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Quick and easy Summer Squash Gyros with Tzatziki is a great vegetarian alternative for grilling during the summer. Soft pitas are filled with grilled summer squash, fresh herbs and a homemade tzatziki sauce. It’s smoky and super filling. Make these veggie gyros over a grill or on a grill pan in 25 minutes, then serve with homemade Aguas Frescas!
I love these Steak Gyros but wanted to make a vegetarian-friendly version. Not only are these vegetarian gyros delicious but they are the perfect way to use up fresh summer produce! If you love vegetarian grilling, these Grilled Veggie Sandwiches and Grilled Portobello Mushroom Burgers are incredible choices as well!
Ingredients You’ll Need for Summer Squash Gyros with Tzatziki
- Summer squash – Summer squash, zucchini, yellow zucchini, crockneck squash or straightneck squash will all work here.
- Salad – Tomatoes, cucumbers and onion are tossed with lots of fresh mint, parsley and bright lemon juice. Squash gyros are delicious on their own but I love the light and freshness the salad adds to this meal.
- Tzatziki sauce – This is a sauce made of greek yogurt, shredded cucumbers, parsley and lemon juice. I prefer to use Persian cucumbers or English cucumbers over regular cucumbers because they are pretty much seedless and aren’t as juicy which is want we want for this yogurt sauce.
For the rest of the ingredients, please refer to the recipe index card below!
How to Make Tzatziki
- Shred. Shred the Persian cucumbers and set aside.
- Prep the rest. Chop up the parsley and juice the lemon.
- Mix! Mix it all together with the greek yogurt. Taste for salt, season if necessary, then place in the refrigerator for the flavors to marry while you prepare the rest of the meal.
How to Make Summer Squash Gyros:
- Make the salad. Chop up the cucumbers, tomatoes, and onion. Season with lemon juice, salt, parsley, and mint. Set aside while you grill the squash.
- Prep the squash. Trim the ends and slice lengthwise.
- Grill! Brush the grill with some olive oil to prevent sticking and grill for 2-3 minutes per side You want to see grill marks and make sure the squash is cooked through.
- Heat the pitas. While the squash grills, warm up the pita in the oven.
- Assemble the gyros. Spread some tzatziki on a pita then top with the grilled squash, seasoned veggies, and micro greens.
Tips and Tricks
- Grill or grill pan? You can grill the squash over an actual propane grill or use a grill pan like I did. Of course a grill will give you more of a smoky flavor but the pan is much quicker and easier to use!
- Don’t cut the squash too thin or too small. Make your slices at least 1/4-inch thick. Any thinner and they will fall apart while grilling. And don’t cut little rounds, slice the squash lengthwise because it will make your life soo much easier!
- Cucumbers. If you decide to use regular cucumbers instead of Persian or English cucumbers you will need to add a little bit of salt to the shredded cucumbers, let it sit for 5 – 10 minutes then squeeze out as much water as you can. Otherwise it will make your yogurt sauce too watery.
- Other toppings. In addition to the homemade tzatziki sauce and salad serve your veggie gyros with Kalamata olives, crumbled feta cheese or a side of french fries!
Recipe FAQs
Tzatziki is a sauce usually found in Middle Eastern cooking. Itโs made from salted yogurt thatโs been strained and mixed with shredded cucumbers, herbs and lemon juice. Itโs perfect on grilled foods or anything you need to add some brightness to.
Absolutely! Zucchini is a type of summer squash so it will work perfectly in this recipe. Other varieties you could try are yellow zucchini, crookneck squash, or straightneck squash.
More Summer Recipes
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Summer Squash Gyros with Tzatziki Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Grill pan or propane grill!
Ingredients
Tzatziki:ย
- 1 5.3 ounce container of Stonyfield Organic Whole Milk Greek Yogurt
- Juice from 1/2 lemon
- 1 Persian cucumber, trimmed and shreddedย
- 1 tablespoon minced Italian parsleyย
- Pinch of saltย
Gyros:ย
- 4 pita pocketsย
- 2 to 3 summer squash, ends trimmed and sliced lengthwise ย
- Olive oilย
- Salt
- 2 Persian cucumbers, dicedย
- 1 pint of cherry tomatoes, halved
- Juice from 1 lemon
- Salt
- Pinch of crushed red pepper
- 1 tablespoon minced Italian parsley
- 1 teaspoon minced mintย
- Bunch of microgreen arugula OR regular arugulaย
Instructions
To Make the Tzatziki:ย
- To a medium bowl, add the Stonyfield Greek Yogurt, lemon juice, shredded Persian cucumbers, Italian parsley and salt. Mix until combined. Transfer to the fridge while you make the rest of the gyros.ย
To Make the Gyros:ย
- Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Place the pita on a baking sheet and transfer to the oven to warm the pita.ย
- To a small bowl, combined the diced cucumber, cherry tomatoes, lemon juice, a few pinches of salt, crushed red pepper, Italian parsley and mint.ย
- Using a grill or grill pan, bring the heat to medium-high. Brush the squash with a bit of olive oil. Cook on each side for about 2 to 3 minutes, until the squash has softened slightly and you begin to see grill marks. Transfer to a plate and sprinkle with a few pinches of salt.
- To assemble the gyros, grab the tzatziki from the fridge. Add a dollop to the center of the pita and spread it around into an even layer. Add a few slices of squash, top with a few spoonfuls of tomato and cucumber salad and a handful of microgreens. ย If you want to make it extra cute, wrap it in sandwich paper and tie it with a piece of twine.ย
Notes
Tips and Tricks
- Grill or grill pan?ย You can grill the squash over an actual propane grill or use a grill pan like I did. Of course a grill will give you more of a smoky flavor but the pan is much quicker and easier to use!
- Donโt cut the squash too thin or too small.ย Make your slices at least 1/4-inch thick. Any thinner and they will fall apart while grilling. And donโt cut little rounds, slice the squash lengthwise because it will make your life soo much easier!
- Cucumbers.ย If you decide to use regular cucumbers instead of Persian or English cucumbers you will need to add a little bit of salt to the shredded cucumbers, let it sit for 5 โ 10 minutes then squeeze out as much water as you can. Otherwise it will make your yogurt sauce too watery.
- Other toppings.ย In addition to the homemade tzatziki sauce and salad serve your veggie gyros with Kalamata olives, crumbled feta cheese or a side of french fries!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
these squash gyros looks like they are fresh out of the farm, it makes for a perfect family meal so glad to see this!
I tried this over the weekend, and it was a perfect summer meal!
I loooooooove tzatziki. I could eat that stuff by the gallon. I make it at home a lot to use on wraps and salads…aaaaand to just eat as a snack with a ton of fresh pita bread. ๐ Try adding a bit of fresh mint in there for some zippy extra flavor! That’s my favorite way to make tzatziki.