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Frying pan full of broccoli florets, sliced mushrooms, zucchini slices and red bell pepper pieces with dark balsamic syrup bubbling at the bottom

Gluten-Free Mediterranean Vegetable Pan with Balsamic Glaze

This gluten-free Mediterranean vegetable pan is ready in about 20 to 25 minutes: broccoli, mushrooms, bell pepper and zucchini fried in stages in one large pan, then finished with a dark, glossy balsamic glaze.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings: 3 servings
Course: Dinner, Side Dish
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Calories: 128
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 head of broccoli, cut into small florets about 350 g (12 oz) of florets. The source gives no weight; 350 g is assumed
  • 250 g brown mushrooms, quartered or sliced about 9 oz. Brown mushrooms have more flavor
  • 1 to 2 red or yellow bell peppers, cut into strips or cubes about 150 to 300 g (5 to 10 oz) in total. The source gives no weight
  • 1 zucchini, cut into half slices about 200 g (7 oz). The source gives no weight; 200 g is assumed
  • 1 red onion, cut into wedges optional
  • 1 to 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped optional
  • 5 to 6 tbsp dark balsamic vinegar 75 to 90 ml, about 1/3 cup. Check the label
  • 1 to 2 tsp honey or maple syrup 5 to 10 ml. Helps the glaze caramelize and softens the acidity. Check the label
  • olive oil, for frying the source gives no amount
  • fresh or dried thyme or rosemary the source gives no amount. Check the label of dried herbs
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 2 tbsp water 30 ml. Optional: to steam the broccoli (see the tip in step 3)
  • feta or toasted pine nuts, for topping optional, no amount in the source. Check the label (cross-contact possible)

Method
 

  1. Prep. Cut all the vegetables before you start. Divide the broccoli into small florets so they cook at the same pace as the rest. Quarter or slice the mushrooms, cut the bell pepper into strips or cubes and the zucchini into half slices. If you use onion and garlic, cut the onion into wedges and chop the garlic finely.
  2. Heat some olive oil in a large frying pan over medium to high heat.
  3. Fry the broccoli and pepper. Add the broccoli and bell pepper (and the onion wedges, if using) and fry for about 4 to 5 minutes, until they pick up roasted flavor. Tip: for crisp broccoli, add 2 tbsp (30 ml) of water during this step and put a lid on for a moment. The steam pre-cooks it.
  4. Add the mushrooms and zucchini. Fry everything for about 5 more minutes. The mushrooms should take on color and the zucchini should stay tender-crisp.
  5. Add garlic and herbs last. Now stir in the garlic (if using) and the thyme or rosemary. Adding them at this point keeps the garlic from burning.
    Broccoli, mushrooms, zucchini and red bell pepper arranged around the edge of a pan with rosemary sprigs in the middle
  6. Add the honey. When the vegetables are tender-crisp, push them slightly to the edge of the pan or spread them out flat. Drizzle the honey or maple syrup over the vegetables and let it foam briefly.
  7. Reduce the balsamic vinegar. Deglaze right away with the balsamic vinegar. Simmer over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes, tossing the vegetables constantly. The liquid evaporates and turns into a dark, glossy syrup.
    Close-up of dark balsamic reduction bubbling in the pan next to the vegetables
  8. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Serve right away, with feta crumbled over the top or toasted pine nuts if you like.

Notes

Gluten check: the dish itself contains no gluten ingredients, but read the labels of the balsamic vinegar (some vinegars and glazes contain thickeners or caramel color), honey or maple syrup, dried herbs, feta (if used) and pine nuts (cross-contact is possible). Use clean pans and utensils to avoid cross-contact.
Sides: serve with rice, gluten-free couscous or a gluten-free baguette. The German source lists couscous and baguette without qualification; regular couscous and regular baguette are made from wheat and are not gluten-free.
Toppings: crumble feta over the pan or scatter toasted pine nuts on top, as suggested in the source.
Herbs and options: use thyme or rosemary, fresh or dried; red or yellow bell pepper; honey or maple syrup. Red onion and garlic are optional.
Nutrition values are an estimate calculated from the ingredient list, not a lab analysis. They cover the vegetables, balsamic vinegar and honey only. Olive oil is NOT counted because the source gives no amount; the real values are higher (as a general guide, 1 to 2 tbsp of olive oil adds roughly 120 to 240 kcal to the whole pan). Onion, garlic, herbs, salt, pepper, toppings and sides are also not counted.
The photos show the pan with broccoli, mushrooms, zucchini, red bell pepper and rosemary; there is no photo of the plated dish.