5 recipes that use up A LOT of zucchini

Every year my garden is overrun with too much zucchini. My neighbors enjoy the extra zucchini at first, but at some point I end up with just too many to share. Then I have to figure out what to do with so much excess zucchini.

When I have a lot that needs to be used up, I make several soups at once. If I have just 3-4 extras, I use them in a quick bread or quiche. I've done this so many times that I've grouped a bunch of them together for an afternoon of batch cooking.

Jump to:

• What to do with a lot of zucchini
• Zucchini soups
• Zucchini quiches & quick breads
• More recipes & resources

What to do with a lot of zucchini

When I have a lot of zucchini to use up, I turn to batch cooking. I've created two different plans to use up extra zucchini as efficiently as possible: a soup plan and a quiche + bread plan.

The soup plan

I selected 3 very different zucchini soup recipes that can be made simultaneously. A double batch of each recipe uses up a dozen zucchini in 2 hours.

• Italian tomato, zucchini, and eggplant soup
• Roasted poblano zucchini soup
• Loaded potato zucchini soup

The quiche & quick bread plan

These two things may seem unrelated, but they both use shredded zucchini. They use different sized pans too, so you can make use of all your cookware at once. Both recipes are designed to have add-in flavors mixed in to each individual pan.

Quiche flavors:

• Cheddar & herbs
• Ham & cheese
• Sausage & Italian herbs
• Bacon & everything spice

Quick bread flavors:

• Chocolate chip
• Raisin
• Ginger
• Nuts

These recipes work with any kind of zucchini or summer squash - I know because I've used so many different kinds from my garden. You can use green or yellow varieties, big or small. And I mean, BIG! I've used some incredibly giant zucchini in all of these recipes - the only difference is the seeds need to be removed from the large ones.

Zucchini soups

I picked 3 soup recipes with very different flavors so you don't get bored of them. It's such an easy way to use up all of that extra zucchini.

The process

All three soups are made simultaneously. If you only have a single soup pot or dutch oven, the process will only be slightly slowed down. That's because two of the soups rely on oven-roasting the vegetables rather than a simmering in a soup pot.

Follow the steps below to use up 10-12 pounds of zucchini in two hours or less!

Step 1: Print recipes & make a shopping list

I use my phone to cook through recipes most of the time. However, this is a case where printing or writing them down on paper is helpful. Making 3 different recipes at the same time is harder to organize on a phone.

First, go to each recipe and adjust the servings to 2x - that will give you a double batch of each soup. Look for the section marked by the green arrow in the image below. Then click the button to print, toward the top.

Next, get your shopping list ready. I made a list of everything you need for a double batch of each soup.

• 10-12 pounds of zucchini (12-15 medium sized or less if using giant overgrown zucchini)
• 20 cups broth (chicken or vegetable broth - I use Better Than Bouillon base and it takes half of a jar to get 20 cups of broth).
• 4 yellow onions
• 16 cloves garlic
• Olive oil for sauteing and roasting
• Salt and pepper
• For potato soup: 2 lbs russet potatoes, 8 ounces cheddar cheese
  Garnishes: 8 strips bacon, green onions or chives, bread to make croutons
• For tomato soup: 5 lbs tomatoes, 2 lbs eggplant, fresh or dried thyme
  Garnishes: fresh basil & oregano, balsamic vinegar
• For poblano soup: 8 poblano peppers, 2 jalapenos, paprika
  Garnishes: 2-3 limes, optional tortilla strips, optional heavy cream

If you are freezing the soups, don't add the garnishes. Some of them can be frozen separately, like bacon or croutons. I generally leave most of the garnishes out and just make sure I have them on hand when I defrost the soup.

Step 2: Gather equipment

To make all of these simultaneously, you'll need the following:

• 3 soup pots or dutch ovens (an instant pot or crock pot can also work!)
• 3 sheet pans for roasting
• A standard blender or immersion blender

If you only have 1 soup pot, start by making the loaded zucchini potato soup first while you roast the vegetables for the other two soups (reverse of the instructions below). If you are using a crock pot or instant pot, follow the order as instruction below - the poblano and/or tomato soups can go in the crock or instant pot.

