Stewed squash is a simple Southern side dish of sliced yellow summer squash and onions cooked low and slow in butter until soft, silky and sweet. There is no cream, no cheese and no breading. The squash cooks down in its own juices under a lid, and the onions melt into it. It is a classic summer vegetable plate dish, good next to fried chicken, pork chops, cornbread and sliced tomatoes, and it is ready in 30 minutes.
How to make stewed squash: Melt a stick of butter in a pot over low-medium heat. Add sliced onions and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add sliced squash and stir it into the butter and onions. Cover the pot and cook for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring now and then, until the squash is tender. Season with salt and black pepper.
Why You’ll Love It
- Three main ingredients. Squash, onions and butter.
- One pot. With a lid.
- A good use for a garden glut. It takes eight squash at once.
- Soft and buttery. Comfort food in vegetable form.
- It goes with everything. Chicken, pork, fish or a plate of vegetables.
Ingredient Notes
Squash. Eight, sliced. Yellow summer squash, either crookneck or straightneck, is the classic choice. Small to medium squash have thinner skins and fewer seeds.
Onions. One to 2, sliced or chopped. Sweet onions are especially good here.
Butter. One stick, cut into smaller pieces so it melts evenly.
Salt and black pepper. To taste, added at the end.
Ingredients
- 1 stick butter, cut into smaller pieces
- 1 to 2 onions, sliced or chopped
- 8 squash, sliced
- Salt, to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
How to Make Stewed Squash
1. Prepare the vegetables. Slice or chop the onions and slice the squash.
2. Start the onions. Put the butter pieces in a pot over low-medium heat. When the butter starts to melt, add the onions. Stir and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
3. Add the squash. Add the sliced squash and mix it with the onions and butter. Do not add water.
4. Cover and cook. Put the lid on the pot and continue to stir occasionally over the next 20 to 25 minutes. The squash should be tender.
5. Season. Add salt and black pepper to taste.
Do You Need to Add Water to Stewed Squash?
No, not for this method. It looks wrong the first time. A pot piled high with raw squash and nothing but butter seems sure to scorch. But summer squash is mostly water. Within a few minutes under a lid, the slices start to give up their juice, and soon they are simmering in their own liquid and butter.
There are two old ways of making this dish, and they are easy to mix up.
| Butter method, used here | Boil-and-drain method | |
|---|---|---|
| Liquid | None added. The squash makes its own | Squash is covered with water |
| How it cooks | Covered, over low-medium heat, stirred now and then | Boiled until completely soft, then drained |
| When the butter goes in | At the start, with the onions | At the end, after draining |
| Result | Soft squash in a buttery, oniony glaze | Very soft squash, seasoned afterward |
Pick one and stay with it. If you add water to the butter method, you end up with a thin, watery pot.
The lid matters. It traps the steam, and the steam is what softens the top layer of squash before the juices rise. Keep the heat at low-medium so the butter does not brown before the squash lets go of its liquid.
Tips for Success
How thick should I slice the squash?
About as thick as a finger is wide, in even rounds. Even slices cook at the same pace. Halve large squash lengthwise first.
Do I peel the squash?
No. The skin of yellow summer squash is thin and tender, and it softens fully as it cooks. Just wash the squash well and trim off the stem and blossom ends before slicing.
How often should I stir?
Every few minutes, lifting from the bottom. Early on, this moves the squash on top down to the heat. Later, it keeps the bottom from sticking.
How soft should it be?
Tender enough to cut with the side of a spoon. Stop early if you like the slices to hold their shape. For softer, more broken-down squash, cook to the long end of the time.
There is a lot of liquid in the pot. What should I do?
Take the lid off for the last few minutes and let some of it cook away. A little buttery juice in the bottom of the pot is a good thing, and it is lovely spooned over cornbread.
How Long Does It Take?
About 30 minutes: 5 minutes of prep and about 25 minutes on the stove.
What Squash Is Best for Stewing?
Yellow summer squash. It is mild, a little sweet and cooks down to a soft, silky texture. Zucchini can be cooked the same way, alone or mixed with yellow squash.
Storage & Reheating
Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours, in shallow covered containers. They keep for 3 to 4 days. Reheat gently on the stove or in the microwave. Stewed squash can be frozen for 3 to 4 months, though it will be softer after thawing.
What to Serve With It
Stewed squash belongs on a Southern supper plate with fried chicken, pork chops or meatloaf, cornbread and sliced tomatoes. For other stewed sides, make Southern stewed potatoes or these simple stewed potatoes. For more ways to cook summer squash, try the squash casserole, zucchini and squash au gratin, patty pan squash or roasted garlic-Parmesan zucchini, squash and tomatoes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does stewed squash need added water, or can it cook covered with butter and onions?
It can cook covered with butter and onions, with no added water. The squash releases its own liquid.
What kind of squash is used for stewed squash?
Yellow summer squash.
Do you peel squash before stewing?
No. The thin skin softens as it cooks.
How many does it serve?
About 10, as a side dish.
Final Notes
I slice the squash straight into the pot as the onions cook, which saves a bowl and keeps things moving. If you make it, leave a comment to tell me how it turned out or ask a question.
Southern Stewed Squash
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Ingredients
- 1 stick butter cut into smaller pieces
- 1 to 2 onions sliced or chopped
- 8 squash yellow summer squash, sliced
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Slice or chop the onions and slice the squash.
- Put the butter pieces in a pot over low-medium heat. When the butter starts to melt, add the onions. Stir and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the sliced squash and mix it with the onions and butter. Do not add water.
- Put the lid on the pot and continue to stir occasionally over the next 20 to 25 minutes. The squash should be tender.
- Add salt and black pepper to taste.
Notes
Nutrition
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