Summer Squash with Spiced Lime Sour Cream Recipe

Summer is in full swing. We even had a heat wave with temperatures that felt like 100+ degrees to prove it! Aside from the insane heat, the season also brings tons of beautiful summer squash. Playing around with some baby summer squash and zucchini that I grabbed from the farmers’ market led me to create this recipe for summer squash with spiced lime sour cream and cilantro.

Types of Summer Squash and Zucchini

The first question likely running through your head is: Are summer squash and zucchini the same thing? The simple answer is yes. But more accurately, all zucchini are summer squash but not all summer squash are zucchini. (It’s like a squares and rectangles sort of thing.) Squash can range from long and slender to short and squat, and come in all different shades of yellow and green in solid colors and stripes. (Here’s a visual guide to summer squash from The Kitchn.) For this recipe I used a combination of baby yellow zucchini, romanesco zucchini, and zephyr squash, but feel free to use whatever type you can get your hands on.

How to Cook Summer Squash and Zucchini

I start by lightly scoring the squash with a sharp knife in a crosshatch pattern, tossing them with some salt, letting them sit for 20 to 30 minutes, and then patting them dry with a paper towel. The reason to do this is to help infuse the vegetable with flavor and to remove excess moisture, which will help in getting some nice color when cooking. Since I used baby varieties of squash, I just left them whole, but if you use larger, more mature squash then it might be beneficial to remove some of the core with the seeds as it can be pretty watery.

After the vegetable has been prepped, then you’re ready to sear the squash in a hot skillet, toss it on the grill, or roast it in the oven.

For this recipe, the sautéed summer squash gets drizzled with a sauce of sour cream, lime juice and zest, ground cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper, and some hot sauce for a little kick. Sprinkle with some chopped cilantro over the top for added freshness, have a few extra lime wedges on the side, and you’re ready to serve this flavorful vegetable dish to all of your family and friends.

(And I thought of this after I already photographed it and ate it, but some chopped peanuts or pepitas might be a nice garnish for some added crunch in the dish.)

Yield: 3 to 4 servings

Summer Squash with Spiced Lime Sour Cream Recipe

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Sautéed summer squash or zucchini get drizzled with a spiced sour cream and lime sauce. Sprinkle some chopped cilantro over top for added freshness.

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Ingredients

• 1 pound summer squash or zucchini, halved and scored
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
• Vegetable oil, for searing
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 lime, zested and juiced, plus more lime wedges for serving
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce, or to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• Chopped fresh cilantro, for serving

Instructions

1. Toss the squash with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and let sit for 20 to 30 minutes; pat dry with a paper towel.
2. Heat some oil a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat. In batches, add the squash cut-side down and sear until browned, 3 to 5 minutes; flip and cook 1 to 2 minutes more. Transfer to a platter.
3. In a small bowl, combine the sour cream, lime zest and juice, hot sauce, cumin, chili powder, and black pepper. As needed, thin out the sauce with a little bit of water to get it to drizzle. Taste and season with salt or more hot sauce as desired.
4. To served, drizzle the sauce over the cooked squash on the platter, sprinkle with some cilantro, and place a few lime wedges on the side.