If you don't have enough sheet pans, roast the vegetables one tray at a time. Set aside vegetables as they finish roasted, it's okay if they cool. The trays don't need to be cleaned between each roasting.

Step 3: Make the soups

I've cooked through this plan several times and have streamlined it for you. I usually finish making all three of these soups in 1.5 hours when working at a regular pace.

Here's what the general workflow looks like: cut and roast veggies for the first 2 soups, and make the third soup (loaded potato) on the stovetop in the meantime. Then return to the roasted veggies to finish those soups. That's it!

Preheat oven:

• Preheat oven to 400℉.
• IF you are eating some of the loaded potato soup right away, you can make the bacon now, while the oven preheats. Follow instructions on the recipe.

Start with the Italian tomato soup:

• Cut vegetables into large 2" chunks as instructed in the recipe. This takes about 10 minutes.
• A double batch takes up 2 baking trays. Place them in the oven and set a timer for 30 minutes. Remove from oven when done - they can cool on the counter if done early.

Next work on the poblano zucchini soup:

• Cut zucchini into 1" chunks and cut poblano peppers in half - this takes about 5 minutes. It's important the zucchini are cut smaller than for the Italian soup because they won't be roasting as long (smaller pieces cook faster).
• Place veggies on another baking tray and place in the oven. Set a timer for 15 minutes. Remove from oven when done - they can cool on the counter if they are done before you are ready to use them.

Next make the loaded potato zucchini soup:

• Skip the early steps for making the bacon and croutons - you can do those later, when you are ready to eat the soups.
• Follow the directions to prep the vegetables (5-10 minutes) and cook the soup on the stovetop.
• The soup can continue to simmer to stay warm if needed, otherwise once done, let cool, then freeze.

Finish the tomato and poblano soups:

• When the vegetables are done roasting, finish the soups by blending them with broth, as instructed. A blender is easy to use at this point: add the roasted vegetables and a little broth, blend. Repeat until all vegetables are blended. Add to a soup pot then stir in remaining broth until desired consistency is reached. Alternatively, you can use an immersion blender.
• Let the soups cool and then freeze.

A few notes for freezing each soup:

Potato soup: The bacon can be frozen once cooked, but freeze them separately from the soup so they don't get soggy. Separate the bacon strips with parchment paper or foil so they don't stick together. The croutons can also be frozen separately. Leave out the chive and cheese garnishes.

Tomato soup: Leave out the fresh herb and balsamic garnishes when freezing. If fresh herbs are expensive in winter when you reheat the soup, buy some pesto and swirl that into the soup when serving.

Poblano soup: This soup is quite tasty with some heavy cream stirred in it, but heavy cream doesn't always freeze well. It can separate out and create a weird texture. Sometimes it can be whisked back together, but not always. The Foods Guy explains the problems and some potential solutions. Alternatively, wait to add the heavy cream in when reheating the soup.

Zucchini quiches & quick breads

My second favorite way to use up a lot of zucchini is to make some quiches and quick breads. I grouped these into the same plan because they both use a food processor with a shredder attachment. A double batch of each recipe uses up about 4 medium sized zucchini. The recipes can also be tripled, using up 6 zucchini.

These recipes were also specifically chosen because the zucchini doesn't need to be squeezed dry. I've found that when I'm trying to use up a lot of extra zucchini in a short amount of time, I don't want the extra fuss.

Both of the recipes are also flexible enough to let you incorporate different flavors into each one you make. In my experience, variety is key to preventing boredom!

If you want to make mini zucchini loaves to freeze or share, I include instructions below on how much batter to fill into each one, how many mix-ins to incorporate, and how long to bake them as well.

The process

First, you'll shred all of the zucchini for both recipes. Then shred the cheese for the quiche - you don't even need to clean the food processor between ingredients.

Next, you'll work on making the quiche and baking it. While that bakes for 20-25 minutes, you'll measure out the ingredients for the quick breads and stir everything together. They don't go in at the same time because the temperatures are too different and I haven't gotten good results when using the same temperature for both. If you have two ovens - this is a good time to make use of them both!

