While you never think of the side characters on the dinner plate, you’ll be thinking differently after you bite into these Hibachi Vegetables. Zucchini and onions are sautéed on high heat, getting a seared golden crust. The whole lot then gets coated in a savory sweet sauce alongside toasted sesame seeds.

If you’ve ever been to hibachi, then you’re familiar with the side portion of vegetables. What the vegetables are varies from restaurant to restaurant, but there are almost always onions and zucchini. While you can easily add whatever vegetables you want, this classic duo is quick to make, requires no precooking or par boiling, and can be whipped up alongside a full homemade hibachi dinner.

The hardest thing about this recipe is cutting the vegetables, seriously that’s the most difficult part. Similar to the restaurant version, these Hibachi Vegetables are cut into small strips of the same size, making for easy cooking and easier eating.

Once everything is prepped, heat up the oil in a pan. Sesame oil is used, adding a wonderful savory element to the sweet and salty sauce ingredients.

Start by sautéing the onions, which need a bit more time than the zucchini. While you may be yearning to make one of those onion volcanos, it’s harder than it looks. When cooks were hired for the chain Benihana, they had to complete five weeks of training.

Next, add in the zucchini.

While you do want to move the vegetables around occasionally, don’t move them too much. You want the vegetables to get a slight sear.

Once you start seeing that the vegetables are golden, pour in the sauce, which is a simple combination of soy sauce and mirin. The high heat will evaporate a lot of the liquids, creating a thickened sauce. Once the sauce reduces and thickens, season with pepper, salt (if needed), and sesame seeds.

Served warm, and you have yourself a new way to get your daily dose of veggies! The sauce is simple, but the ingredients bring a lot to the table with plenty of savory saltiness, bright sweetness, and earthy heartiness.

The natural sweetness of the onion is enhanced by the sauce. The zucchini soaks up the sauce for a deep and complex flavor each and every bite. Eaten alongside other hibachi recipes, brings the celebratory feeling any time of the week.