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Home » Sides and salad recipes » Baby Marrows with Tomato and Onion

Baby Marrows with Tomato and Onion

Author: VJ Published : April 2019 Updated : May 2022 / Be the first to comment!

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In South Africa, courgettes are referred to as Baby Marrows, in America they are known as Zucchini. Whatever you call them, they taste amazing and are packed with health benefits. Cooking baby marrows with tomato and onion is my favourite way of preparing them.

A dish of baby marrows cooked in tomatoes and onions.

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Table Of Contents
  1. What are Baby Marrows?
  2. Recipe information
  3. Ingredients
  4. How to make zucchini with tomato and onion
  5. How to peel tomatoes
  6. Can I freeze baby marrows?
  7. Variations
  8. Pin for later
  9. Other vegetable dishes you might enjoy
  10. Recipe – Baby Marrows with tomato and onion
  11. Baby Marrows with tomato and onion

What are Baby Marrows?

Baby marrows are high in fibre, low in fat and rich in antioxidents, making them the ideal veggie for dieters.

In South Africa, these vegetables are commonly known as baby marrows, but the rest of the world seems to call them either zucchini or courgettes. No matter, it doesn’t matter what you call them, they are still delicious. As Shakespeare so aptly put it:

A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.

There are so many ways to prepare baby marrows, but my favourite is to braise them with a mixture of tomato and onion.  The sweetness of the tomato and onion perfectly complements the delicate flavour of the baby marrow.

A helping of baby marrows with tomato and onion is the perfect vegetable to serve with any roast dinner.

Recipe information

  • Prep time – 5 minutes
  • Cook time – 20 minutes
  • Calories – 69 per serving
  • Main equipment – I’m sure you all have a saucepan with a lid in your kitchen, but I’m including a link to a set of saucepans on Amazon that you may like. What I like about them is that the handles and knobs are not made of metal so there’s less chance of burning yourself on them.

Ingredients

You can get the complete list of ingredients and full instructions on how to make baby marrows with tomato and onion on the printable recipe card at the end of this post.

Ingredients for zucchini with tomato and onions.
Ingredients for baby marrows with tomato and onions.

For 4 people you will need the following

  • 400g baby marrows (or courgettes or zucchini)
  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • 1 cup chopped fresh tomatoes – you have to use fresh tomatoes. Don’t use tinned tomatoes, they contain too much liquid.
  • 1 tablespoon neutral flavoured oil – Sunflower oil works well.
  • Salt and pepper to taste

How to make zucchini with tomato and onion

Steps for making baby marrows with tomato and onions.
  • To prepare the marrows, rinse them in cold water, then pat dry with kitchen towel. There is no need to peel the courgettes. Slice off both ends and then slice the marrows in half, lengthwise. If they are very large you could cut them in half again. Cut each half into 1/2″ (just over 1cm) slices.
  • Chop the onion and tomato into 1 cm dice.
  • Saute the onions in the oil until they just start to soften. Add the tomatoes, season with salt, and allow to simmer (image 1 above). Cover the pan with a lid for the first 5 minutes and then remove the lid and continue to simmer on a low heat, until most of the moisture from the tomatoes has evaporated. This will take between 5 and 10 minutes in total.
  • Go easy on the salt – there is no additional water in this dish to be poured away, so all the salt that you add will remain in the dish. You just need sufficient to flavour the vegetables.
  • Once the onions and tomatoes are ready, add the baby marrows (image 2 above), put the lid on the saucepan, and continue to simmer until the baby marrows have softened. This will take about 10 minutes. Keep your eye on it. Don’t allow the marrows to over-cook or they will be mushy.
  • Stir the marrows and tomato mixture occasionally to ensure the baby marrows cook evenly.
  • Tip into a serving dish (image 3 above) and serve hot, alongside your favourite roast meat.

If you want to spice this dish up a bit you can add a teaspoon of chilli paste with the onions.

How to peel tomatoes

I personally don’t think it is necessary to peel the tomatoes before cooking them. The tomatoes are cut into small pieces and the skins are hardly noticeable.

However, should you wish to peel the tomatoes first, this is the easiest way to do it.

  • Cut a shallow cross through the skin on the base of each tomato.
  • Place the tomatoes in a deep bowl and cover with boiling water.
  • Leave for 2 – 3 minutes and then pour away the water.
  • Peel the tomatoes starting at the cross that was cut into the base. The skins should slip off easily.

If you’d like to be notified of any new recipes, why not subscribe to my newsletter. As a thank-you gift, you will receive a free recipe e-book containing some of my most popular cakes and desserts.

Can I freeze baby marrows?

Yes – freeze the cooked baby marrows in individual meal-sized amounts in a zip-lock bag or plastic container.

To use, allow to defrost in the fridge.

You may find that once defrosted, the marrows have released a lot of water. Just pour this water away before re-heating or the dish will be too watery.

Reheat them either in the micowave, or in a saucepan on the stove. Once the baby marrows start to boil remove the pan from the heat and serve immediately to ensure the baby marrows do not overcook.

