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If you’re looking for a way to get more fresh vegetables into your diet, these Sautéed Mixed Vegetables with Baby Potatoes are the perfect solution! They’re prepared in just 30 minutes on the stovetop and serve as an easy side dish or light plant-based meal. Smother in Mushroom Gravy and you won’t believe how much flavor can be packed in a bowl of colorful veggies!
These easy sautéed mixed vegetables are a testament to how tasty and budget friendly plant-based cooking can be! With a good skillet and a few of your favorite fresh or frozen vegetables, you can have a delicious side dish or meal that’s filling, nourishing, and satisfying year round.
Table of contents
Why You’ll Love These Sautéed Mixed Vegetables
- Perfect for busy weeknights. Enjoying delicious, nutritious plant-based food doesn’t have to be time consuming or complicated. These sautéed mixed vegetables with baby potatoes are ready in 30 minutes and are a great way to get a rich dose of dietary fiber, vitamins, minerals, and keep you feeling satisfied (thank you hearty potatoes!).
- Vegan and gluten-free. As is, these veggies and potatoes are naturally vegan and gluten-free. They can even be made oil-free by swapping the cooking oil with water or your favorite vegetable broth.
- Meal prep friendly. Double this sautéed vegetables recipe on Sunday night and divide between four lunch or dinner containers for a simple, healthy meal prep.
- Simply seasoned. If you’re working with a limited pantry, this recipe is a great option. These mixed veggies and potatoes are simply seasoned with salt, black pepper, fresh garlic, and balsamic vinegar for maximum flavor.
The Ingredients
- Baby potatoes: The smaller the potatoes the faster they will cook through. If baby potatoes aren’t available, try chopped gold potatoes or fingerling potatoes.
- Aromatics: Fresh minced garlic and either shallots or a small onion work best. If you enjoy a stronger onion flavor, use an onion!
- Bell pepper: Any color bell pepper will work well. Use green bell pepper for a more bitter flavor and yellow, orange, or red bell pepper for a sweeter flavor.
- Zucchini or squash: Any summer garden squash would be delicious. I typically use yellow squash, fresh zucchini, or a mixture of both. Reserve the winter squash for recipes such as Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce or this Roasted Spaghetti Squash.
- Peas: Canned, fresh, or frozen peas work. Use what you have!
- Balsamic vinegar: A small splash of acidic balsamic vinegar at the end of sautéing adds a bright freshness that enhances the flavors in the nutritious veggies!
Add-ins and Substitutions
- Use a frozen vegetable medley: If you already have a bag of frozen mixed vegetables on hand, feel free to use it. Instead of the fresh bell pepper, zucchini, and peas, use about 5-6 cups of a vegetable mix in its place. Make sure to sauté long enough for the excess water to evaporate.
- Switch up the veggies: I used zucchini, squash, bell pepper and peas because they’re what I had on hand. Feel free to swap any of the veggies for another type of vegetable. For example, softer vegetables like snap peas, fresh green beans, bok choy, small broccoli florets, and even leafy greens would be delicious sautéed.
- Roast the potatoes: Boiling potatoes is one of the fastest ways to cook potatoes while keeping them creamy and delicious in the center. However, there are tons of other delicious ways to enjoy them on a plant-based diet. Try one of these easy recipes for a potato variation:
How to Make Sautéed Mixed Vegetables
- 1) Place the baby potatoes in a medium-sized pot and cover with water. Bring the potatoes to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until the potatoes are easily pierced with a fork, about 10 to 20 minutes. When done, drain the potatoes and return them to the pot. Toss with a teaspoon of oil, finely chopped garlic, salt, and black pepper to taste. Cover and keep warm.
- 2) While the potatoes are cooking, sauté the remaining mixed vegetables. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat a tablespoon of olive oil. Once hot, add in the shallots and cook, stirring frequently for 3 to 4 minutes, or until they begin to brown slightly.
- 3) Add in the peppers and zucchini and cook for another 5 minutes or so until their excess water begins to evaporate. Add the peas and season with a pinch of salt, black pepper, and balsamic vinegar.
- 4) Serve the sautéed mixed vegetables with the warm tender potatoes, or as desired.
Recipe FAQs
Heat the oil in the pan before adding the veggies. This helps the veggies become crispy and golden on the edges instead of soggy. Similarly, if you are cooking water-rich vegetables such as zucchini, yellow squash, mushrooms, cabbage, eggplant, etc., it is important to sauté them until the water is released and evaporated. If you remove the veggies from the hot skillet too soon, the water won’t have an opportunity to evaporate and the veggies will be soggy.
It depends on your preference. I am not oil-free and typically sauté my vegetables using a small amount of olive oil. If you prefer to cook without oil, replace the oil with a splash of water and continue to add water as needed to prevent sticking.
Keep the lid off. This is key to allowing the excess water in the vegetables to evaporate. If the lid is kept on, the vegetables will steam and not have the ability to crisp up on the edges and develop an enhanced flavor.
