Summer Squash “Risotto”
There was that one summer when I had to start hiding from my neighbor who grew too much zucchini. When I didn’t answer the door, she left a sack of it on my deck. Not one to waste food, I had to figure out what to do with it. This summer squash “risotto” has zucchini, yellow squash, and cherry tomatoes sautéed until lightly caramelized, then folded into cauliflower rice and finished with Parmesan and a knob of butter or cream cheese until it's genuinely silky. Lemon and Italian herbs pull it together. Leave out the dairy to make it vegan.
Simple, hormone-friendly recipes are just one part of what I do here at Finding My Fierce. If you’re a woman over 40 and want to learn about rebel wellness, feral confidence, perimenopause and reducing overwhelm, I’m your people. start here
Ingredients:
(see printable recipe card down below)
Serves 6 | Start to Finish: 20 minutes
1½ tbsp (22 ml) olive oil
2 lbs (900 g) mixed yellow squash and zucchini, washed, ends trimmed, cut into ¼ slices, then halved
8 oz (227 g) cherry or grape tomatoes
Pinch each of salt and pepper
½ cup (120 ml) vegetable broth or water
2 bags (600 g / 2 × 10 oz) frozen riced cauliflower, or 1 head (about 800 g) fresh cauliflower, riced
3 tbsp (45 ml) fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp (6 g) Italian seasoning blend
⅓ cup (33 g) grated Parmesan or nutritional yeast for vegan
1 tbsp butter or cream cheese, or choose vegan options
How to Make This
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add the squash and tomatoes with a pinch of salt and pepper and stir to coat. Cook until lightly browned on one side, about 3 minutes, then move the mixture to a bowl and set it aside.
To the same skillet over medium-high heat, add the broth and bring to a gentle boil; drop the heat to medium and add the cauliflower rice. Stir often until the liquid is mostly evaporated and the cauliflower is just tender, about 5 minutes.
Turn off the heat. Stir in the Parmesan, butter, lemon juice and Italian seasoning.
Serve the “risotto” topped with squash and extra Parmesan on the side
Storage and Reheat
Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
To reheat, add a splash of broth or water to a skillet over medium-low. Stir it back together as it warms. The microwave works in a pinch; just add that splash of liquid and cover it so it steams a little rather than drying out.
Before You Go
This recipe came out of the same place where I write the rest of this blog: in a vintage RV parked in the woods next to a river, where I write about rebel wellness, fierce confidence, simple living and hormone friendly meals for women over 40 in perimenopause and menopause. If you’re interested in learning more about these topics, read my story or start here.
If this made meal time a little easier, leave a comment below or a review on the recipe card. Tell me what you swapped or what you added.
Melissa
Recipe adapted from Salad of the Day (Williams Sonoma)
Summer Squash Risotto
Ingredients
- 2 lb mixed yellow squash and zucchini (see notes)
- 1½ Tablespoons olive oil, separated (see notes)
- Salt and pepper
- 1½ cups Arborio rice
- 4 cups broth or water
- 3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 Tablespoon white wine vinegar (or replace with additional 1 Tbs lemon juice)
- 1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning blend
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, optional
Instructions
- Rinse and dry the squash. Trim off the ends and cut the squash into ¼-inch thick slices. The trimmed ends can go into your compost bin!
- In a medium bowl, add the squash, ½ tablespoon of the olive oil, ½ tsp salt, and a few grindings of pepper. Toss to coat.
- In a pot over medium-high heat, bring the arborio rice and 1 cup of the reserved broth to a boil, then reduce heat to medium. Cook, stirring often, until liquid is nearly absorbed. The mixture should slowly bubble, not boil. Continue adding hot broth in 1 cup increments, and stirring to prevent scorching, until all liquid is absorbed. The cooking process should take around 20 minutes and the arborio rice will have a silky, slightly chewy texture when fully cooked. Before turning off the heat, check for doneness; add a bit more broth or water and continue to cook, if needed.
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the squash and cook on both sides until lightly browned.
- Turn the heat to low, add the cooked arborio rice to the squash along with the lemon juice, vinegar (if using) and Italian seasoning. Stir to combine. Taste for seasoning, adding salt and pepper or Italian seasoning to taste.
- Serve sprinkled with Parmesan cheese, if using.
Notes
- “separated” simply means you’ll use the amount of olive oil listed in 2 separate steps, so pay attention to the amounts used in the directions
- The squash can be grilled if you’re feeling adventurous
- This doesn’t have to be a summer recipe - change it up for the winter using a variety of winter squash like acorn, butternut, delicata, kobocha or even throw in sweet potatoes.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
386Fat (grams)
8 gSat. Fat (grams)
2 gCarbs (grams)
69 gFiber (grams)
5 gNet carbs
64 gSugar (grams)
6 gProtein (grams)
10 gSodium (milligrams)
189 mgCholesterol (grams)
5 mgNutrition info provided as a courtesy and basic guideline. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. View disclaimer.
