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How to Cook Summer Squash

Five Methods:Choosing and Prepping Summer SquashStir-Frying Summer SquashGrilling Summer Squash BoatsMaking Summer Squash SoupTrying Other RecipesCommunity Q&A

Because they often grow so vigorously in a variety of climates, summer squash can quickly overwhelm your fridge. Got a garden full of baseball-bat-sized squash you can't give away? Because squash are so amenable to different types of cooking, ti's easy to get creative. You can learn basic and simple cooking methods for this delicious late-summer vegetable, as well as how to get creative with your summer squash.

Choosing and Prepping Summer Squash

  1. 1
    Use any summer squash variety for a recipe. While the familiar zucchini and yellow summer squash are probably the most common, there are literally hundreds of hybrids and varieties of summer squash available at farmers markets and in gardens. The good news? While the texture and flavors differ very subtly, you can use almost all of them interchangeably. The only thing that differs is the dicing. For all the steps and recipes throughout the article, any of the following squash would be perfect:
    • Zucchini
    • Yellow crook-neck or straight-neck
    • Marrow squash
    • Scallop squash
    • Pattison squash, sometimes called "spaceship" or "UFO" squash
    • Caserta squash
    • Lemon squash
  2. 2
    Use small, firm squash. The best summer squash are bought locally and used as soon as possible after picking. When you're picking squash at the market, pick out the smallest and the firmest. Check at the stem and flower end of the squash for signs of wrinkling, which can be a sign that the squash is somewhat old.
    • Squash that are larger or overgrown are often mealy, but they're perfect for baking. Pro tip: scour the farmer's market right before it closes. Nobody wants to have to take those baseball-bat sized zucchinis back home. You might score them for super-cheap, and have the makings of some zucchini muffins.
  3. 3
    Store summer squash in the refrigerator and use them quickly. Summer squash respirate more quickly than some other vegetables, which means they expel more spoilage-promoting carbon dioxide.[1] Point being, wrap them up and stick them in the fridge to keep them fresh, where they should be fine for 5-7 days.
    • Store squash in a storage bag, wrapping them tightly to keep the air out of the bag. The more the squash respirate, the more nutritional value and flavor they'll lose.
  4. 4
    Rinse squash with clean water, right before you use them. Summer squash, whether you got them at the store or picked them from your own garden, should be rinsed gently with cold water just before using, to remove any dirt particles, or pesticides from the outer skin. Scrub very gently with a vegetable brush, if desired.
    • Don't rinse your squash after bringing them inside, if you don't plan on using them right away. This will promote spoilage.
  5. 5
    Remove the seeds, if desired. While it's perfectly fine to eat every part of a summer squash, seeds included, the seed section of some squash can get a little mealy when raw, which will be slimy when cooked, especially if the squash is slightly overgrown. It's also essential if you plan to stuff the squash with anything. If you want to remove the seeds:
    • Cut the squash down the center, length-wise, and scoop out the seeds with a spoon, removing the soft and jelly-like center area along with it.
  6. 6
    Slice or chop squash however you want. Start by removing the stem end and the flower end of the squash, then cutting up the squash however you choose. Slicing squash into discs, chopping it into even cubes, cutting it into strips, grating squash, or roasting it whole: there's really no wrong way to cut up a summer squash, and a lot of it will depend on the shape and the variety.
    • Leave the skin on summer squash. Unlike winter varieties, the skin of summer squash is one of the most edible and flavorsome parts of the squash. There's no need to remove it, unless you don't want it there for cosmetic reasons.
    • Remove some of the moisture from the squash by salting it gently before you cook with it. This will bring some of the water to the surface, which you can rinse off by running the sliced squash under the water once more. While this isn't necessary, it's a process called "disgorging," and is effective at keeping squash dishes, and especially baking, from getting too watery.[2]

