Move over winter squash, summer squash has arrived! And we’re grilling it with a spicy jalapeño herb sauce. Perfect for your next BBQ, picnic, or even for a vegetarian main, this Grilled Summer Squash + Spicy Mint Sauce recipe is perfect for all of your favorite summertime activities.
Green and yellow zucchini can be found pretty much year round in the grocery stores. But the summer months are when they really shine, and you can find all of the other interesting summer squash varieties. Think pattypan, cousa, striped romanesco zucchini, squash blossoms and more.
Summer squashes have thin edible skins and seeds, unlike most of the hard-skinned winter squash where you peel the skin and discard the seeds.
By the way, did you know squash is actually a fruit, not a vegetable? I know, right!? Botanically speaking, of course. That said, we still treat it and prepare it like a vegetable.
What is cousa squash?
Cousa squash is like zucchini, but more oval in shape and a tad sweet in taste. It has a beautiful pale green color and can be prepared any way you like to enjoy summer squash.
You likely won’t find it at the grocery store, so check out your local farmers market. I get mine from Stokes Farm, they have amazing produce, herbs, flowers and more.
Me? I like mine grilled. Or shredded into zucchini bread or muffins for a healthy treat. Umm.. did someone say muffins?
Ok, now that you have the squash rundown, let’s talk recipe!
Cousa squash, cherry tomatoes and apple mint
Grilled Summer Squash + Spicy Mint Sauce…
This is one of those dishes that can be made various ways, according to what you find at the market and your overall preference.
But if you want to make it true to the recipe, you’ll need:
- cooked quinoa
- Spicy Mint Sauce
- cousa squash
- cherry tomatoes
And a few other pantry staples such extra-virgin olive and seasonings.
Notes on quinoa and the Spicy Mint Sauce in just a minute, but let’s first talk squash.
While I used cousa in the recipe, you can easily sub zucchini, yellow, or any similar summer squash. And if you want to swap grape tomatoes for cherry tomatoes feel free, those works also work well.
Follow the tips below for fluffy quinoa every time!
First thing’s first ~ make the quinoa:
The recipe calls for cooked quinoa, so if you have not already done this make the quinoa first.
Below are my top quinoa cooking tips!
- rinse quinoa in a fine-mesh strainer to remove bitter saponins (unless your brand is pre-washed)
- if you rinse first: heat a small saucepan over medium heat, add quinoa and allow water to evaporate, then add salt and spices and “toast” until spices are fragrant (ground cumin and dried oregano go nicely here)
- if you don’t rinse first: heat a small saucepan over medium heat, add quinoa, then add salt and spices and “toast” until spices are fragrant
- add about double the amount of water as quinoa, so for 1/2 cup raw quinoa, add about 1 cup water
- cover and simmer 15 minutes, then take off heat and let steam 5 minutes
- fluff with a fork then serve
Use your favorite herbs for the spicy sauce
Next make the saucy sauce…
The Spicy Mint Sauce is an easy toss-it-in-the-food-processor deal, literally.
I use mint here, but I also like to use cilantro, parsley or basil. So you can swap mint out for your favorite herb, or even do a combo of herbs.
The jalapeño is just spicy enough to give it a kick without being too spicy, and the fresh lemon juice adds some brightness. Recipe below!
Next up, grill the squash!
I like to slice my squash lengthwise for a nice serving presentation. And I leave the cherry tomatoes whole. You can also add other savory fruit/veggies to this such as pattypan squash, eggplant, mushrooms, red onion, bell peppers or asparagus.
Whether you are grilling outdoors or on an indoor grill pan, you will want to lightly toss your squash and tomatoes with a little olive oil. Then grill over medium-high heat until tender.
The key to getting the nice grill marks on food is to not constantly move it around. Let it hang out in one place for a few minutes before flipping or rotating.
Once cooked, season with some flake sea salt and black pepper. You could even use smoked sea salt or smoked paprika for that smoky grill flavor!
To serve…
Whether using individual plates or a large serving platter, I like to put a thin layer of the sauce on the bottom, then top with the quinoa and grilled “vegetables”, then top with a handful of fresh herbs. The dish can be enjoyed warm or at room temp and you can serve extra sauce on the side.
If you are looking for a little bit of a crunch factor add a handful of pine nuts or pistachios. You could even add a handful of feta cheese for some tang, plant-based or dairy feta.
Be sure to let me know if you try my recipe for Grilled Summer Squash + Spicy Mint Sauce! You can comment below or tag me on my Instagram page with a pic.
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| Prep Time | 15 minutes |
| Cook Time | 10 minutes |
| Servings |
servings
|
- 2 cups cooked quinoa
- 1 cup fresh mint leaves or do a combo of mint and parsley
- 1 small jalapeño pepper chopped
- 2 cloves garlic chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp ground cumin
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil plus more for grilling squash/tomatoes
- 2 medium summer squash, such as cousa, zucchini, yellow squash, etc. quartered lengthwise
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- 1 - 2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil or avocado oil or as needed (I tend to like less oil)
- to taste salt + black pepper
Ingredients
|
|
- prepare Spicy Mint Sauce: in a food processor, blend mint, jalapeño, garlic, lemon juice, cumin and olive oil, season to taste with salt
- heat a grill or grill pan over medium-high heat, gently toss squash and cherry tomatoes with just enough olive oil to lightly coat (about 1 or 2 teaspoons)
- grill squash and tomatoes until fork tender, turning a few times as needed (but allow to grill undisturbed part of the time to get those nice grill marks!), remove from heat and season to taste with salt + black pepper
- assembly: to each plate add some of the sauce, then divide the quinoa, squash and tomatoes evenly; top with extra chopped fresh herbs for garnish, enjoy warm or at room temp
**Recipe can be batch-cooked in advance, just keep components separate and assemble just before enjoying
Recipe serves 2 as a main, 4 as a side
Original recipe created by Jerran Boyer
www.healthnutchefs.com