Healthy Zucchini Squash Casserole (Vegan)

This baked zucchini squash casserole is such a simple, yet delicious vegetable side dish! It’s light and healthy, made with a dairy-free “pecan parm” instead of cheese. Recipe is vegan and gluten-free.

As a dietitian, it’s no secret that I love healthy zucchini recipes. According to my mom, zucchini was my favourite vegetable as a baby (blended, of course). I suppose not much has changed here.

If you’re a zucchini fan like me, I think you’re going to LOVE this recipe! It’s such an easy and delicious way to reap the health benefits of this nutritious vegetable.

Unlike most casserole dishes, this one feels light but is still jam-packed with nutrients. It’s made without cheese, and instead uses a plant-based pecan “parm” for a cheesy flavour.

This recipe is vegan and gluten-free, making it perfect for all sorts of dietary needs. Let’s get cooking!

PS. If you’re looking for more recipe inspiration, be sure to check out my popular roundup of 20+ easy, healthy vegetable side dishes!

Ingredients Needed

This easy zucchini recipe is made with just 9 simple, healthy ingredients:

• zucchini squash (green or yellow)
• olive oil
• nutritional yeast
• garlic powder
• Italian seasoning
• raw pecans
• fresh basil
• salt
• pepper

How To Make Zucchini Squash Casserole

This zucchini squash casserole is so incredibly easy to make – I promise.

Start by slicing zucchini into 1/4-inch rounds.

Then, spread them out onto a cutting board and sprinkle with salt.

Allow the salt to pull the excess liquid of out of the zucchini by letting it sit for 15 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 350F and pat the zucchini dry.

Place the dried zucchini rounds in a large bowl and toss with olive oil, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.

Note: if you don’t have Italian seasoning, you can play around with a combination of dried oregano, thyme, basil, rosemary, marjoram, or sage. There’s no need to be too strict with the measurements here :).

Next, place the zucchini in a 9-inch casserole dish by lining up the rounds in a row.

If you want to be fancy here, you can alternate the colours of yellow and green zucchini squash (but it’s totally not necessary to do so).

Once the zucchini is in the casserole dish, pop it in the oven for about 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the pecan parm by chopping up pecans finely with a sharp knife. Place the chopped pecans in a bowl and toss with nutritional yeast, olive oil, salt, and pepper.

After 25 minutes are up, remove the zucchini from the oven and sprinkle the pecan parm mixture overtop.

Meanwhile, make the pecan parm by chopping up pecans finely with a sharp knife. Place the chopped pecans in a bowl and toss with nutritional yeast, olive oil, salt, and pepper.

After 25 minutes are up, remove the zucchini from the oven and sprinkle the pecan parm mixture overtop.

Return the dish to the oven and allow to bake for another 15 minutes.

Remove from oven, sprinkle with fresh basil, and serve alongside your meal. I’ve included some idea below for what to serve this recipe with.

How To Store + Reheat Casserole

While this recipe tastes best fresh out of the oven, leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for about 3 days.

I recommend reheating them in the oven or on the stovetop – the microwave will make them pretty soggy!

TIP: If you don’t want to reheat the leftovers – they taste great cold thrown into a salad or pasta or on top of an avocado toast!

What To Serve With Zucchini Casserole

Need some easy ideas to make this grilled zucchini a full meal? I highly recommend pairing it with a yummy protein and starch to make a nutritionally-balanced plate.

Protein ideas:

• Garlic Shrimp With Smoked Paprika & Honey
• Oven Baked Salmon With Honey, Lemon & Thyme
• 25-Minute Baked Salmon With Pistachio Pesto
• Crispy Turmeric Salmon With Yogurt
• Crispy Baked Tofu With Maple Miso Sauce
• Crispy Salmon With Coconut, Honey & Lime
• Easy Curry Tofu Scramble
• The Best Canned Salmon Burger

Starch ideas:

• How To Cook & Season Quinoa: 3 Recipes
• How To Cook Farro
• Crispy Roasted Potatoes With Chili & Paprika
• Roasted Potatoes With Za’atar & Lemon

Zucchini Nutrition + Health Benefits

This summer squash is a great source of:

• micronutrients, like vitamin A, C, K, B6, folate, manganese, magnesium, potassium, and copper
• dietary fibre, with one medium zucchini providing 2 grams or 8% of your daily fibre needs
• antioxidants, especially carotenoids like lutein and zeaxanthin

Pecan Nutrition + Health Benefits

One of my favourite nuts, pecans are a nutrition powerhouse. They’re a great source of:

• heart healthy unsaturated fats
• plant-based protein
• micronutrients, like vitamin A, E, folic acid, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and zinc
• dietary fibre, with a 1-ounce or 28-gram serving providing 10% of your daily fibre needs

Nutritional Yeast Health Benefits

Nutritional yeast not only imparts a delicious “cheesy” flavour to meals, it’s also jam-packed with a ton of micronutrients. These include:

• B-vitamins, like thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, B6, and B12
• trace minerals, like zinc, selenium, and manganese

More Healthy Zucchini Recipes

• Grilled Zucchini With Goat Cheese, Basil & Honey
• Healthy Zucchini Bread Steel Cut Oatmeal
• Easy Roasted Zucchini With Parmesan & Basil
• Pan Seared Scallops & Zucchini Noodle Pasta
• Pasta With Veggies, Zoodles, Spinach & Garlic Prawns

Did you give this Zucchini Squash Casserole a try? Let me know by leaving a comment and recipe rating below!

If you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram or Pinterest – seeing your creations always makes my day. You can also subscribe to my email list to never miss a new recipe or nutrition education post!

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