Stir-Frying Summer Squash

  1. 1
    Slice squash into chunks or discs. One of the most elegant and delicious ways of cooking summer squash is to use it as a quick and easy side dish, stir-frying it and dressing it simply. This makes an excellent side for grilled meats or rice dishes, and is perfectly amenable to any seasonings, additions, or changes you might want to make.
    • Probably the most common way of preparing squash for this dish would be to cut it into disc-shaped slices, then fry them on both sides. They'll cook relatively quickly.
    • If you're cooking this as a side for a big group, aim for about one small-medium squash for each person.
  2. 2
    Heat olive oil in a skillet on medium-high. Add a few teaspoons of olive oil to a skillet when the pan starts to get hot and coat the bottom of the pan evenly. Add the squash in an even layer before the oil starts to smoke.
    • The best way to stir fry summer squash is pretty quickly, at relatively high heat. If you cook squash lower and slower, they'll get pretty watery and limp.
  3. 3
    Add minced garlic or other additions, if desired. A quick and simple way of flavoring the squash is to add a little bit of minced garlic, which will soften quickly. Toss the squash with the garlic to coat it evenly. Summer squash isn't super-flavorsome, so it's usually a good idea to add something. Any of the following make good additions to a squash stir-fry:
    • Sweet corn
    • Bell pepper
    • White or green onion
    • Kale
    • Chard
    • Collards
    • Fried tofu
    • Chicken or beef
  4. 4
    Cook squash 4-5 minutes on each side. When the outside of the squash starts to brown, turn it over, then turn the heat down gently, to medium. Depending on how thickly you've sliced the squash, they'll cook in anywhere between 10 and 15 minutes, and will be done when fork tender, to the desired softness.[3]
    • It's very easy to overcook summer squash, and not really possible to undercook them. Raw summer squash is commonly eaten, and though it can leave a kind of drying sensation in your mouth and in the back of your throat, there's no reason to worry about under-doing it.
  5. 5
    Toss with soy sauce, or salt and pepper. When the squash are done cooking, remove them into a serving bowl and add a splash of soy sauce to dress them, or add some salt and black pepper, tossing the squash to coat them evenly.
    • Season the squash however you like. If you're making some curry to go with it, add a pinch of garam masala. If you're making burgers, add a pinch of cayenne. Other good seasonings for cooked squash include balsamic vinegar, hoisin sauce, or Sriracha.
    • If you already disgorged the squash to draw water out, be very careful about adding additional salt. Taste it first and add more if necessary.
  6. 6
    Top with chopped parsley or cilantro. A bunch of chopped parsley or cilantro really helps to lift the flavor of the squash and give it a freshness and vibrancy. Top the squash with chopped vegetables and serve immediately.

Grilling Summer Squash Boats

  1. 1
    Cut squash in half length-wise and remove the seeds. Remove the stem and flower end of the squash, then cut them in half long-ways and scoop out the seeds to prepare your "boats." Make 1-2 medium squash per person.
    • If you don't want to stuff the squash, but want to grill them, you can also cut squash into discs, or leave it whole to toss it on the grill. The basic cooking method will be the same.
  2. 2
    Stuff the inside with meat and cheese of your choice. Once you've scooped out the seedy portion of the squash, you can fill in the inside with a variety of stuffing ingredients, including cooked meats, other vegetables, and cheeses. If you don't want to stuff it with anything, you an also just dress it in salt and pepper and call it a day. Some good combinations include:
    • Browned ground beef, green peppers, onions, and cheddar or American cheese
    • Browned lamb, sliced black olives, tomato, green onions, and feta
    • Chicken, jalapeno peppers, salsa, pepper jack
  3. 3
    Wrap the squash in aluminum foil, or place on the grill. There are two ways of cooking squash on the grill, both equally effective. If you want to make sure the squash are heated through and cooked on the bottoms, it's good to wrap them in aluminum foil loosely and place the package on the grill. Group a couple of them together to use a tight little grill package.
    • If you want, put the other half of the squash back on the "boat" before you close it up in aluminum foil, to make a full stuffed squash (good if you overload it with fixings!) or you can use every half for a separate boat, depending on how much you need to make.
    • If you choose to use each half for a separate boat, it's usually easier to place the squash directly on the grill, instead of in aluminum foil, to keep the insides from spilling or sticking to the sides.
  4. 4
    Grill stuffed squash boats over medium heat. If you're using an electric grill, set the heat to medium. If you're using a charcoal grill, use a medium amount of coals, spread to one side of the grill basin, and put the package in the middle of the grate, rotating it a few times to ensure an evening cooking distribution.
  5. 5
    Grill with the lid on for 10-15 minutes. As long as everything inside the squash boats are cooked ahead of time, you've only got to worry about melting cheese, heating the inside through, and cooking the squash itself, which shouldn't take more than a few minutes. Rotate the squash a few times to ensure an even cook, but otherwise leave them alone.
    • Always put the lid back on when you're cooking squash, to ensure that the heat cooks the insides, as well as the bottom. Check the packages or the squash directly every five minutes or so to check for doneness.
    • If you put them in a package, the squash will be done when the package is steaming and smells fragrant, and the squash is fork-tender. Open up a package carefully and check one to be sure.

