18 Irresistible Yellow Squash Recipes to Make This Summer

Summer squash season is here, and it’s peak time to load up. From late July through August, farmers’ markets and backyard gardens are overflowing with golden, tender yellow squash at their absolute best: mild, versatile, and packed with nutrients. We’ve gathered 18 of our favorite yellow squash recipes so you can turn that seasonal abundance into something delicious.

Yellow Squash Vs. Zucchini

Yellow summer squash and zucchini are remarkably similar! So much so that they are essentially nutritional twins and can almost always be swapped for each other in recipes.

Botanically, both zucchini and yellow squash belong to the exact same species (Cucurbita pepo) and are both classified as summer squash. The main difference between them is simply shape and color: zucchini is long and green, while yellow squash is yellow and often has a slightly curved or bulbous neck. That’s really it. 

Both are extremely low in calories, very high in water content, and a great way to add bulk and volume to a meal without adding significant carbs or calories. This is exactly why they show up so often in our recipes, programs, and healthy eating plans. 

In the kitchen, they cook at the same rate, have a similarly mild flavor, and can be used interchangeably in virtually any recipe: roasted, sautéed, grilled, spiralized into noodles, or baked into dishes. Many of our recipes actually use both together simply for the color contrast.

Bottom line: If a recipe calls for one and you only have the other, swap freely because you will not notice a meaningful difference in taste, texture, or nutrition.

How To Choose A Good Summer Squash

When it comes to choosing the right summer squash, it typically depends on two things.  First, how big the squash is, and second, how long the squash has been on the vine.  (I have to tell you, these two usually go together.)  

As a squash stays on the vine, it becomes large, watery, and the skin and seeds become pithy, or tough.  So choose a summer squash that is young and small, around 4-6 inches long and no more than about 2 inches wide. This will give your recipes the best texture.

18 Yellow Squash Recipes You Can Make This Summer

If your looking for some fantastic ways to use summer squash varieties like yellow squash and zucchini, then look no further! These squash recipes are getting a spotlight for their irresistible flavor and nutrition. And remember! You can interchange zucchini and yellow squash in any of these recipes! So find a few to try and start loving squash!

1. French Inspired Ratatouille

This French Ratatouille is the perfect way to start off this list of summer squash recipes. It’s made using slices of both yellow squash and zucchini along with other vegetables like eggplant and onions. All layered elegantly on a bed of marinara and baked for a super special summer side dish.

2. Summertime Grilled Fresh Vegetable Salad

Embrace the flavors of summer with this vibrant and healthy Grilled Fresh Vegetable Salad!  This colorful and delicious recipe is a celebration of the season’s best produce like yellow summer squash and zucchini, cauliflower, red peppers, and onions. It’s all made on the grill for easy cleanup, and features fresh herbs and a tangy homemade dressing.

3. Yellow Squash Frittata with Sausage

One of our most popular baked yellow squash recipes is this yellow squash frittata because it’s high in protein and super satisfying. This one pan delight is perfect for an easy breakfast or make ahead lunch.

4. Yellow Summer Squash ‘Spaghetti’ with Roasted Tomato Sauce

Did you know you can make “spaghetti” from yellow squash and zucchini? All you need is a spiralizer, and you’ll be on your way to making this super simple veggie spaghetti. I added a homemade marinara and roasted tomatoes to bring this dish to life!

5. Simple Summer Squash Salad

This easy yellow squash salad recipe takes just minutes to prepare. Toss sliced yellow squash or zucchini with fresh herbs and a simple olive oil and lemon juice dressing. Allow it to marinate before serving for the full blend of fabulous flavors, then top with shaved parmesan cheese!

6. Taco Stuffed Summer Squash Boats

You can use yellow squash or zucchini to make these Taco Stuffed Summer Squash Boats. Grill them or make them in the oven, they are a super simple way to enjoy tacos when you don’t want a traditional shell!

7. Tangy Beetroot + Cucumber Salad With Yellow Squash

This beet and cucumber salad is a combination of flavorful herbs, yellow squash, tangy beetroot, and fresh cucumber for a chopped salad that is easy and delicious for any meal.

