18 winter squash recipes for cooking different varieties of squash
September 26, 2022
With so many varieties of squash to choose from, there’s something for everyone, and the many squash recipes offer a world of flavours. As autumn slowly sets in, it’s time to cook winter squash in various recipes. Of course, there’s the famous squash soup, but that’s not the only way to showcase Quebec squash in your recipes. Did you know that at Les Cultures de chez nous, in addition to asparagus, leeks and berries, we also grow squash, which you can find in your favourite grocery store?
To put squash (and, of course, our sublime leeks 😉) on your plate, here’s an express guide to discovering and enjoying the different squash varieties in 18 winter squash recipes!
Butternut squash recipes: the best-known squash after pumpkin
Butternut squash, also often called butternut squash, is probably one of the most prominent in countless recipes for squash soups, purées and stews. When cooked, its tender texture reveals notes of butter and hazelnut. We particularly love butternut squash in this butternut squash, leek and apple beer soup, but also in other types of recipes such as:
Spaghetti squash recipes: for pasta recipes... without pasta!
Spaghetti squash is easily recognized by its oval shape and pale-yellow skin. Soft in the mouth, its pale-yellow flesh is similar in colour to spaghetti, and the comparison with pasta doesn’t end there! When you cook it, the magic happens, as scraping the flesh of the spaghetti squash with a fork produces strands that look just like spaghetti. It’s an excellent alternative for all your pasta dishes! Moreover, its low content makes it a diabetic’s delight and a good option for the ketogenic (keto) diet. To delight your taste buds, try our recipes for:
- Spaghetti squash and leek gratin
- Spaghetti squash mac’n cheese style (in French)
- Chicken pie-style spaghetti squash casserole (in French)
Buttercup recipes: how to make a change from butternut squash
The flesh of the Buttercup squash is very similar to that of the Butternut squash, with its orange hue and sweet notes in the mouth. Visually, it also resembles a slightly flattened green pumpkin. Like its cousin, the butternut squash, it is an ideal ingredient for purées, soups and gratins such as those:
- Parmesan squash and sweet potato purée
- Buttercup curried squash soup
- Gratin dauphinois with squash and potatoes
Delicata squash recipes: delicacy and finesse in the mouth
As its name suggests, the Delicata squash is very delicate. Its skin is so thin that it’s entirely edible when cooked. It’s the ideal squash to cook if you don’t want to peel it! Regarding taste, Delicata squash flesh is slightly sweet, with a flavour reminiscent of corn. It can easily be stuffed or fried to eat whole:
- Delicata squash stuffed with orzo, apples and leeks (in French)
- Delicata squash stuffed with sausage (in French)
- Italian poutine with Delicata squash (in French)
Acorn squash recipe: for recipes with a bit of spice
To the taste, there’s no surprise with acorn squash: in addition to the nutty flavour, there’s also a slight pepper taste 😉. It can resemble a large walnut with a dark green ribbed shell. Like most other winter squashes, acorn squash is delicious in soup recipes but also as a garnish in pasta dishes or as a side dish:
- Fettuccine Alfredo with acorn squash
- Roasted acorn squash with sage butter (in French)
- Pork chops and acorn squash puree
Pumpkin recipe: the famous gourd for Halloween
We couldn’t pass up pumpkin for this article dedicated to winter squash recipes! Pumpkins are well known for their decorative appeal on balconies on Halloween night, but they are also very versatile in soups and stews:
Squash and leeks: a perfect match every time
Regardless of the variety of squash, leeks are always a welcome companion in your recipes. It can replace onions, team up with them half-and-half, or add to almost any recipe! Check out our thousands of recipes. There are sure to be many that will become your favourites 😉!
Are you completely squashy as well as entirely leeky like us? We even have several recipes that combine our fabulous Quebec leeks with squash 😊.
Happy autumn 🍂!