Making Summer Squash Soup

  1. 1
    Grate summer squash coarsely. Everyone loves winter squash soup, but a surprising, simple, and elegant late-summer soup can be a perfect way to use up some lingering summer squash you may have. It's a great way of using up as many summer squash as you want, and is perfectly for one of those mid-September cold snaps. This recipe calls for 4-6 small-medium squash, grated coarsely, and serves 3-4 people.
    • Use a box grater or a plane grater after trimming off the ends of the squash. Run the squash through the coarsest setting. If you want the squash more fine, run it through whichever setting you wish.
    • Salt and squeeze the grated squash to remove some of the water, and rinse it thoroughly in a colander. Squeeze the rest of the water out of it and prepare the rest of the vegetables.
  2. 2
    Dice additional vegetables. There's plenty of room to add whatever vegetables you like to this dish, or you can just go with a simpler squash-and-rice version if you're not a veggie-head. You've really got to try it with the following additions, though:
    • One inch of grated ginger
    • 2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
    • One small-medium white onion, chopped
    • 3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
    • One bunch of chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley
    • Browned sausage or bacon (optional)
  3. 3
    Sautee vegetables over medium heat in olive oil. Start in a pot big enough for a sizable pot of soup, and sauté the onions, garlic, carrots, and ginger until the onions become translucent. This should take 5-7 minutes.
    • If you want to add sausage, bacon, or other meats to this recipe, cook the meat in the bottom of the pan first, remove it from the pot, and return it back in 5-10 minutes before its done cooking.
  4. 4
    Add 3/4 cup of jasmine rice. Measure out some jasmine rice, rinse it in clean water to remove dust and sediment from the grains, and add the rice directly into the onion mixture at the bottom of the pot, and stir it for 1-2 minutes, until the rice becomes fragrant.
    • You don't have to "toast" the rice, so this step only takes a very short amount of time. Warming the jasmine helps to bring out some of the flavors.
    • If you don't have jasmine rice, plain white rice, short grain brown rice, or any variety would be perfectly fine as a substitution. Use what you like.
  5. 5
    Add the grated squash. As soon as the rice becomes fragrant, add the squash to keep it from browning or burning. Stir the squash quickly to coat everything in the mixture, and keep stirring it for a minute or two to coat it thoroughly.
  6. 6
    Add four cups of water or chicken stock. Depending on how big your squash are, and how big a pot of soup you want to make, you can mess around with this amount. Read the directions on the rice you have to make sure you've got enough water to cook the rice to doneness, plus two cups. You can add water if necessary.
  7. 7
    Bring the soup to boiling, then reduce heat to low, cover the pot, and simmer. The rice should take approximately 20-30 minutes to cook, which should be the perfect amount of time for bringing the flavors together. It's usually best to cook with the lid on the pot, slightly askew, and to lower the temperature so it's at a gentle simmer, just barely boiling.
  8. 8
    Temper the soup with egg and lemon. When the rice appears done, beat two eggs into a heat-resistant bowl with the juice of one lemon, then temper the egg mixture and add it to the soup to thicken it.
    • Stirring the egg and lemon vigorously, add small spoonfuls of the broth from the soup, very slowly, to bring the temperature up and cook the egg without curdling it. Go slowly and keep stirring. When the egg mixture is steaming in the bowl, it's done, and you can pour it into the soup pot, while stirring it in. This will thicken and flavor the soup.
    • If the idea of tempering eggs grosses you out, or if you'd rather not have them, add the lemon juice directly into the soup and thicken the soup with cornstarch or flour, if desired.
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    Season the soup liberally. It's important to wait to season the soup until after you've tempered it. Very salty broth can curdle eggs more quickly, rather than tempering them. Perfectly edible of course, just not quite the texture you're looking for. Season this soup with salt and black pepper.
    • If you want, a little cayenne also goes nicely with this basic recipe, and you can season it however you prefer.
  10. 10
    Top with fresh chopped parsley and grated parmesan. After tempering the soup, remove the lid and let it continue cooking gently for 5 or 10 minutes, just to let the flavors come together. Taste it to check for salt and serve with fresh chopped parsley and grated parmesan cheese on top. Serve with a lemon wedge.

