Eight Healthy Squash Recipes

Just in case you didn’t know what season it is. Fall scene on Mass. Ave. and Huntington in Boston. Photo by Melissa Malamut

There are many different kinds of squash like acorn, butternut, or spaghetti, and everyone has a favorite. The good news is that all variations are equally delicious. Squash is special because it can take on various forms during cooking. It can be roasted, boiled, steamed, stewed, mashed, or even grilled. Also, squash doesn’t need a lot of added spices in order to be delicious. For many varieties, the natural sugars will caramelize when cooked, so it will be naturally sweet, especially when roasted.

1. Butternut Squash, Brussels Sprouts, and Jicama Hash
 via The Healthy Foodie

This recipe screams fall. Spices, hearty vegetables, and pecans are roasted together in one dish. If you don’t want to use coconut oil, you can use grape seed oil or olive oil instead.

2. Curried Butternut Squash Soup
via Cooking Light

This soup is finished with whipping cream, but stirring in a tablespoon or two of plain Greek yogurt will achieve the same creaminess and keep it healthy. To increase the depth of flavor in this quick cooking soup, try using half water, half chicken (or vegetable) stock. The stock will give an all day cooking flavor without spending hours in the kitchen.

3. Butternut Squash and Black Bean Enchilada Skillet
via Cooking Light

This dish brings a little Mexican flair to your fall recipe routine. Make sure you rinse and drain the canned beans thoroughly. Even low sodium beans sit in a salty mixture that you won’t want in your skillet meal.

4. Quinoa Stuffed Acorn Squash
via Le Fork

Squash is great for stuffing because it doesn’t lose its shape when cooked. This recipe uses acorn squash which makes a perfect entrée portion of stuffing. When roasting the acorn squash, let the edges brown. The coloring will add a nutty and slightly sweet flavor that will most likely be the best part of the dish.

5. Roasted Acorn Squash Salad
via Kitchen Apparel

This is a recipe for when that summer sun heats up a fall day. The recipe suggests roasting the squash seeds along with the squash. To prepare them, simply rinse off any squash bits and place them on a paper towel and let dry. Once roasted, add a dash of salt and store in an air tight container.

6. Spaghetti Squash Lasagna
via Cynthia Presser

If you’re looking to cut pasta from your diet, then this is the recipe for you. The squash is cooked whole (be sure to poke holes so nothing explodes) and then shredded into pasta-like strings. This recipe uses the squash instead of pasta sheets for the layers. Try using ground chicken instead of sausage and go for low fat ricotta and part-skim mozzarella.

7. Summer Squash and Zucchini Salad
via The Broken Bread

This is a quick salad that is beautiful to present and easy to whip up. If you don’t own a mandolin, you can use a vegetable peeler and get the same result. For an added salty flavor, try adding kalamata olives or capers.

8. Roasted Butternut Squash with Goat Cheese, Sage, and Toasted Pecans
via Self magazine

Here’s a Thanksgiving sneak peek that you can make now for a weeknight side dish. If you aren’t a fan of pecans, try substituting with walnuts instead. If you’re looking for something sweet, sprinkle dried cranberries into the finished dish.