Top Recipe Tips
- Chop the veggies uniformly. This will allow even cooking. If the zucchini, squash, and/or peppers are cut unevenly, smaller pieces will become mushy while larger pieces will be crunchy and underdone.
- Don’t be afraid to season! These veggies call for seasoning with salt and black pepper to taste, but don’t be afraid to add additional seasonings. Try a pinch of red pepper flakes, spice blends such as Italian seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder, or even fresh herbs.
- Choose the right cooking oil. When sautéing, it is best to use a neutral-tasting cooking oil with a high smoke point. Good choices include olive oil, avocado oil, vegetable oil, or refined coconut oil. Avoid oils like flaxseed oil, walnut oil, unrefined coconut oil (unless you like the taste of coconut in your veggies!), and sesame oil. For more in-depth information, check out this article: The Best Oils for Cooking, Grilling, Baking, and Beyond.
Serving Suggestions
With the fiber-rich baby potatoes, this mixed vegetables recipe is filling enough to be enjoyed as a light dinner. I personally love serving it topped with Vegan Mushroom Gravy or this Simple Vegan Gravy.
If you’d like to serve these simple sautéed vegetables and potatoes as a healthy side dish, serve it alongside hearty plant-based proteins such as Black Bean Meatballs, BBQ Seitan, or Grilled Tofu Steak for a complete meal. Or, browse all of my favorite Vegan Dinner recipes here!
Storage Instructions
Store: Leftover veggies and baby potatoes will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Freeze: Freezing sautéed vegetables is not recommended as doing so will change the texture of the vegetables, particularly the water-rich vegetables such as zucchini and peppers. Cooked baby potatoes on the other hand will freeze well. Allow them to cool completely, spread them on a baking sheet, and place them in the freezer until frozen solid for a few hours. Transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw completely in the fridge until ready to reheat. Reheat: Veggies and potatoes can be reheated in the microwave, on the stovetop, or in the air fryer for crispier edges. If air frying, preheat to 350 degrees F then cook for 5-7 minutes, or until warmed through again.
More Healthy Recipes Using Mixed Vegetables
- Vegan Roasted Vegetables with Thyme
- Easy Farro Recipe with Roasted Vegetables
- Eggplant Stacks [2 Ways]
- Easy Mushy Peas with Roasted Veggies
- Vegan Sweet Potato Salad
Photos by Alfonso Revilla
Sautéed Mixed Vegetables with Baby Potatoes
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound of baby potatoes (the smaller the better)
- 1 teaspoon of olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped finely
- ¼ teaspoon of salt
- ¼ teaspoon of black pepper
- 3 shallots or 1 small onion, sliced
- 3 bell pepper, sliced
- 2 zucchini or summer squash, sliced
- ¾ cup of peas, fresh, canned, or frozen
- Salt and pepper to taste for veggies
- 1 teaspoon of balsamic vinegar
Instructions
- Place the baby potatoes in a medium pot and just cover with water. Bring to a boil, and let them cook until tender and easily pierced with a knife or fork, about 10 to 20 minutes depending on size. When done, drain water, return to pot and toss with olive oil, fresh garlic, salt and pepper. Keep warm.
- While potatoes are cooking, heat the oil in a large pan over medium high heat. Start with the shallots (or onion), let them cook for 3 to 4 minutes until they begin to brown slightly. Add the peppers and the zucchini and cook for another 5 minutes or so until they begin to lose their water. Add the peas and season with salt, pepper, and balsamic vinegar.
Notes
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- Chop the veggies uniformly. This will allow even cooking. If the zucchini, squash, and/or peppers are cut unevenly, smaller pieces will become mushy while larger pieces will be crunchy and underdone.
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- Don’t be afraid to season! These veggies call for seasoning with salt and black pepper to taste, but don’t be afraid to add additional seasonings. Try a pinch of red pepper flakes, spice blends such as Italian seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder, or even fresh herbs.
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- Choose the right cooking oil. When sautéing, it is best to use a neutral-tasting cooking oil with a high smoke point. Good choices include olive oil, avocado oil, vegetable oil, or refined coconut oil. Avoid oils like flaxseed oil, walnut oil, unrefined coconut oil (unless you like the taste of coconut in your veggies!), and sesame oil.
Nutrition
Disclaimer: Although plantbasedonabudget.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, kindly note that these are only estimates. Nutritional information may be affected based on the product type, the brand that was purchased, and in other unforeseeable ways. Plantbasedonabudget.com will not be held liable for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information. If you need to follow a specific caloric regimen, please consult your doctor first.
This mixed vegetables with baby potatoes recipe is a keeper … what a great side dish that’s full of flavor!
Any recipe with potatoes has my vote! But, seriously, this dish is so good!
This medley of sauteed veggies was just what I needed! Delicious and easy!
love how easy this veggie and potato side dish is to whip up!