Do n’t be intimidated by those weird and wonderful winter squash racquets ! notional shapes , stripes , bumps , and warts , these gorgeous vegetables are as tasty as they are pretty . If your only winter squash vine experience is pumpkin pie , it ’s time to try something Modern .
13 Winter Squashes to Cook and Enjoy
There are many smorgasbord of winter squash available that are various , salubrious , and delicious . The next time you are out shopping for a pumpkin , keep an eye out for one of these yummy varieties of wintertime squash .
Butternut Squash
If you ’re new to squash and uncertain where to start , I would advocate beginning with butternut squash . It ’s my go - to ! Butternut squash isvery easy to skin and cut , and it savour absolutely delicious .
Butternut squeeze is various and does n’t taste overly perfumed . Most markets have butternut available year - round , making it a corking starter mash for those new to cooking with this wintertime vegetable . Although it has a tripping grain and flavor when cooked , butternut squash can beused in berth of fresh potatoes in recipes .
See more on how to fake with butternut squash .
While available year-round, it is in season during fall and early winter.
Sugar Pumpkin
Have you noticed that those gargantuan Cucurbita pepo sell during Halloween lack any hearty flesh ? That ’s because they were bred to be carved and not eaten . alternatively , sugar pumpkins are small , have thick , flesh - packed walls and have a distinctive “ Cucurbita pepo ” flavour .
If you want to hop the canned pumpkin vine for your baking and make your own purée , then a sugar pumpkin is the squash for you .
To prepare these Cucurbita pepo , you ’ll want tocut them in one-half and then scoop out the seed . Don’t leave to make fun the seeds ( like thesehighly habit-forming pumpkin seeds ) .
Once clean , put it in a baking tray with the shortened side facing up . In the baking tray , add together about an inch of water . pass on the pumpkin in the oven until you’re able to piece the flesh with a crotch , and it feels nice and soft .
Let it cool , and then outdo out the pulp from the inside . And voila ! You ’ve made yourself some puree to make pies , scone , muffins , creme brulee , or other desserts .
Spaghetti Squash
For low - carb fan , spaghetti squash comes in a close second to zucchini as their favourite versatile vegetable . Its flesh is raw and chewy , with a thin grain and mild flavour .
The squash vine gets its name from the spaghetti - corresponding strands of the flesh when cooked . Unlike other wintertime squash vine kind , spaghetti squash is not odorous . The “ fibril ” make a perfect humbled - carb replacement for pasta .
To get the “ spaghetti , ” issue the squash in half and remove the seeds . Roast the squash racquets cut - side up in a pan with an inch of weewee . When falsify , the flesh will be shred with a ramification into strands that look like spaghetti noodles . time of year and serve with your favourite pasta sauce .
Acorn Squash
This is another squash that is readily useable in grocery stores year - circular . The hide is typically dark unripened , with a scrap of orange peeking through . The flesh is orange and has a nutty , sweet sapidity . This skin of the acorn squash is comestible and makes a great vessel to serve soups and dips .
When shopping , look for acorn squash that does n’t have deep rib , asthe debauchee the squash , the easier it is to peel .
I use a heavy - duty vegetable peeler to remove the skin . Even though you’re able to technically corrode it , it does n’t try that good while cooking .
cut back between the rib and then use the exotic dancer to strip up the edges . Once you have these sections of squash , it ’s very well-to-do to cut acorn squelch into half moons or in chunks . I cut mine up into as tight to squares as possible .
Next , I put the squash vine in a roasting pan and embrace it withsalt , Madagascar pepper , and European olive tree rock oil . When it ’s warm and quick to make out out , I mizzle it with abalsamic reducing . This realise for such an fantabulous side dish !
Sometimes , I also serve it this wayalongside butternut squash . Together , they make a nice salad because you get a dissimilar compactness with the butternut squash racquets . An acorn squash concentration is somewhere in between a summer and a winter squash racquets . It has a mess more water content .
render thisAcorn Squash with Coconut Chickpea Stuffing Recipe .
Sweet Dumpling Squash
How can you not love something called “ Sweet Dumpling ” ? This darling squelch issmall and compact . The flesh tastes like sweet potatoes , and you’re able to even eat the skin . It is perfect for use as an edible trough for soup and stews .
To cook it , you could cut and machinate it the same way as you would the acorn squash .
Carnival Squash
The carnival crush is the offspring of an acorn and a sweet dumpling squash . It resembles both parents in shape , and itsyellow pulp is mellow and sweet-smelling . In recipes , substitute this squash rackets for acorn squash or butternut squash .
funfair squash can be cooked the same way as the acorn squash or butternut squash , just maybe without the balsamy reduction . They’re a really nice Cucurbita pepo to stuff and nonsense !
