21 Varieties of Squash Recipe

Varieties of squash go WAY past butternut and zucchini! Maintain studying to discover ways to prepare dinner a few of my favourite summer season and winter squash varieties.

What number of various kinds of squash have you ever tried? There’s good purpose to transcend butternut and zucchini. Every number of summer season or winter squash has its personal distinctive style and texture, and it lends itself nicely to completely different cooking strategies and dishes. Delicata squash wouldn’t be my first alternative for soup, for instance, however acorn squash or kabocha can be unbelievable. I won’t stuff a patty pan squash, however I might sauté it to make a scrumptious facet dish.

Beneath, I’m breaking down 21 widespread sorts of squash and sharing my favourite methods to prepare dinner them. I hope this information encourages you to strive a spread that’s new to you, opening up contemporary potentialities in your kitchen.

Varieties of Winter Squash

Butternut Squash

In case you’ve solely tried certainly one of these kind of squash earlier than, it’s in all probability butternut. This fashionable winter squash has beige pores and skin and agency orange flesh with a evenly candy taste. You too can acknowledge it by its lengthy, straight neck and small seed cavity.

As sorts of winter squash go, butternut is extremely versatile. The peeled and cubed squash may be roasted, sautéed, steamed, or simmered into soups and curries. You too can halve the squash and roast it reduce facet down. The comfortable roasted flesh is a scrumptious addition to pureed soups, sauces, and desserts. Attempt utilizing this squash in certainly one of these recipes:

Acorn Squash

Acorn squash is one other widespread winter squash selection. This tulip-shaped squash has skinny, darkish inexperienced pores and skin and yellow-orange flesh that has a barely stringy texture.

Acorn squash’s ridges make it tough to peel, so my favourite approach to put together it’s to roast it in halves or quarters with the pores and skin on. The roasted squash is an excellent fall or winter facet dish, or it may be stuffed and served as a important. Its comfortable flesh will also be utilized in pureed soups, sauces, and dips.

These recipes provide a terrific introduction to working with acorn squash:

Delicata Squash

Of all of the sorts of winter squash, delicata is my favourite. You may acknowledge it by its small measurement, its rectangular form, and its distinctive cream-colored pores and skin with inexperienced stripes. I really like working with this squash as a result of its skinny pores and skin is edible, which means that you just don’t need to peel it. Plus, when cooked, its darkish yellow flesh is extremely candy and creamy. It has the nickname “candy potato squash” for a purpose!

I most frequently roast this squash, although you may also sauté it and steam it. Attempt it in these recipes:

Kabocha Squash

Also referred to as Japanese pumpkin, kabocha squash is often utilized in Asian cuisines reminiscent of Japanese and Thai. Although you’re probably to seek out it at farmers markets and standard grocery shops within the fall and winter, many Asian markets within the US carry it year-round.

This squash has a squat form and clean pores and skin with delicate ridges. A darkish inexperienced kabocha is pictured right here, however such a squash may have pale inexperienced or orange pores and skin. Its flesh is darkish orange, with a starchier, chalkier texture and nuttier taste than butternut or acorn. Like delicata, kabocha squash’s skinny pores and skin is edible.

This squash is nice for roasting, steaming, and including to curries and soups. I really like to make use of it in these recipes:

Honeynut Squash

This super-cute winter squash selection has the form of a mini butternut with darkish orange/inexperienced pores and skin. A cross between a butternut and a buttercup squash (extra on this selection under!), it has candy and creamy darkish orange flesh.

A great rule of thumb for honeynut squash is you could put together it as you’d butternut. Peel and dice it earlier than cooking, or slice it in half and roast it reduce facet down earlier than including the flesh to sauces or soups. It will work properly in any of those recipes:

Spaghetti Squash

Identified for its stringy flesh, spaghetti squash is a sort of squash not like another. Weighing as much as 5 kilos, spaghetti squash is ovular and ranges in shade from cream to shiny yellow. When roasted, its evenly candy flesh divides into skinny strands that mimic pasta.

Attempt my go-to methodology for learn how to prepare dinner spaghetti squash. Then, serve it as a facet dish dressed with olive oil and sea salt, or high it with pesto, marinara, or your favourite pasta sauce to make it a meal. It’s additionally scrumptious in these spaghetti squash recipes:

Buttercup Squash

In case you ask me, buttercup squash is an underrated winter squash selection. It has amazingly candy and creamy shiny orange flesh, which yields unimaginable soups, sauces, and desserts. It appears just like kabocha squash from the skin, however it has a pale inexperienced circle on the underside, nearly as if there’s a smaller pale squash inside a bigger, darker one. In case you see one on the market this season, be sure to strive it!

With its distinctive form, this squash may be tough to peel, so I like to recommend roasting halves reduce facet down with the pores and skin on. Scoop the comfortable flesh out of the pores and skin, and use it in any of those recipes:

Carnival Squash

Carnival squash is an acorn squash selection with thick, colourful pores and skin. I discover that its flesh tends to be sweeter and barely creamier than that of a typical acorn.

