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.

sauteed zucchini and squash with thyme.
Table of Contents
  1. You’ll love this sauteed zucchini and squash recipe
  2. Sauteed zucchini and squash recipe ingredients
  3. How to make sauteed zucchini and squash
  4. What to eat with sauteed zucchini and yellow squash
  5. How to store sautéed zucchini and yellow squash
  6. More ideas if you are drowning in zucchini!
  7. Quick and easy veggie side dishes
  8. 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.

Want to save this recipe?
Just drop your email here and I’ll send it right away! Plus you’ll get new recipes from me every week. Yes please!
sauteed zucchini and squash in a blue serving bowl.

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.

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.

A hand holding up one yellow squash and two zucchinis.
diced zucchini on a cutting board.

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. 

sauteed zucchini and squash with thyme and a wooden spoon.

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:

close of up sauteed zucchini and squash.

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!

Quick and easy veggie side dishes

Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram

logo

10 Minute Sautéed Zucchini and Squash Side Dish

4.80 from 5 votes
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Total: 15 minutes
Servings: 6
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.

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!

Notes

How to store sauteed 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.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 43kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Potassium: 189mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 146IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 12mg | Iron: 1mg
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 43
Keyword: 10 Minute Recipe, sauteed, side dish, Squash, zucchini
Did you make this? I’d love to see it!Mention @thefoodcharlatan or tag #thefoodcharlatan!

Categorized as

You May Also Like...

Comments

    1. 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!

    1. 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!

  1. 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.

    1. 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!

  2. This looks incredible! I love how easy and healthy it is with just the olive oil and thyme :)

4.80 from 5 votes (5 ratings without comment)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.