8. Creamy Chicken and Summer Squash

This dairy free, grain free meal is so creamy and delicious! Creamy Chicken and Summer Squash is made with seasoned juicy chicken, yellow squash, and plenty of other veggies as well. The creamy sauce is thanks to the coconut cream, and creates a quick and dreamy sauce that brings this dish together. It’s a one-pan meal you can make even on a busy weeknight.

9. Nourishing CFC Minestrone Soup

This Minestrone Soup is perfectly inexpensive, filling, and nourishing enough to feed our big family! Plus it’s one of our favorite yellow summer squash recipes. Soup is always a forgiving assortment of veggies, and this one is no different, so it’s really perfect all year round in order to use up whatever you have in the pantry, plus it freezes well!

10. Marinated Zucchini Salad

This marinated ribbon salad is made by slicing summer squash vertically using a mandolin slicer. The result is one of the most beautiful summer squash recipes to use for a side dish. We marinated it all in an Asian style marinade, and serve it sprinkled with sesame seeds.

11. Tex-Mex Zucchini & Chicken Skillet

Black beans, corn, peppers, and tomatoes are the star veggies in our Tex-Mex Chicken Skillet, but we also threw in something surprising…zucchini! Or yellow squash works too! They’re both in season right now and are a great way to bulk up your meals without having to cook extra things like rice or quinoa. This meal comes together in one pan and only takes about 20 minutes!

12. Creamy Shrimp & Zoodles

Have you ever tried making noodles out of zucchini? I call them zoodles, and they are the perfect way to create a delicious “pasta” dish…without any pasta! In this recipe I actually used yellow squash, popped it into my spiralizer, and voila, I had the perfect low carb noodles for this Creamy Shrimp & Zoodles dish. Just what I was craving!

13. Chopped Enchilada Skillet

Many of these easy yellow squash recipes were created to get around adding loads of carbs. This Chopped Enchilada Skillet is no exception. Instead of adding rice, I chose to add chopped yellow squash. It still has all those enchilada flavors and textures you love like cumin, garlic, black beans, and melty cheese, only we used summer squash instead of rice.

14. Bright + Tangy Raw Zoodle Salad

Until I started exploring healthy food, I never even realized that you could eat raw summer squash. In this Zoodle + Veggie Salad we took everything fresh and delicious about summer and put it into one bowl. Spiralized yellow squash or zucchini, fresh green beans, vine ripened tomatoes, and shaved carrots just to name a few elements that make this salad nutritious. Then we topped it all with an Asian style dressing and chopped peanuts to make it super bright, and flavorful.

15. Summer Squash Ribbon Salad

In this recipe, we created an actual summer squash lettuce salad and topped it with squash ribbons to make a beautiful side dish for a grill out or potluck. We brought everything together with a light vinaigrette and chopped peanuts to give it some brightness and crunch.

16. Sausage Summer Squash Skillet

Let’s get right to it with this SUPER SIMPLE one-pan Sausage Summer Squash Skillet recipe for a quick week-night meal during this season of summer winding down and the kids heading back to school. Zucchini and Summer Squash are plentiful and affordable right now, so let’s enjoy them.

17. Summer Veggie + Marinated Chicken Kabobs

Grilled kabobs are a summer must and your going to love these Summer Veggie + Marinated Chicken Kabobs. Large chunks of chicken, summer squash, peppers, and onions all marinated and grilled for an easy make ahead meal. It’s filling, fun, and perfect for easy cleanup on a busy weeknight.

18. Summer Zucchini Salad

This chopped Summer Zucchini Salad is pretty simple to prep, but the end result is full of complex fresh beautiful favors! Zucchini has quite an impressive nutritional scoreboard, from high levels of potassium, B-vitamins, dietary fiber, and antioxidants, all of which offer huge benefits to our overall health. So throw this salad together for a burst of nutrition and flavor this summer.

Grab That Yellow Squash At The Farmers Market

There’s no shortage of delicious ways to enjoy yellow squash recipes during the peak of summer. Whether you’re looking for a quick weeknight skillet, a fresh salad for your next cookout, a protein-packed breakfast, or a lighter twist on your favorite comfort foods, yellow squash is one of the easiest vegetables to work into your meals.

So the next time you spot a pile of beautiful yellow squash at the farmers market or harvest a few from your garden, don’t let them go to waste. Bookmark this collection, pick a recipe (or two!), and make the most of summer squash season while it’s here. Happy cooking!