A quick and easy zucchini and squash sauté to use up all your garden veggies! No need to complicate life: a bit of olive oil and thyme is all you need. Originally published August 15, 2017.
Table of Contents
- You’ll love this sauteed zucchini and squash recipe
- Sauteed zucchini and squash recipe ingredients
- How to make sauteed zucchini and squash
- What to eat with sauteed zucchini and yellow squash
- How to store sautéed zucchini and yellow squash
- More ideas if you are drowning in zucchini!
- Quick and easy veggie side dishes
- 10 Minute Sautéed Zucchini and Squash Side Dish Recipe
I’ve been trying to get up earlier lately. I read this tip about doing 10 reps of something to help you wake up in the morning. Today I hit the snooze and went back to sleep because 10 reps sounded really hard. I drifted back to sleep and had a vivid dream of me doing the arm curls I had planned to do…except that I gave out halfway through. I was just so, so tired. Even my DREAM SELF can’t handle exercise that early in the morning guys.
You’ll love this sauteed zucchini and squash recipe
Sometimes we complicate our lives too much, you know? I went to a restaurant a few weeks ago and got my kids a sautéed squash and zucchini side dish to go with their buttered noodles. My kids are actually really good at eating their veggies, so they ate them, but I was kind of jealous once I tasted them. They were just so good. I called the restaurant later.
Me: What do you guys put on your sautéed squash? Cheese? Is it Parmesan?
Dude on the phone: Let me check…Chef says it’s olive oil, salt, pepper and thyme.
Me: So no cheese.
Dude: No cheese.
Me: Not even a little.
Dude: Nope.
Me: So just the thyme.
D: Yep.
Featured Comment
“Loved this recipe. It was a huge win at my house. Even my 2-year-old granddaughter ate it!” – Yvette
Sauteed zucchini and squash recipe ingredients
So yeah. Zucchini, squash, olive oil, and thyme. I used both squash and zucchini in this recipe, but if you only have one or the other, that’s totally fine, too. Here’s a quick list of what you’ll need to make this recipe. Jump to the recipe at the bottom of the post for more details.
- olive oil
- zucchini
- yellow squash
- kosher salt
- black pepper
- dried thyme
How to make sauteed zucchini and squash
Trim the ends off the zucchini and squash, then chop them into ½- to ¾-inch chunks—aim for cubes rather than slices for this recipe.
Heat the olive oil and when the oil is shimmering, add the squash and zucchini to the pan. Sauté for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Season with salt, lots of black pepper, and a little thyme. The squash is done when it is fork-tender but still firm. Don’t overcook it! You don’t want mushy squash.
Okay then, here you have it you guys. The easiest 10 minute side dish you’ll ever make. It’s killer delicious and you don’t even need to grate cheese or add extra calories. It’s even paleo and whole 30 and keto <<– actually I have no idea if it’s keto and I’m not even sure what keto is, but I know it’s super trendy and probably you can eat squash if you’re on that diet. Is there any diet that outlaws squash??
What to eat with sauteed zucchini and yellow squash
ANYTHING! Seriously, this is the perfect side dish, especially in the summer when you don’t want to turn your oven on and you have a garden overflowing with squash. But if you need some inspo, these are some of my favorite things to serve it with:
- Cuban Roasted Mojo Pork >> very simple, yet packed with tons of flavor!
- Flank Steak >> throw the steak on the grill and serve the zucchini on the side for the perfect summer dinner
- Best Smoked Pulled Pork Recipe >> a great side dish for your summer bbqs!
- Basil Pesto Chicken >> while the chicken is in the oven, you can whip up this easy side dish
- Brown Sugar Balsamic Pork Tenderloin (Crock Pot) >> the balsamic in the pork would go great with the thyme in the squash
- Baked Chicken Drumsticks from Budget Bytes
- Crispy Chicken Cutlets from Cookies and Cups
- Dill Havarti Turkey Burgers from Healthy Delicious
How to store sautéed zucchini and yellow squash
Let the veggies cool to room temperature, then transfer them to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. To reheat, warm them in a skillet over medium heat or microwave in short bursts until heated through. Unfortunately, you can’t freeze this as the texture of the squash will become mushy once thawed.
More ideas if you are drowning in zucchini!
- Parmesan Crusted Zucchini and Yellow Squash >> easy, cheesy, and delicious
- Zucchini Pizza Bites >> healthy tiny pizzas! Yes, please!
- Buffalo Chicken Zucchini Boats >> spicy buffalo chicken topped with creamy ranch (or blue cheese) dressing yummmmmm
- Zucchini Lasagna >> everything you love about lasagna, minus the carbs
- Creamy Zucchini Soup with Popcorn Garnish >> so smooth and rich
- Best Recipe for Zucchini Bread >> easy, moist, tender, and super flavorful
- Zucchini Side Dish from Bless this Mess
- Sauteed Zucchini, Corn, and Blistered Tomato from Cookin Canuck
- Corn and Zucchini Saute from Belly Full
Quick and easy veggie side dishes
- Roasted Carrots with Dill >> minimal ingredients and done in about 30 min
- Lemon Almond Green Beans >> a restaurant-quality side dish in minutes
- Sautéed Asparagus with Tomatoes >> so so so good and so simple
- Mexican Cucumber Salad with Cilantro and Lime >> perfect for a summer bbq and ready in 5 minutes flat
- Creamed Corn from Modern Honey
- Spinach with Butter and Parmesan from Coley Cooks
- Carrot Slaw with Honey & Dill from Chris Loves Julia
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10 Minute Sautéed Zucchini and Squash Side Dish
Ingredients
- 1 & 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 small zucchini, or 1 large
- 1 medium yellow squash
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- black pepper to taste, use lots!
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
Instructions
- In a 10 or 12 inch skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat.
- Use a sharp knife to chop off the ends of the zucchini and squash. Chop them into chunks. Think 1/2 or 3/4 inch chunks, rather than slices.
- When the oil shimmers, add the squash and zucchini.
- Sauté for about 8-10 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and thyme.
- Take it off the heat when the squash is fork tender but hasn’t started to get mushy. Nobody likes mush.
- Eat hot!
Loved this recipe. It was a huge win at my house. Even my 2 year old granddaughter ate it!
That’s awesome Yvette! Anytime you can get the 2 year old to eat veggies is a huge win! (My daughter is almost 2 and is in the hates-all-food stage, ugh) I’m so glad you liked the recipe, thank you so much for coming back to tell me so!
Very good and EASY. Loved it.
Yes! Easy sides dishes for the win! Who has the time for elaborate side dishes?? Thanks for the comment, I’m glad you liked it!
This looks and sounds amazing! I have a thyme plant that is taking over my herb garden so this is on my menu as soon as I’m home from vacation. I love your blog btw. I stumbled across it on my search for the perfect Tejano beans and immediately signed up for your email.
Thank you for signing up Brandi! You are awesome! If you have fresh thyme in the garden you could also throw in a sprig or two (not chopped or anything) to intensify the flavor a bit. I’m jealous of your green thumb!
This looks incredible! I love how easy and healthy it is with just the olive oil and thyme :)
Thank you Medha! Sometimes simple is best right??