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Zucchini and squash are versatile vegetables that can be used in many different ways. They’re great for snacking on, adding to salads, making into soups, and even baking. Fortunately, they are both prolific crops and produce an abundance at times. Here are 5 easy zucchini and squash recipes for you to make this summer that your family will love!
What Does Zucchini Go Well With?
Fortunately, squash and zucchini go well in any recipe. From savory to sweet, the two are very versatile. Squash and Zucchini can be served as a main dish, a side dish, as appetizers, and even dessert. I will share 5 recipes that you can make as all of these options, the chips for an appetizer, the lasagna as a main dish, and the bread for dessert.
Can You Substitute Green Squash for Zucchini?
The answer is YES! You can seamlessly swap zucchini for yellow squash in recipes. Zucchini and squash have similar tastes and can work together or in place of each other in most recipes.
Oddly enough, all zucchini are considered squash but not all squash are considered zucchini. While you can interchange yellow squash in zucchini recipes, you can’t exchange zucchini for every squash recipe.
For instance, if a recipe is using spaghetti squash, or kuri squash, zucchini would not be a good replacement.
How Do You Keep Squash and Zucchini From Getting Soggy?
One of the biggest complaints my kids have about eating zucchini or squash is the soggy texture. After a couple of decades, yes I’m that old, of trial and error, I’ve found some ways to combat this problem.
Depending on the recipe you’re making there are a couple of tricks you can apply.
- Slice Thinly. Zucchini and squash have a lot of moisture. Slice them thinly so they cook quicker and the moisture evaporates.
- Pre-Salt. You can add sliced squash and zucchini in a bowl and toss with a little salt and let it sit for about 10-15 mins, drain the bowl and pat dry.
- Pre-Cook. If you’re making lasagna with zucchini and squash strips, you can pre-cook the strips on a grill or drying rack in the oven for a little bit to reduce their moisture.
5 Easy Zucchini and Squash Recipes
As I mentioned earlier, you can use yellow squash in place of the zucchini recipe below. Younger (smaller) squash and zucchini tend to have the best taste and smaller seeds. Big vegetables often get a little fibrous and lose some of their flavor.
Zucchini Fritters with Parmesan Cheese
These fritters are made with grated zucchini and seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and fresh herbs. Then, they’re fried until golden brown and served with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese.
- 2 cups zucchini grated and drained well
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup dried breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 3 cloves garlic grated fine
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley or 2 teaspoons dried parsley
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives or green onion
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh basil or 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano or 1/8 teaspoon dried
- 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme or 1/8 teaspoon dried
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
Visit Grow A Good Life for the complete recipe and cooking instructions.
Roasted Zucchini Chips
If you’ve never tried making chips out of zucchini before, now’s the perfect time to give it a try! You can serve Zucchini Chips as a side dish to go with anything you would normally serve potato chips with. Or you can just put them out in a bowl for everyone to snack on.
You’ll need a mandolin slicer (or a food processor) to make thin slices of zucchini. Once sliced, toss the zucchini into a bowl with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Spread the zucchini onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely. Serve with salsa or hummus.
See our full recipe Zucchini Chips with Herbs and Sea Salt
Zucchini Bread
A delicious bread recipe made with zucchini and other ingredients easy-to-find ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen.
Make a couple of loaves and freeze to enjoy later or to give as gifts.
Ingredients
- 4 cups good quality all-purpose gluten-free flour blend*
- 1/2 tsp. xanthan gum (*omit if your flour blend has a gum already)
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 2 tsp. baking soda
- 2 tsp. salt
- 2 tsp. cinnamon
- 2 tsp. allspice
- 12 Tbsp. (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted or 3/4 cup oil
- 2 1/2 cups sugar
- 4 eggs
- 1/2 cup vanilla yogurt or non-dairy yogurt alternative
- 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
- 3 cups shredded zucchini
My Gluten Free Kitchen for the full recipe and instructions.
Do you know what goes great with Zucchini Bread? HOMEMADE BUTTER! While you’re waiting on the bread to bake in the oven, you can whip up some of your very own homemade butter in less than 5 minutes!
To take this zucchini bread one step further, we also have a Honey Walnut Butter that is just as easy to whip up and will be ready before your bread is out of the oven.
Zucchini Lasagna
If you’re looking for an easy lasagna recipe, try this one! It’s perfect for summertime when fresh vegetables are at their peak. If you use a combination of zucchini and squash in this recipe, the color really pops and is not only delicious but visually pleasing.
- 1 lb Zucchini (about 3 medium)
- 3 tbsp Olive oil (divided into 2 tbsp and 1 tbsp)
- Sea salt
- 4 cloves Garlic (minced)
- 2 lb Ground beef
- 2 cups Marinara sauce
- 12 oz Ricotta cheese (full-fat)
- 1/2 cup Grated parmesan cheese
- 3 cups Mozzarella cheese (shredded)
- 1 large Egg
Wholesome Yum for the cooking instructions to this squash and zucchini recipe.
Zucchini Muffins
These muffins are made with zucchini instead of breadcrumbs, so they’re gluten free and lower in calories than traditional muffins. They also contain no eggs, making them suitable for vegans and for those that don’t eat gluten.
Vegan Zucchini Muffins– Gluten and Egg Free!
Ingredients
- 2 cups oat flour gluten free if preferred
- ¼ cup flax seeds whole or ground*
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1.5 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ cup chopped pecans or walnuts optional
- 2 cups grated zucchini approx. 1 medium zucchini
- ⅓ cup maple syrup
- ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce
- ¾ cup soy milk
This Healthy Kitchen for the cooking instructions and full recipe.
What can I do with a lot of Squash or Zucchini?
In addition to the 5 zucchini and squash recipes we shared above, some other ideas to do with this summer’s bounty are
Lastly, if you’re all squashed out for now, you can freeze or dehydrate both zucchini and squash to use for later in the season.
Want to Learn to Grow Your Own Zucchini?
Do you love to eat and cook with zucchini and squash but have never grown your own? We have a easy step by step guide on How to Grow Zucchini In Your Garden (you can grow squash the same way).
So what are you waiting for? Go get your hands dirty and grow something green!