Close up of a dish of baby marrow with tomato and onions.

Variations

In addition to serving these baby marrows as a side vegetable, they make a delicious pasta dish.

Just mixed the cooked marrows, along with the tomato and onion sauce, with a dish of your favourite pasta shapes. Cover with grated cheese and grill or broil until the cheese has melted.

Cooking the marrows in this way also makes a great side dish to serve at a barbeque.

Pin for later

Why not pin this recipe for baby marrows with tomato and onion to your pinterest board so you can make it later. Just click the image below.

Other vegetable dishes you might enjoy

I love vegetables, and luckily, so does Graham. Left to his own devices he’d just pop a few veggies in the steamer and serve them like that. I’m gradually bringing him round to my way of thinking, that vegetables don’t have to be bland and boring.

Why not try some of these for yourself:

  • Mushy peas – my favourite way of serving peas. They go perfectly with a slice of fried fish, or a plate of meat and potato pie.
  • Crustless vegetable quiche – this quiche also contains baby marrows.
  • Butternut stuffed with cheese and corn – this was a favourite addition to a barbeque when I lived in South Africa.
  • Air fryer mushrooms with balsaic and garlic – yummy!!!!
  • Mashed green beans – otherwise known as boereboontjies. These have become a firm favourite with Graham – he says they remind him of bubble and squeak 🙂
  • Easy sweet pepper relish – a delicious relish that is perfect to serve at a barbeque
  • Creamy leek and brussels sprouts bake – a fantastic way of serving brussels.
  • Buttered cabbage with leeks and mustard seeds – cabbage made perfect!
  • Glazed carrots (otherwise known as Vichy carrots) -perfect with a roast meal.
  • Baked cauliflower and broccoli cheese

Recipe – Baby Marrows with tomato and onion

A dish of baby marrows cookin in tomatoes and onions.

Baby Marrows with tomato and onion

In South Africa, courgettes are referred to as Baby Marrows, in America they are known as Zucchini. Whatever you call them, they taste amazing and are packed with health benefits. Cooking them with tomato and onion is my favourite way of preparing them.
Recipe by: Veronica
Side Dish, Vegetables
Any
Calories 69
Prep 5 minutes
Cook 20 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Print Pin Comment Bookmark Saved!
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4.50 from 4 votes

(Click the stars to rate this recipe)

Equipment

  • Sharp Knife
  • Chopping Board
  • Saucepan with lid
  • Serving dish

Ingredients

  • 450 g (1 lb) baby marrows (or courgettes or zucchini) chopped into 2cm chunks
  • 1 cup diced onion cut into 1cm dice
  • 1 cup diced tomatoes cut into 1cm dice
  • 1 tablespoon sunflower oil for frying the onions
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Chop the tomato and onion into 1cm chunks.
  • Chop the baby marrows into 2cm chunks.
  • Heat the sunflower oil in a saucepan and add the onions.
  • Fry gently until the onions start to soften (about 4 minutes).
  • Add the tomatoes and a sprinkling of salt. Cover with a lid and leave to simmer for about 5 minutes. Then remove the lid and continue to simmer until the moisture from the tomatoes has almost evaporated. This step should take about 10 minutes altogether.
  • Add the baby marrows t the tomato and onion mix, stir and cover
  • Continue to simmer until the baby marrow has softened. This will take approximately 10 minutes on a low heat.
  • Taste for seasoning and add extra salt ad/or black pepper if needed.
  • Tip into a serving dish and serve with your favourite roast meat.

Notes

Baby marrows contain a lot of water, so let most of the water cook out of the tomato and onions before adding the baby marrows. 
Simmer the baby marrows with the tomato and onion until the baby marrow is just al dente.  Do not overcook or the baby marrow will release too much liquid and become mushy.
Do not over salt.  There is no water in this dish to be drained away, so all the salt you add will remain in the dish.
Calories are per serving based on 4 servings.

Nutrition

Calories – 69kcal | Carbohydrates – 8.3g | Protein – 2.1g | Fat – 3.8g | Saturated Fat – 0.4g | Sodium – 305mg | Potassium – 448mg | Fiber – 2.4g | Sugar – 4.5g | Calcium – 28mg | Iron – 1mg

I am not a nutritionist. The nutrition information has been calculated using an on-line calculator, and is intended for information and guidance purposes only. If the nutrition information is important to you, you should consider calculating it yourself, using your preferred tool.

Unless otherwise stated, a cup is the standard US cup containing 240 ml. In all my recipes this cup is assumed to hold 140g of flour. For help converting other ingredients between cups, grams, ounces and other measures, see my recipe conversion calculator.
All my recipes are developed and tested at sea-level. For tips on adjusting recipes for high altitudes see my post on baking at high altitudes.
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Filed Under: All Recipes, Sides and salad recipes

About VJ

In my previous life, I was an IT Consultant. Now that I've swapped an office for a kitchen I have a lot more time to spend on things that interest me such as trying out new recipes. Most of my cooking is based around quick and easy meals, and you'll probably find a little South African influence creeping in due to the many years I spent there.

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