Yellow Squash
Yellow squash is a tender, mild summer squash that cooks quickly and takes on whatever flavors it's paired with, making it a staple of summer home cooking.
How to buy
Choose small to medium squash that feel firm and heavy for their size, with glossy, unblemished skin. Larger squash tend to have more seeds, tougher skin, and a watery, less flavorful interior, so smaller is usually better. Avoid any with soft spots, wrinkled skin, or a dull, rubbery feel.
How to store
Keep unwashed squash in a perforated bag in the crisper drawer and use within 4-5 days, since it softens and turns spongy as it ages. Raw squash doesn't freeze well because its high water content turns it mushy on thawing; blanch and dry it first if you plan to freeze it.
Culinary profile
- Flavor
- Mild, faintly sweet, and vegetal, with much less assertive flavor than zucchini's cousin, winter squash. It mostly absorbs and carries other flavors in a dish rather than asserting its own.
- Texture
- Crisp and a little watery raw, softening quickly to tender once cooked. It turns mushy and waterlogged if overcooked or salted too far in advance, since salt draws out its water content fast.
- Aroma
- A light, grassy, faintly sweet smell when raw that turns slightly nuttier and more pronounced once sautéed in butter or oil.
How to prepare
- Sliced and sautéed — Thin rounds or half-moons cooked quickly in butter or oil with garlic until just tender.
- Grated for fritters — Shredded, salted to draw out moisture, and pan-fried into crisp patties.
- Grilled in planks — Cut into thick lengthwise slabs and grilled until lightly charred and tender.
- Roasted — Cut into chunks and roasted at high heat to concentrate its mild sweetness.
- Stuffed and baked — Halved, hollowed, and filled with a savory mixture before baking until soft.
Classic dishes
American
- Southern squash casserole — Sliced yellow squash baked with cheese, egg, and a buttery cracker topping.
- Fried squash — Breaded rounds of squash fried until golden and crisp, a Southern side dish staple.
- Squash fritters — Grated squash bound with egg and flour, pan-fried into crisp little cakes.
- Succotash — A corn and bean dish often rounded out with diced summer squash.
- Squash and corn soup — A creamy soup built on the sweetness of summer squash and fresh corn.
Italian
- Squash caponata-style relish — A sweet-and-sour cooked squash relish served as a condiment or antipasto.
Mexican
- Calabacitas — Sautéed squash with corn, chile, and cheese, a common home-style side dish.
- Torta de calabacita — A savory squash patty or cake, pan-fried and often served with salsa.
- Squash quesadilla filling — Sautéed squash and cheese folded into a warm tortilla.
Chinese
- Stir-fried squash with garlic — Thin squash slices stir-fried quickly over high heat with garlic and a touch of soy.
Japanese
- Vegetable tempura — Battered, deep-fried squash slices served as part of a mixed tempura platter.
Indian
- Summer squash sabzi — A dry-spiced squash dish tempered with mustard seed, turmeric, and chile.
French
- Ratatouille — A stewed vegetable dish where yellow squash is layered or tossed with eggplant, zucchini, and tomato.
- Squash gratin — Thin squash slices baked in cream and cheese until tender and golden on top.
Mediterranean
- Grilled summer squash — Thick planks grilled with olive oil and herbs until tender and lightly charred.
- Squash and tomato sauté — Squash cooked down with tomato, garlic, and olive oil into a light summer side.