I make these easy sautéed vegetables all the time and love them! We sauté fresh veggies with garlic and butter for a delicious, quick veggie side dish that goes with just about anything!
My family knows this sautéed vegetable recipe well. It’s my go-to side when I’ve got a random assortment of vegetables in the fridge. It’s also really easy to meal prep. Either cook the veggies and save them in an airtight container, or chop them ahead of time and cook them when you want later in the week.
This veggie side is so versatile. You can serve it with just about anything, but a few of my favorites are this lemon dill baked salmon, our baked tofu, and these Cajun shrimp!
Key Ingredients
- Olive Oil and Butter: I quickly sauté the vegetables in olive oil and finish the dish with butter. This way, the butter melts into a silky sauce that coats the vegetables (so delicious). I do the same when making our sautéed zucchini and even in this scallops recipe!
- Vegetables: In our photos, I’ve used onion, bell pepper, zucchini, and yellow squash. You can substitute or add more veggies. Consider corn, snap peas, green peas, grape tomatoes, thinly sliced carrots, broccoli, or cauliflower (make sure you cut broccoli and cauliflower into little florets so they cook quickly).
- Garlic: Since garlic can burn quickly (which makes it taste bitter), I add my garlic with the butter at the end. Just a minute of cooking will release the garlic flavor and turn that butter sauce into a garlic butter sauce!
How to Make Sauteed Vegetables
To make sautéed vegetables, I cut all my veggies small and a similar size. Then, I give the onions a head start since they take longer to cook. When the onions start to sweat, I toss in the other veggies and cook them until tender.
As a last step, I stir in butter and garlic, which melt down into a garlic butter sauce that coats the sauteed vegetables (delicious!). I also add my salt and pepper at the end. Salt tends to draw out moisture from vegetables like zucchini and summer squash, which prevents them from browning.
If you cook them and then season them, they will brown and be well seasoned instead of seasoned and soggy.
Easy Sauteed Vegetables
- PREP
- COOK
- TOTAL
We love these healthy sautéed vegetables made with some of our favorite veggies, garlic, and a little butter for some richness. These are quick to cook and easy to prepare. This is a versatile veggie recipe, so look at the article for other vegetables that work well in the recipe.
Watch Us Make the Recipe
You Will Need
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion
2 medium bell peppers
1 medium yellow squash
1 medium zucchini
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon butter, optional
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
1Cut the onion, bell peppers, yellow squash, and zucchini into 3/4-inch pieces.
2Heat the oil in a wide skillet over medium-high heat until the oil is shimmering.
3Stir in the onions. Cook, stirring around the pan, for one minute.
4Add the remaining vegetables (bell peppers, yellow squash, and zucchini). Cook, tossing occasionally, until tender, 4 to 6 minutes.
5Stir in the garlic, butter, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper, and cook for one minute. Serve.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Storing: You can store sautéed vegetables in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can freeze them, but the texture of the veggies might change (especially more tender varieties like zucchini).
- Different veggies: When using different veggies in this recipe, consider how hearty they are. If they are on the heartier side, like broccoli, cauliflower, or carrots, we recommend cooking them with onions in the beginning. If they are more delicate, like tomatoes or snap peas, add them towards the end.
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.
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I’ve just won a golf club raffle – a wonderfully varied vegetable basket with even some delicious black tomatoes (I first thought they were small plums). It has all the ingredients for the stir fry and thanks for the good tip of adding salt/pepper and butter/garlic at the end. Tonight’s the night …
This is my first comment and I really had to let you know I tried your Cornbread and I was not disappointed.It was such a simple recipe,to say it was delicious is an understatement. My son and I finished it within 24 hours.It’s a case of having a slice and going back for seconds. Thank you, you’re my inspiration.
Thank you for this fabulous recipe and excellent tips. I have been wanting a simple stir fry that my grandchildren will eat. I was thrilled to find this in my inbox. It was perfect! I held off on the salt, butter, and garlic until the end, just as you said. The veggies were tender but firm. The garlic and butter made a sauce ( I added a little more butter). It was so delicious we ate the whole thing. You’re awesome and I can’t wait to explore your other recipes.