Zucchini spread, or “ikra”, is a classic Russian side dish. It pairs perfectly with meat, spread on toast or used as a simple and refreshing dip.

Zucchini Ikra is a dish made with shredded zucchini and a variety of fresh veggies. Cooked down into a sauce and spiced, this spread is absolutely savory and addictive.
Throughout Eastern Europe, caviar has always been a delicacy. Considered a replacement for the “poor man”, ikra became a popular comfort food. But, although it’s cheap to make, it never compromises on flavor! There are different variations of it, including eggplant ikra.
Ikra: Explained
“Ikra” translates to “caviar” or “roe” in Ukrainian. Ikra can take many different forms, most containing eggplant (see traditional recipe at bottom of page). This iteration features zucchini, bell peppers, onions, carrots, tomatoes and spices. Although not included in this recipe, ikra is awesome with a bit of garlic in it too (feel free to add).
Texture wise, ikra can be smooth or chunky and it’s best served cold. It’s all about your preference. This recipe comes chunky, but if you like it smooth, pop it in the food processor or blender for a couple pulses. Ikra is best served cold.
Hot tip: Lots of leftovers? Not a problem. As ikra marinates in itself in the fridge, it gets more and more flavorful.
How to Make Zucchini Ikra Spread
Ikra is so easy to make. Grab your apron, gather your ingredients and follow these easy steps to nail it on your first try:

- Slice all your veggies.
- In a pan, saute your onion and carrots and cook them until they soften.
- Preheat a large pan with a little bit of oil. Add in onion and carrots to the dish and cook until they soften.
- Add in bell peppers, canned tomatoes and zucchini. Season with salt and pepper.
- Cook the veggies on low-heat for roughly 60 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Allow the mixture to completely cool and store.


Ways to Serve Zucchini Spread
Zucchini spread can be used in any way you would use an aioli or romesco sauce. Bake a loaf of no-knead bread and spread it on thick for an appetizer. You can also add a ramekin of ikra to a fancy cheese board. It’s wonderful to spread on crackers and eat with charcuterie.

In terms of dinner, you can quite literally pair ikra with any meat. Rice stuffed chicken thighs or beef shish kabobs come to mind…
It’s also super tasty served with herbed or roasted potatoes. You get the idea! This spread is universal.
Storing Zucchini Spread
Once the ikra cools down completely, store it in mason jars in the fridge. Ikra will stay good for up to two weeks when stored properly. Good luck because it will likely not last that long 😀.
Other Zucchini Recipes
Zucchini is one of those veggies that is so versatile. If you just harvested a bunch from your home garden or snagged a bunch from the farmer’s market, put them to good use with some of our favorite recipes below:
- Zucchini Fritters – These savory pancakes will seriously win you over. Dip them in herbed yogurt for a knock-out meal.
- Zucchini Lasagna Roll-Ups – This low-carb zucchini lasagna will help you get through even the toughest days of keto.
- Cheesy Zucchini Breadsticks – No flour, carbs, wheat or gluten, but all the flavor.
- Banana Zucchini Bread – This is the perfect recipe to use up those over ripe bananas on your counter.
Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 medium zucchini
- 2 red bell peppers
- 1 cup canned tomatoes
- 1 yellow onion
- 2 large carrots
- 1 tbsp black pepper adjust to taste
- 1 tbsp salt adjust to taste
- 1 tbsp oil
Instructions
- Prepare all vegetables. They should be diced into roughly one inch cubes.
- Preheat dish with a little bit of oil. Add in onion and carrots, cook them until they soften.
- Add in bell peppers, canned tomatoes and zucchini. Season with salt and pepper.
- Cook the veggies on low heat for roughly 60 minutes. Make sure to stir the mixture every 5-10 minutes.
- The spread is best served cold. You can store the spread in a fridge for up to several weeks.
Thank you for this recipe. I just made it today and it's delicious. It goes well with mashed potatoes or polenta.
Hi Jana, Yum! Those are both perfect with Ikra!
Hi Natalya, we Are cooking ikra spread, using your recipe, So far So good 😊
Hi Alex, Thanks for sharing. Enjoy!
I was going to use fresh tomatoes, just grate them w/o the skin, have you tried that? Also, would you recommend adding a bit of sugar and some herbs? Which ones would be good for this? Thanks
Hi Lina- I haven't tried using fresh, grated tomatoes before or adding any additional herbs. You could add some of your favorite herbs to change up the flavor. If you give it a try, please let us know how it turns out!
Are the canned tomatoes supposed to be drained? Or does the tomato juice get added to the pan?
Thanks!
Hi- add the entire can with the juice. Enjoy!
Can you freeze it?
Hey Joan, you could but I don't like the texture of frozen veggies. If you sterilize jars and refrigerate spread. It can stay fresh for a long time.
Hi Natalya! Do you know if this recipe would also work for canning? I'm considering buying some extra veggies and canning to have it in the fridge when I need it.
Hi Tamara, I have never tried canning it, so I can't tell you how it would come out. If you try canning it, please come back to share feedback. Thanks
I loved it!! Tastes really good! Thanks for the recipe!
Toni, thank you for sharing!
This recipe is a must have in the summer!! Thank you for sharing it.
Yes, Julia! Enjoy it.
Wow I am a vegetable lover and this is a dream come true. What a great spread for crackers, dip for chips, or perfect on baguette. I had it over rice at dinner time. SO versatile and yummy.
Lisalia, this is so good to hear. Thanks for sharing!
Fantastic recipe, so so delicious thank you so much
Val, thank you so much. I am so happy to hear this.