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Summer Squash & Onions – a simple uncomplicated dish that is healthy, delicious, and the perfect way to enjoy the season’s best yellow squash and zucchini.
If you have a summer vegetable garden, you may have found that all at once you have tons of zucchini and yellow squash. If you’re like me, you don’t want to waste fresh homegrown vegetables, but sometimes need a little help using it up. That’s where this recipe comes in handy. We’ve been making our favorite Summer Squash & Onions for years, and years, and years! I’m not sure when I started making it but I think it was when the kids were small and I wanted a recipe they might eat. I never wrote it down until 2011 and still wing-it every time I made it. This is so easy, delicious and good for you too! And the best part – it freezes beautifully.
You can use zucchini or yellow squash, or a combination of both.
In addition to the squash you’ll need a large sweet onion and your favorite seasonings. Pick up a can of chopped or diced tomatoes seasoned with basil, garlic and oregano, or Italian style depending on the brand. You will also need a little butter and some olive oil.
Rough chop one large or two small sweet onions. Warm a large skillet over medium heat and add one tablespoon of butter and one tablespoon of olive oil. While the butter melts chop or slice the onion and squash. Add the onion to the skillet and saute until crisp tender and starting to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the zucchini to the skillet and then the yellow squash too. Finally, season with your favorite flavored salt (like Accent) and plenty of salt-free Mrs. Dash (we like the table blend). Dump the whole can of tomatoes into the skillet, juice and all. That’s it!
Cook’s NOTES:
At this point you can cook the squash until it’s crisp tender, or cover the skillet and cook until the vegetables are soft. Remove the lid and boil it down to evaporate some of the tomato juice. When making a big batch, I like to undercook it a bit so when I freeze the vegetables they’re still in pieces and not mushy. We usually have enough for several meals so as it’s reheated it becomes less crisp, but still very tasty. In fact I really like it mushy, almost like a stew. This dish is very hearty and filling, and for those of us that need to watch our weight, it’s a terrific and delicious way to enjoy fresh vegetables that are completely guilt-free!
This Summer Squash & Onions recipe is versatile too. Feel free to add other vegetables, replace the canned tomatoes with fresh, serve alongside quinoa or over rice for a complete meal, or use as a base for vegetable soup this winter! I love an all-purpose recipe 🙂 The possibilities are endless.
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Summer Squash & Onions
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Yield: 10 people
Course: Vegetable
A simple uncomplicated dish that's healthy, delicious, and the perfect way to enjoy the season's best yellow squash and zucchini.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 large or 2 small sweet onions chopped or sliced
- 2 medium zucchini chopped or sliced
- 3 yellow squash chopped or sliced
- 1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes with basil, oregano and garlic (do not drain)
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 1 teaspoon seasoning salt like Accent
- 2 teaspoons Mrs. Dash seasoning any flavor (no salt added - we like Table Blend)
Instructions
- Warm a large skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil and butter. Once the butter is melted, add the chopped onions and sauté until crisp tender and starting to brown, about 5 minutes.
- Add the squash, zucchini, tomatoes with juice, pepper, salt and Mrs. Dash.
- Heat until boiling. Cover and cook over medium-low until the squash is crisp tender but not falling apart. Remove the lid and boil until some of the liquid is evaporated.
- If freezing for later use, cook only a few minutes to mix all ingredients, cool and freeze.
Recipe Notes
- You can cook this down until it's like a vegetable stew or just sauté until crisp tender.
- If freezing for later use, lightly cook the vegetables without a lid on the skillet.
- See the Cook's Notes in the post and let me know if you have questions!
Nutrition
Calories: 39kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 0.3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 0.2mg | Sodium: 298mg | Potassium: 351mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 264IU | Vitamin C: 21mg | Calcium: 46mg | Iron: 1mg
Another favorite way to enjoy fresh garden vegetables, is our Baked Squash, Tomatoes, Onions and Potatoes. The vegetables are layered for a pretty presentation. It’s a family favorite as well.
If you’ve got some extra zucchini, be sure to try our Corn & Zucchini Casserole with jalapeños.
How about some Chocolate Zucchini Bread – dessert and vegetables in one bite … bonus!
If you’re looking for more delicious ways to use your summer squash, check out this Easy Baked Zucchini from Spend with Pennies. Healthy and easy always makes me happy! I really want to try these Taco Zucchini Boats from Belly Full too. They look so delicious and filling and great for a weeknight dinner. For another healthy twist, try the Best Skinny Zucchini Casserole from Give Recipe.
I can’t stop thinking about this Lemon Zucchini Cake from Mom on Timeout – so moist and no doubt delicious! And finally, don’t miss this beautiful Zucchini Pie from The View from Great Island. It’s so pretty and creative and now I’m drooling 🙂
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I have a pie related question. If someone mentions pie, what kind immediately pops in your mind? Do you see apple, pumpkin, lemon meringue or a childhood favorite? Feel free to leave your answer in the comments section!
Originally posted July 2011, updated June 2018
Callie
When I get fresh garden veggies, I look forward to making this every summer! It’s just so good! We enjoy it over rice for a full meal. I shared some this time, and the feedback was outstanding. 😁
Tricia Buice
Thanks Callie! We truly appreciate the feedback. Love your idea of making it a complete meal by adding rice. Perfect.
Regi
I make this all the time – use garlic to spice it up, and fresh grape or cherry tomatoes. Last time, I had a can of fire-roasted tomatoes and used that. The tomatoes were like a salsa, so it spiced it up quite a bit – really delicious!
Tricia Buice
Sounds terrific Regi. I’m going to try the fire-roasted tomatoes next time. Thanks!