These flavorful Simple Sautéed Vegetables make the perfect healthy side dish that are seasoned to perfection and easily made in just 20 minutes!

These flavorful Simple Sautéed Vegetables make the perfect healthy side dish that are seasoned to perfection and easily made in just 20 minutes!

Anyone ever get in a rut for dinner and never know what to serve as a side dish? I know, I know, I’m pretty sure this happens to all of us, but I have your solution! These simple sautéed veggies are my favorite go-to when I want a quick, healthy side dish for dinner and they’re ready in just 20 minutes! This recipe is perfect for those busy weeknights when you have an assortment of veggies in your fridge that need to be used up and you don’t want them to go to waste. Flavorful, tender crisp veggies seasoned to perfection with garlic, herbs and delicious spices. You guys, seriously SO good!

There are so many way you can cook vegetables. Grilling, roasting, boiling, steaming, but I just LOVE sautéing veggies because not only do they cook really quickly, but they get this delicious caramelization (browning) on them that only a good skillet and some oil can achieve. It’s also nice to have more control over what you’re cooking.

These flavorful Simple Sautéed Vegetables make the perfect healthy side dish that are seasoned to perfection and easily made in just 20 minutes!

Here’s What You’ll Need

Zucchini – filled with nutrients and I just love how tender the zucchini gets
Asparagus – these have such great texture and taste amazing with all the garlic flavors
Bell pepper – I used a red bell pepper because I love the color, taste and crispness, but any color bell pepper would work!
Carrots – for that beautiful color and added nutrition!
Mushrooms – I sliced up some baby bella mushrooms, but any type of mushrooms will work in this
Green onions – adds extra flavor and color, but you could also use a white or yellow onion in this as well
Olive oil – I like to use a good olive oil that doesn’t have to be expensive, just make sure it’s cold-pressed and organic for the most flavor (in my opinion)
Garlic – fresh garlic tastes SO good with these veggies! I used 3 cloves in this, but you could substitute fresh garlic with about 1 1/2 teaspoons of garlic powder
Seasonings – combination of Italian seasoning, onion powder, paprika, kosher salt, pepper and red pepper flakes to kick up the spice

Other Vegetable Options

Broccoli
Cauliflower
Green beans
Snow peas
Brussels sprouts
White, yellow or red onion
Yellow squash
Peas
Greens (kale or spinach)

These flavorful Simple Sautéed Vegetables make the perfect healthy side dish that are seasoned to perfection and easily made in just 20 minutes!

How to Make Simple Sautéed Veggies

Chop and slice all your veggies so that everything is ready to go in the pan to cook.
Drizzle olive oil in the skillet on medium-high heat and let it get nice and hot. Then add the garlic and sauté for about one minute, stirring constantly so that the garlic doesn’t burn.
Add in the carrots and asparagus to the pan first as these take longer to cook than the other veggies, and sauté for about 6 minutes. Next add in zucchini, bell pepper, mushrooms, green onions and seasonings and cook for an additional 8 to 10 minutes, until veggies are tender and cooked through.
aste veggies and adjust any seasonings as needed, serve immediately and enjoy!

Can I Sauté Frozen Veggies?

I really prefer using fresh, crisp vegetables for sautéing, however you can definitely use frozen vegetables if that’s all you have on hand. I will warn you though, they tend to release a ton of water so they can get soggy really easily and they only need half the cooking time. Make sure your skillet is really hot so that any water that comes out will evaporate quickly and don’t let the veggies thaw before cooking them. Add them straight into the skillet still frozen so that they maintain their vibrant color and stay more crisp!

These flavorful Simple Sautéed Vegetables make the perfect healthy side dish that are seasoned to perfection and easily made in just 20 minutes!

Tips, Tricks and Substitutions

Make sure to add firmer vegetables in the skillet first as they take longer to cook than softer veggies. You don’t want perfectly cooked carrots and mushy zucchini!
Use a really large skillet so that the vegetables don’t get too crowded and can really get that nice caramelization on them. This is my favorite pan to cook pretty much EVERYTHING in (hence why it’s called the “Everything Pan” ha) and it just so happens to be on sale right now! Non-stick pans are a great choice as well, it’s just harder to get those browned edges that taste amazing.
You really want to use medium-high heat when sautéing veggies to keep them nice and crisp so that any water coming out of them will evaporate quickly and not make your vegetables soggy.
Be patient with your veggies and try not to stir them TOO often in order for proper browning.
To switch things up, try using a variety of different seasonings, fresh herbs and even a splash of soy sauce or chili-garlic sauce taste amazing!
These cooked veggies will last in your fridge in a sealed, airtight container for about 3 to 5 days so this is a great recipe for meal prep!

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