Delicata Squash
Also known as the sweet-flavored potato squash , Delicata has acreamy physique with a meek flavour interchangeable to sweet spud . The skin is edible , which makes this squash a piece of cake to prepare : cut it in one-half , remove the seeds , and ridicule away !
The delicata squash is very dense , which is what makes itgreat for stuffing and baking .
To cook them , cut them in half lengthways to create a little boat and scoop out the seeds . Roast on a pan with an in of water .
To season them , I care to drizzle them witholive vegetable oil , a piffling bit of brown lettuce , butter , and some Strategic Arms Limitation Talks . They try out so fresh and savory when you cook them this way !
Kabocha Squash
Kabocha is an Asian variety of winter squelch known for its squat green appearance and full-bodied Orange River material body . It ’s used wide in Japan and Korea and is often referred to as a Nipponese Pumpkin ( “ kabocha ” is the Nipponese word for “ pumpkin ” ) .
Its grain is similar to that of a chestnut tree and tastes like a crossbreed between a Cucurbita pepo and a fresh potato . In Japan , the Kabocha is used in tempura , stewed , and in dessert . Kabocha can be make fun or steamed and used the same way as other heavy winter squash racquets , such as butternut or pumpkins .
Red Kabocha is like to its unripe counterpart in Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe , but it is reddish orange with unfermented pulp . Red Kabocha is excellent for use in desserts and curries
Another variety that is similar that I fudge with is the Red Kuri squash racquets ( more on that one below ! ) . I use both the red kuri and kabocha squash vine for making curries , soup , and stews since they hold their form . Unlike other squash vine , they wo n’t bend sentimental when you put them in cooking . So you get a really yummy grain and flavour .
Buttercup Squash
Buttercup look like a miniature version of Kabocha squash . It has a honeyed , creamy flavor and is consideredthe sweetest of all winter squash .
The human body tends to be on the dry side , so roasting is not recommended . Instead , steam or broil to utilise in soups and curries .
Cook it follow the same didactics as the sugar pumpkin vine . Once you misrepresent them , you scoop out the flesh , and it ’s going to be moremushy and puree - like . This makes the consistency serious for bake or make soups with , anything that wo n’t last out together .
Blue Hubbard Squash
This is one of thelargest form of wintertime squash . Its exterior is immobile and can range in colour from thick viridity to grey or puritanic . Blue Hubbard ’s flesh is a deep Orange River with asweet pumpkin sapidity . Hubbard are a great choice for bake . you could utilize this squash racquets for soups or pie .
Red Kuri Squash
This precious little squash vine is promising orange with arich , pantry flesh and savoury nip . The skin is eatable on the Red Kuri , which will convey a sport , seasonal colour to your lulu . This squash is perfect for braise , roasting , and baking .
When manipulate the Red Kuri squash really holds together . For this reason , it ’s cracking for summate chunks into curry , soup , stew , and as tempura . One of my preferred dishes isThai red curry with pumpkin . you’re able to customize it by adding boeuf , pork , or volaille to it as well .
It ’s made in a nice red curry sauce and then with piece of red kuri ( said the same , but spelled differently ! ) .
The skin will be orange with a green line showing a 2nd cutis with denser flesh on the inside . The trick is to cook it until it ’s quite warm , and then it will engage the flavour of the soups or stews it ’s in . You really need to fudge it so it wo n’t be crunchy , but the plus is that the squash racquets wo n’t turn to glop .
Cinderella Pumpkin
This fun pumpkin may have gotten Cinderella to the ball , but it ’s so much more than a magical transport fomite . Cinderella pumpkin ’s fat , thick flesh is moist and custard - like , with a sweetened flavour that surpasses almost any other pumpkin vine you may get .
you’re able to expend it in any winter squash recipe , but if you get your hands on one , make Proto-Indo European . It ready the most delicious pumpkin Proto-Indo European you will ever taste .
Turks Turban Squash
A heirloom squash , mass love this wacky squash rackets for its interesting physique and mixture of colours . I find it to be really beautiful and interesting .
To make the Turks squeeze , you firstcut off the “ cap . ”This can be quite difficult , so make certain the person doing so is skilled with a very sharp knife . Alternatively , expend a shaving knife if you do n’t feel as convinced .
Then , you get up the top and bottom . outdo out the seeds and roast them in a pan with some piddle . Once the flesh is fork attendant , scoop out the physical body . But depart a piffling behind on the edges !
When I made this crush , I mix it with cooked rice , roasted tomato , roast garlic , salt , and parmesan tall mallow . When mixed together , it made a really nice pumpkin pilaf .
The undecomposed part … I put it back in the squash hide as a bowl ! While the bowl is very slight , it becomes unvoiced . you could knock it and see that it holds together as a bowl . To wait on it , I take up the pumpkin pilaf inside and put the trivial cap on top . It was an dead delicious meal , and I highly advocate it .
More Pumpkins Please!
Share this post:
