Summer squash rice pilaf is a tasty and easy side dish. Tender carrots, zucchini, and yellow squash are mixed with creamy rice. The best part is that it pairs well with pretty much anything!
Ahh, summertime! There's hot weather, popsicles, and an abundance of summer squash growing in the garden. At first, it's like "YEAH ZUCCHINI!!!!" and then it's like, "Guess what family, we're having zucchini with dinner again. 🤦♀️🤦♂️🙅♀️ 🙅♂️"
This tasty side dish, however, can breathe new life into your zucchini and yellow squash. It's a really unfussy recipe that you can whip up to go with just about anything. Plus, it tastes like it has way more butter involved than it actually does.
Of course, zucchini can usually be found in the grocery store all year round, so don't limit this tasty side dish to summer. Its bright colors will make it feel like summer in your mouth, even on cold winter nights. And isn't that what we all want?
You should be able to find many different varieties of rice in the bulk section of your grocery store. For this recipe, I usually use long-grain white rice, but you can easily substitute it for whatever type of rice you prefer.
Top Tips
- I can always find zucchini in the grocery store, but yellow squash can be harder to come by at certain months of the year. If this happens to you, just double the amount of zucchini and leave out the yellow squash.
- Make sure to occasionally stir the rice as it is simmering. Is there anything worse than cleaning a pot that has food burned onto the bottom of it?
- Customize this recipe for you! Change up the veggies (hello broccoli!), mix it up with different herbs, add some garlic. Maybe you want to make it healthier by using brown rice instead. Perhaps you're feeling boisterous, use wild rice! The possibilities are endless with this recipe. I'd love to hear how you made it! Let me know in the comments below.
P.S. I can't tell you how many times I spelled zucchini wrong while typing up this post. I hope you're a better speller than I am.
✌️Emily
Yellow Squash and Zucchini Rice Pilaf
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 cup sliced carrots
- ½ cup chopped onions
- 2 cups broth low-sodium chicken or veggie
- ⅔ cup long grain rice
- 1 cup sliced yellow squash
- 1 cup sliced zucchini
- Fresh herbs of your choice (optional) basil, parsley, oregano, thyme, dill, etc
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Melt butter in a large sauce pan over medium high heat, cook carrots and onions until tender-about 5 minutes.
- Stir in broth, rice, salt and pepper and bring everything to a boil. Reduce the heat to simmer. Cover and simmer for 13 minutes.
- Uncover and stir, making sure remove any rice that may be sticking to the bottom of the sauce pan. Mix in yellow squash and zucchini.
- Recover and simmer an additional 5-10 mins, or until the rice is tender.
- If desired, garnish individual servings with your favorite fresh herbs and salt and pepper.
Gabi says
This looks delicious! We always have a surplus of zucchini at my house during the summer months, so I can't wait to try this out! 🙂
Amanda Marie Boyle says
Such a great side, it goes with everything!
Emily Flint says
I found your recipe because I needed somthing to do with all my squash and zucchini in my garden. This recipe was perfect!
Taleen | Just As Tasty says
This looks so delicious and flavorful! Can't wait to try, will be pinning this recipe!
Sue says
Always looking for new ideas for summer squash - this one is a keeper!
Carina says
Looks delicious!
Leslie says
I'm really digging this recipe!
Sarah James says
What a tasty side dish, pinning for later. Really lucky being British we only have to spell courgette, it's so much easier 🙂
Kerri says
Always love a good side dish! I could eat rice all day every day. Something I never get tired of!
Chef Dennis says
what a perfect side dish! I made this to go with grill chicken for dinner tonight and it was a big hit!
Mama Maggie's Kitchen says
Great food photos. It looks so good.