Grilled butternut squash, zucchini and steak with chimichurri sauce

May 16, 2017 by Caroline's Cooking

A simple chimichurri sauce transforms already tasty grilled butternut squash, zucchini and steak into a truly delicious but quick and easy meal.

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A little sauce makes a big difference

Many sauces have the ability to transfer an otherwise good meal into something great, and chimichurri is definitely one of them. The South American sauce is incredibly easy to make, and while traditionally paired with steak it also goes well with chicken or fish and, as we had here, grilled butternut squash and zucchini.

Grilling gives the first flavor lift, and the chimichurri takes an otherwise quick and easy throw-together meal into delicious, almost restaurant-rivaling dining.

This is a meal that partly came about from what I had in the house, but I was tempted to try grilled butternut squash anyway, since sweet potato works so well (as in my Cuban quinoa bowl). Both have that great ability to take on various different flavors well and go with a broad range of herbs and spices.

Zucchini is one we often grill as well (like in my Israeli couscous with grilled vegetables and marinated grilled zucchini) and I was pretty sure it would be good with chimichurri too. And that was certainly the case.

How to make this tasty meal

This is nice and quick to make - the sauce ingredients are just whizzed up in a blender/food processor, or chopped finely by hand if it's too small a quantity for your machine. The steaks just need a gentle seasoning of salt, pepper and olive oil then pop them on the grill. Cut the zucchini thickly and put on the grill (spotting a theme?).

You can cook the butternut squash entirely on the grill, but I think it's a bit tricky to get it cooked without being overly charred so I prefer to pre-cook it a bit. You can either steam or cook in the microwave, then finish on the grill. Oh, and don't bother peeling it as the thin skin is completely edible and becomes pretty tender when cooked.

This grilled butternut squash, zucchini & steak with chimichurri sauce is so easy, so flavorful and makes for a delicious, balanced meal. Easy enough for a week night, delicious and special-feeling for a date night, it's a meal you'll want again and again. Oh, and if you feel like a slight variation, try my chimichurri marinated beef skewers too.

Try these other globally-inspired grilling recipes:

Sosaties (South African lamb and apricot kebabs)
Chicken satay with peanut sauce
Lamb kofte
Jamaican jerk chicken
Plus get more summer recipes in the archives.

Print Recipe

5 from 2 votes

Grilled butternut squash, zucchini and steak with chimichurri sauce

A delicious combination of grilled steak and vegetables, and a flavorful sauce. Easy and delicious.

Prep Time10

Cook Time15

Total Time25

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: South American

Servings:

Calories: 816kcal

Author: Caroline's Cooking

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Ingredients

2 steaks we had NY strip steaks
½ butternut squash medium
½ zucchini/courgette large or 1 small

For chimichurri sauce

½ cup parsley leaves
½ cup cilantro/coriander leaves
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon dried oregano (or 1 tablespoon fresh)
1 ½ tablespoon red wine vinegar
½ tablespoon lime juice
1 dash salt
1 dash red pepper flakes
¼ cup olive oil

Instructions

Pat the steaks dry then lightly season with some salt and pepper and drizzle a little olive oil over and rub it all in. Do the same on both sides.
Cut the butternut squash into round slices about ½in/1cm thick - don't bother peeling - and pre-cook either by steaming or putting in the microwave (put in a microwaveable dish with a little water for a minute or two then test and turn as needed) until just tender and cooked.
Cut the zucchini into thick-ish slices (on the diagonal can be good to make them easier to handle on the grill).

For the chimichurri sauce

Make the sauce by blending everything apart from the oil in a blender/food processor until pretty finely chopped but not a paste, or chop finely by hand. Add the oil and pulse to combine.

To finish the dish

Grill the squash, zucchini and steaks on the grill until the vegetables are lightly charred and the steaks are cooked to your taste.
Serve with the chimichurri sauce drizzled over the top.