
one for one
- What it gets you
- A soft summer vegetable that fries and layers into the same dishes.
- What it costs you
- It drinks oil rather than releasing water, so the pan needs more fat and more patience.
Instead · 3
cucumber, for a raw salad
one for one
- What it gets you
- Cold watery crunch, sliced thin, dressed the same way.
- What it costs you
- Every cooked use. Cucumber in a pan is a sad thing.
Where the swap will be tasted · 6
These need it and are short enough that nothing hides: 4 required ingredients or fewer, which makes zucchini a quarter of what is in the pan. Make the swap a decision rather than a repair.
Check what else is in the pan
The company zucchini keeps in this library, counted off required ingredients. A swap that argues with the top two is the wrong swap, whatever a chart says.