Our Best Summer Squash Recipes to Prepare This Season

A healthy and easy vegetable side comes in the form of zucchini, lemon halves, and red onions, which get brushed with olive oil and grilled. The result is a colorful, flavorful addition to tender shrimp and immune-boosting couscous.

Everything about this salad says pretty—attractive grill marks on zucchini and chicken, bright pink radishes cut and scattered throughout, and fresh dill as a garnish taste as bright as they look. In under an hour, this weeknight dinner is ready to serve.

When your garden is overflowing with zucchini, pickle them and put them on burgers. Make sure you don't skip the step of salting and then submerging them in ice water: it's the secret to long-lasting snap.

Pile raw zucchini ribbons onto avocado toasts (here, salting makes them more tender and pliable).

Grated zucchini gives this crowd-pleasing cake a moist texture and subtle sweetness. Almond flour adds nutty flavor and makes it perfect for gluten-intolerant guests.

This crisp phyllo-crust tart filled with basil-infused custard and topped with long, thin ribbons of zucchini showcases some of late summer's most vibrant flavors.

Tender summer squash are a sweet foil for the cool, bracing flavor of anise, which comes in the form of ouzo. A handful of fresh tarragon leaves mingles in the creamy sauce.

In less than 30 minutes, you can pull together healthy meatballs that are packed with zucchini and millet for texture. It's a great way to sneak kids their vegetables in the form of a fan-favorite bite.

Zucchini is the secret moist ingredient in this indulgent chocolate cake. It's easy to transport to parties and was made for a crowd, thanks to its sheet cake form. We love the subtle tang of cream cheese frosting but decorate the cake to your liking.

Enjoy Mediterranean flavors from the comfort of your own kitchen. Sweet caramelized onions, thin ribbons of zucchini, tangy feta, and salty Kalamata olives offer an interesting mix of color and texture on this pie.

This silky-smooth soup is sunshine concentrated. This Southeast Asian-inspired zucchini purée has coconut milk and potato for a velvety texture. Accent it with zucchini slices and cilantro leaves.

Enhance zucchini's natural flavors with a complementary sauce. Brush grilled zucchini with a miso-soy glaze for deep umami richness. 

A fresh, green twist on bagels and lox. Waffles get a blast of summer with grated zucchini, then they're garnished with indulgent toppings like créme fraiche and smoked salmon. It's a dish best served warm so snap a photo quickly before digging in.

Serve it for breakfast, a side, or a snack. No matter which way you slice it, this moist zucchini bread with a sharp, cheesy crust is sure to please.

This super simple salad highlights the very best of summer squash. Thin slices of zucchini and yellow squash get sliced, drained, then tossed with a simple lemon and olive oil vinaigrette. Add pine nuts for crunch, basil for color, and Parmesan cheese for a savory taste.

A frittata is halfway between a quiche and omelet and we love how it can hold up to a variety of hearty fillings like zucchini and melty cheesy. The only equipment required are a skillet and bowl and in 35 minutes, breakfast (or dinner!) is served.

Cheesy pasta mixed with shredded zucchini is an easy way to make classic comfort food a little bit healthier. The only cooking required is boiling penne, so you can get dinner on the table in flash—perfect for busy weeknights.

Want your chocolate fix while staying healthy, too? This bread answers your wishes. Grated zucchini gets stirred into a traditional loaf bread mixture, then more melted chocolate is added because why not?

Instead of eggplant, the traditional ingredient in this Mediterranean dip, use the bounty of fresh summer zucchini. Serve with crudité like endive leaves, blanched asparagus, and sliced bell pepper, or hearty pita bread. 

Super savory and just a touch spicy, we're going back for seconds and thirds of these muffins. The ingredient list is simple but the flavor packs a punch. Zucchini helps keep the muffins moist while adding vibrancy to otherwise mono-colored muffins.

A quick sear of zucchini in a hot skillet makes them golden brown and crunchy on the outside. Next, place them in a bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and let them steam naturally so they cook through. It's a one-two punch technique that really works.

Sub out French fries with this healthy yet satisfying option. Thick wedges of zucchini get battered and rolled in panko breadcrumbs. They crisp up beautifully once baked. 

Try a new pasta shape for dinner tonight. Curly, twisted campanelle is fun to eat and toss with tender zucchini and briny olives. Another unexpected edition? Shaved ricotta salata is a bright, salty substitute for traditional grated parmesan.

Serve this energy-boosting green slaw alongside barbecued entrées this summer. It takes less than 20 minutes to come together and half the time is completely hands-off so you can relax and enjoy the warm weather with a refreshing beverage in hand.

This blends two of our favorite savory breakfast options in one—zucchini loaf and corn bread. We love seeing the bright green zucchini peak through the yellow muffins for a hint at what's inside.

An elegant addition to your weeknight dinner rotation! This impressive-looking fish and vegetable dish takes less than 20 minutes to prepare from start to finish. We love highlighting summer vegetables like zucchini, corn on the cob, and cherry tomatoes here.

Tossed with sautéed zucchini, hot pasta, and fresh tomatoes, squash blossoms become just barely wilted and lend a delicate flavor and a splash of color to this breezy summer supper.

If you can't find the squashes here, try small zucchini and slice them crosswise. Squash blossoms can be replaced with a leafy green such as spinach.

Here's a delicious seasonal take on classic tomato bruschetta. Shredded zucchini gets sautéed in butter and shallots until tender, then a blast of heat from red pepper flakes and freshly grated black pepper amps up the volume on these easy bites.

Shredded zucchini, ripe banana, and ground flaxseed dial up the nutrition factor in these moist muffins.