Yellow squash include several varieties of summer squash, the family that also includes zucchini and patty pan squash. Summer squash such as yellow squash can be eaten raw, but they are also appealing when they are lightly cooked. Steaming yellow squash is a healthy way to prepare them because it uses no oil and doesn't involve cooking the squash directly in water, a process that leeches out its nutrients.
Steaming Yellow Zucchini Squash
Yellow zucchini squash look and taste just like the popular green zucchini, but they are yellow. To steam yellow zucchini squash, trim the tops and bottoms and then slice the squash into pieces of between 1/4- to 1/2-inch thick. The yellow zucchini should be arranged in a steamer basket set over about an inch of water in a medium-size saucepan; the veggies should not be touching the water. Once you bring the water to a boil, cover the pan, lower the heat and cook for three to five minutes, depending on whether you like your steamed squash al dente or extremely tender.
Steaming Crookneck Squash
Yellow crookneck squash tend to have a narrow, bending neck and a thicker, bulbous bottom. Their skins can be tougher than the skins of yellow zucchini. Trim the top and bottom of the yellow crookneck squash. If the skin offers resistance to your knife, you may want to peel the squash, although this is not strictly necessary. Slice their stem ends into slices 1/4- to 1/2-inch thick, and slice the thicker end in half lengthwise before cutting the halves into 1/4- to 1/2-inch slices before steaming the pieces for three to five minutes, depending on your personal preference.
Alternative Steaming Methods
If you do not have a steamer basket, you can steam yellow squash in a metal colander set into a large saucepan. Alternately, a pasta cooker or an asparagus basket will work. You can improvise with available kitchen equipment: any arrangement that lifts the squash out of the water and allows steam to penetrate the veggies will cook them effectively.
Seasoning Steamed Yellow Squash
Although steaming is a quick, healthy method for cooking yellow squash, it does not provide much flavor, so you will likely want to season your squash after it cooks. You can dress it simply with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. Alternately, you can add steamed squash to recipes such as rattatouille. By steaming the squash separately, you avoid the difficulty of trying to saute more vegetables than your saucepan can comfortably cook.
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