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Summer Squash and Onions is the one recipe I make more than any other. It’s easy to throw together, the ingredients are available year-round and it’s impossible to mess up.
This simple uncomplicated dish is healthy, delicious, and a perfect way to enjoy the season’s best yellow squash and zucchini.
What you need to know
- The seasonings are easily adapted to your favorite flavors. After many years of making and tweaking this recipe, I’ve found that large amounts of Mrs. Dash (table blend) along with ample Italian seasonings are my favorite.
- You can leave the vegetables crisp tender or cook them down into more of a stew. Either way is delicious.
- Our favorite add-ins include crushed red pepper flakes and parsley for a garnish.
- If you don’t have fresh garlic on hand use a little garlic powder or garlic salt to taste. Be sure to add lots of fresh ground black pepper.
- Add a cup of chicken broth along with shredded chicken and a can of drained and rinsed cannellini or garbanzo beans for a hearty and simple stew/soup.
- My favorite way to eat leftovers is to add a can of drained and rinsed cannellini or butter beans for a filling lunch or light dinner. It’s also terrific served over quinoa or rice, too.
- The recipe is easily doubled.
- If planning to freeze, we recommend undercooking the squash so it won’t be mushy when thawed and reheated.
- Great served as a side dish, as a base for soups or a complete vegetarian meal when served with beans, rice or quinoa.
What you’ll need
- This recipe can be made with all green zucchini or yellow crookneck squash or a combination of both.
- Use fresh tomatoes or canned, any variety. I typically have low-sodium or salt-free canned diced tomatoes on hand.
- We prefer olive oil for sautéing the vegetables but you can use some butter, avocado oil or vegetable oil too.
- Plenty of salt and pepper especially if using low or no-salt canned tomatoes.
- Loads of seasonings like Mrs. Dash and Italian.
- Lots of fresh sweet onions.
How to make easy Summer Squash and Onions
- Heat the oil in a large skillet until shimmering.
- Add the onion, plenty of ground black pepper, a pinch of salt and the Mrs. Dash seasoning. Sauté until the onion is crisp tender.
- Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant.
- Add the squash, zucchini and tomatoes with juice. Heat until simmering. Cover and cook over medium-low until the squash is crisp tender but not falling apart.
- Remove the lid and continue cooking until some of the liquid evaporates. Season to taste and enjoy.
Freezing
This vegetable dish is terrific as a base for winter soups too. If you have a summer vegetable garden, I highly recommend freezing plenty of Summer Squash and Onions.
Undercook the squash slightly before freezing. This dish will freeze well for up to 5 or 6 months in an airtight container.
I’ve never canned this recipe but think it would be great.
Summer Squash and Onions
This dish is very hearty and filling and a terrific and delicious way to enjoy fresh vegetables that are completely guilt-free!
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 this recipe for years, and years, and years! I’m not sure when I started but I think it was when the kids were little and I wanted a recipe they might actually eat. I never wrote it down until 2011 and often just wing-it when throwing it together.
This is so easy, delicious and good for you too! And the best part – it freezes beautifully.
Summer Squash and Onions
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large sweet onion chopped or sliced
- 1 tablespoon Mrs. Dash seasoning any flavor (no salt added – like Table Blend)
- 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 large garlic clove minced
- 2 yellow squash chopped or sliced (about 1 pound)
- 2 small zucchini chopped or sliced (about 1 pound)
- 15 ounce can diced tomatoes (do not drain) any variety
- 1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- chopped parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Warm a large skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil and heat until shimmering. Add the onions, Mrs. Dash, pepper and salt. Sauté until crisp tender, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the minced garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add the squash and zucchini and stir to coat in oil. Add the tomatoes with juice, pepper and Italian seasoning.
- Heat until simmering. 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.
- Taste and add salt or seasoning as needed. Garnish with fresh parsley if desired and serve.
Recipe Notes
- You can cook this down to a vegetable stew or just sauté until crisp tender.
- If freezing for later use, lightly cook the vegetables for only a few minutes. Cool and freeze.
- Add rinsed and drained cannellini beans or butter beans.
- Serve over rice or quinoa if desired.
- Add crushed red pepper flakes with the garlic if desired.
Nutrition
More great recipes for squash and zucchini
Squash and zucchini are terrific in everything from soups to stews, casseroles, quick breads and cakes. You can bake it, fry it, stew it, shred it and spiralize it in place of pasta.
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The whole family will love this deliciously moist, flavorful cake stuffed with zucchini, lemon and blueberries. A must-make summer recipe!
View this RecipeOriginally posted July 2011, updated June 2018 and July 2025
Tom
Very tasty but not sure what type of servings are being provided. It says serves 10 people my wife and l each had 2 measured cups and there was on cup left over.
Tricia Buice
Hi Tom. If you’re serving it as a side dish, 1/2 cup per serving is what I used. If eating as a main dish then about 3 servings would be correct. Glad you enjoyed it.
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!