Step 1: Print recipes & make ingredient list

On each recipe card, click the option to double or triple the recipe (as shown by the green arrow in the image). Then print the recipes because it will be easier to manage than with multiple tabs open on your phone.

Here's your shopping list for a double batch of each recipe:

• 3 lbs of zucchini - about 4 medium
• 8 eggs
• 5.5 cups of flour (1.5 cups can be whole wheat flour for the quiche if you want a healthy swap)
• Baking powder, baking soda, salt
• Quiche:
  • 1 cup shallots - 2-4 shallots depending on their size
  • ¼ cup fresh herbs (basil, chives, etc)
  • 8 ounces cheese (cheddar, pepperjack, etc)
  • 1 ⅓ cups milk
  • Optional flavor mixins, per quiche: ham (1 cup), cooked sausage (1 cup) & & chopped sauteed peppers (½ cup), cooked bacon (8 slices) & everything bagel spice (2 tsp)
• Quick bread:
  • 1 ⅓ cup vegetable oil
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 6 tablespoons turbinado (raw) sugar for sprinkling on top (optional)
  • Spices: vanilla extract, cinnamon, ground ginger, a pinch of cloves and nutmeg
  • Optional flavor mixins per loaf: ¾ to 1 cup of chocolate chips, raisins, or nuts, or ½ cup crystallized ginger

Step 2: Gather equipment

To make these recipes, you'll need the following equipment:

• A food processor with a shredder attachment, or a hand held grater
• 2 pie dishes for the quiches (square brownie pans work too!)
• 2 9x5 loaf pans or 8 mini loaf tins

Step 3: Shred the zucchini & cheese

Shred all of the zucchini needed for both recipes. You can shred extra zucchini and freeze it or make one of these other 20 shredded zucchini recipes. Once you're done shredding zucchini, shred the cheese. The cheese will get a little wet from the watery zucchini, but that's ok! It's going right into the quiche batter so it won't make a difference.

You could also shred or chop the shallots in the food processor. Or chop them by hand, either way works just fine.

Step 4: Make the quiches & quick breads

Next, follow the directions on the recipe to make the quiches and place them in the oven. While they cook, measure out the ingredients for the quick breads and stir everything together. The batter can sit for 15-20 minutes without losing integrity (the baking soda and powder activate once mixed in with the liquid).

Once the quiches are done, lower the oven temperature and then bake the zucchini breads. That's it, you're done!

If you are making mini zucchini loaves:

• I used these mini tins that measure 3x5.5" (and 2" tall)
• Pour ¾ cup of batter into each tin, which fills 4 tins per recipe
• Mix ¼ cups of add-ins into each individual tin, if desired
• Bake them at 350ºF for 25-30 minutes (mine were done right at 30 minutes when the internal temperature reached 202ºF).

I like small tins with plastic covers, making gifting easy. Plastic wrap doesn't stick to the container and tin foil usually falls right off (or I'm doing it wrong!). That's why the ones with plastic covers are great.

Freezing instructions

Let all of the quiches and zucchini breads cool completely. Cut the quiche into slices so they reheat more evenly later.

If you are using a vacuum sealer, place everything in the freezer, unwrapped, to harden up. Once frozen-ish, remove them from the freezer and use the vacuum sealer. This step is necessary so they don't get squished during the vacuum sealing process. I've skipped it before thinking they would bounce back once defrosted - I was very wrong!

Otherwise, you can simply freeze them by wrapping in plastic wrap, then foil. The plastic wrap keeps the moisture in and air out, while the foil creates a thicker layer to further prevent air transfer in the freezer.

More recipes & resources

Looking for even more ways to use up all of your zucchini? I've got you covered.

You can also check out these resources:

• Use up grated zucchini: 20 recipes from Simply Recipes
• 50+ zucchini recipes from The Kitchn
• On Our Patch shares a 'zillion ways to use up your extra summer squash' after growing too much themselves