Zucchini-Walnut Fritters with Creamy Garlic-Herb Sauce

5 from 1 vote

Zucchini-Walnut Fritters with Creamy Garlic-Herb Sauce

Crispy Zucchini-Walnut Fritters filled with summer squash and warm spices, and served with creamy Garlic-Herb Sauce. The most delicious way to sneak in an extra serving of veggies, these fritters will become a summertime staple.

Prep Time20

Cook Time10

Total Time40

Course: Appetizer or Main Course

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings:

Author: Jamie Vespa MS, RD

Equipment

Colander
Large skillet
Mixing bowls

Ingredients

Zucchini-Walnut Fritters

1 1/2 lbs. zucchini, grated
1 tsp. kosher salt, divided
1 egg
1/2 cup all-purpose flour (sub chickpea flour if making gluten free)
3 Tbsp. very finely chopped walnuts (measured after chopping)
2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. black pepper
Zest of 1 lemon (reserve juice for sauce)
2 Tbsp. olive oil for cooking

Creamy Garlic-Herb Sauce

1/3 cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt
2 Tbsp. mayonnaise (I use avocado oil mayo)
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh chives or dill
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 grated garlic clove
1/4 tsp. each kosher salt and black pepper

Instructions

Place shredded zucchini in a colander over a bowl, and mix with 1/2 tsp salt. Allow to drain for 15 minutes.
Wrap zucchini in a clean kitchen towel, and squeeze over sink to extract as much moisture as possible. (The volume should shrink to about half the original.) Transfer zucchini to a large mixing bowl.
Meanwhile, prepare Creamy Garlic-Herb Sauce by combining yogurt, mayonnaise, chives (or dill), lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl; whisk to combine. Set aside until ready to use.
To the bowl with zucchini, add remainder of fritter ingredients (egg, flour, walnuts, baking powder, coriander, cumin, black pepper, lemon zest, and 1/4 tsp. salt); mix to well combine.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once oil is shimmering, place heaping 2-Tbsp amounts of zucchini batter in pan, spacing several inches apart. Use the back side of a spatula to flatten fritters until they're about 1/4 inch thick.
Fry until golden-brown on one side, about 2 minutes, then gently flip and fry again until golden on the other side. Transfer to a wire rack. Continue frying remaining batter, adding more oil to pan as needed. Sprinkle fritters with remaining 1/4 tsp. salt. Serve warm with Creamy Garlic-Herb Sauce.

Notes

To Store: Place leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for 3 days. Store sauce separately for up to 5 days.

To Reheat: Fritters are best reheated in a skillet or the air fryer. To reheat in a skillet, add 1 to 2 tsp of oil to a nonstick skillet, and cook over medium heat until warmed through. Alternatively, reheat in the air fryer at 350ºF until warm.

Nutrition