Trying Other Recipes

  1. 1
    Make ratatouille. A classic of French cooking, ratatouille uses summer squash and the related eggplant as a centerpiece of simplicity. Its late-summer cuisine at its finest, and it's pretty easy to make with fresh vegetables.
    • In a pot, sauté a diced green, yellow, and orange pepper, in olive oil, adding two cloves of minced garlic, a half cup of diced onion, and three diced tomatoes. Season with thyme, bay leaf, and kosher salt. Remove from heat when the tomatoes are broken down and the mixture has the consistency of a sauce.
    • Spoon the tomato mixture into the bottom of a cast-iron skillet, a dutch oven, or another baking-ready cooking vessel. Set the oven to 275, and top the tomato mixture in the skillet with 3-4 various summer squash, sliced into rounds, and one smallish eggplant, sliced into rounds, and top it with 3-4 cloves of minced garlic, salt, pepper, and olive oil.
    • Cover the skillet with foil, roasting for about two hours, then remove the foil and bake it for 30 minutes more. Sprinkle some balsamic vinegar and fresh chopped herbs over the top to serve.
  2. 2
    Make summer squash rice. Integrating some grated squash into a rice dish can be an excellent way to spice up plain-old rice, either as a side or as a centerpiece dish. This recipe goes incredibly well with any type of curry or Indian dish.
    • Coarsely grate two small-medium summer squash, and sauté gently at the bottom of a pot with onions and garlic. Season with one tablespoon each of cumin and coriander powder, and a 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric. Stir.
    • Add a cup of jasmine rice to pot and stir until fragrant. Add 2 1/2 cups of water, bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to low. The rice should be done in 30-40 minutes.
    • Serve topped with chopped cilantro, raisins, and sliced almonds.
  3. 3
    Make a raw summer squash salad. Summer squash is perfectly tasty when eaten raw, and this cold salad is perfect as a side dish for hot summer days, or even as a topping for burgers or hot dogs. It has a consistency and taste a bit like cole slaw.
    • Grate three or four small-medium squash, and mix in a bowl with one medium grated carrot, half a red onion, sliced finely, some minced bell pepper, a minced clove of garlic, a sprinkling of sunflower seeds, and a bunch of chopped parsley.
    • Dress the salad with two tablespoons of good olive oil, a tablespoon or so of balsamic vinegar, the juice of half a lemon, and salt and pepper to taste.
    • If you'd prefer, you could also dress the salad in any commercial bottled salad dressing you like.
  4. 4
    Make squash fritters. Squash fritters are bit like potato pancakes, but with a slightly different texture, and more colorful to boot. These are great topped with applesauce, tomato sauce, coleslaw, or just eaten solo. This recipe yields about 20 fritters.
    • Grate, salt, and squeeze 4-5 small or medium squash, rinsing them thoroughly to get the water out. Grate half a medium white onion, as well, and mix with the squash in a bowl, adding a cup of white flour, one half teaspoon each of salt and sugar, and an egg. Mix thoroughly.
    • Heat vegetable oil in a skillet over medium-high heat, until shimmering, and add a spoonful of the fritter mixture. Cook on each side 3-4 minutes, or until golden brown, then remove and blot with paper towel to remove excess grease.[4]

Community Q&A

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  • When you cook the squash, make sure the garlic you add in is freshly mashed garlic.
  • When you add the oil to the pan, make sure its barley enough to cover the pan or your vegetables will be too oily.

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