Due to its ridged form, such a squash is tough to peel. I wish to slice it into halves or quarters and roast it with the pores and skin on to function a facet dish or stuff. You too can puree the comfortable, cooked flesh into sauces or soups. Carnival squash works properly in these recipes:

Turban Squash

Turban squash has vivid orange, inexperienced, and cream coloring. Much like buttercup, it appears like two squashes in a single, with a large base and smaller cap on high. Its pores and skin is hard and thick, so I don’t advocate peeling it. As a substitute, put together this squash as you’d buttercup, or get pleasure from it as a festive fall ornament as an alternative of cooking with it. It has a light taste in comparison with different sorts of squash, so it wouldn’t be my first alternative for utilizing in candy or savory dishes.

Varieties of Summer time Squash

Zucchini

In case you’re conversant in any of the sorts of summer season squash on this publish, you positively know zucchini. This fashionable veggie has darkish inexperienced, skinny pores and skin and dense white flesh with a mildly candy taste. It’s a flexible vegetable to maintain in your kitchen. You may sauté it, grill it, roast it, add it to baking recipes, and even eat it uncooked.

A few of my favourite zucchini recipes embrace grilled zucchini, roasted zucchini, stuffed zucchini boats, zucchini noodles, and zucchini fritters. And I’ll by no means flip down a slice of chocolate zucchini bread!

Yellow Squash

Straightneck yellow squash is the most typical number of summer season squash you’ll discover at grocery shops and farmers markets. It has very delicate, pale yellow pores and skin and a sweeter, fruitier taste than zucchini. I like to sauté this squash till tender and serve it as a facet dish—discover my favourite methodology on this sautéed yellow squash recipe.

You too can add uncooked squash to salads (take a look at this pesto pasta salad recipe!), simmer it in vegetable soups, julienne or spiralize it to make veggie noodles, or add it to grilled vegetable skewers. Moreover, it’s a terrific substitute for zucchini in baked items like zucchini muffins and zucchini bread.

Patty Pan Squash

I really like patty pan squash as a result of it’s simply. so. CUTE! Its flesh is denser than that of zucchini or yellow squash, however it has an analogous style. Relying on the range, its actual form and coloring can range. Some patty pan squashes are pale inexperienced and tulip-shaped, whereas others are darker and resemble a scallop-edged flying saucer. Some are the scale of the palm of your hand, whereas others are barely greater than 1 / 4.

Like different sorts of summer season squash, patty pan is unbelievable sautéed, grilled, or roasted. Try this sautéed patty pan squash recipe to show it into a simple facet dish.

Zephyr Summer time Squash

Zephyr squash, a cross between a yellow crookneck squash and a delicata squash–acorn squash hybrid, has a particular look. It’s lengthy and slender, and whereas the higher half is yellow, the blossom finish is mostly inexperienced. However its look isn’t the one particular factor about it. Johnny’s Chosen Seeds, the corporate that first bred it, describes its taste as “unusually scrumptious” and “nutty.” Put together this distinctive squash as you’d widespread yellow squash or zucchini.

Mexicana Summer time Squash

This gray-green Mexican zucchini is fashionable amongst growers for its excessive yields, ease of harvest, and robust illness resistance, however you’ll find it irresistible for its tender flesh and nutty taste. Attempt sautéing it or tossing it on the grill!

Striped Zucchini

Do you know that not all zucchini look the identical? They’re not pictured right here, however golden zucchini are sometimes out there at farmers markets. You may determine them by their darkish yellow pores and skin and agency flesh.

Much less widespread are striped zucchini, which embrace the Dario and Safari varieties (pictured above). With their white or mild inexperienced stripes, these patterned squash are a deal with to have a look at. Use them as you’d common inexperienced zucchini.

Spherical Zucchini and Squash

These summer season squash varieties go by many names. There’s yellow One Ball squash, inexperienced Eight Ball, and pale, striped Ronde de Good. All of them are sorts of spherical zucchini or summer season squash. Their form makes them good for stuffing, however you may also grill, roast, or sauté them as you’d common zucchini.

Extra Varieties of Squash to Know

I’ve highlighted a few of my favourite sorts of squash above, however there are nonetheless others that you just may discover at your market or retailer. Look out for…

Hubbard Squash

Hubbard squash stands out as the largest of the sorts of squash on this record. It usually weighs 12 to fifteen kilos, and generally extra! This winter squash selection has a spherical middle and pointed suggestions, with bumpy flesh which may be blue-green, darkish inexperienced, or orange. Due to its giant measurement, it’s a wonderful ornamental squash, although its orange, considerably grainy flesh can also be well-suited to soups and purees.

Purple Kuri Squash

Purple kuri squash, additionally known as Hokkaido squash, is a child Hubbard squash selection. It has evenly candy, nutty, and clean orange flesh with a vibrant orange pores and skin. Put together it as you’d kabocha squash, or strive it on this kuri squash soup!

Yellow Crookneck Squash

You may acknowledge crookneck squash by its attribute curved neck and shiny yellow, bumpy pores and skin. It has bigger seeds than straightneck squash, however its agency flesh and wealthy, buttery taste make it scrumptious nonetheless. Attempt it sautéed!

Chayote Squash

Lots of the sorts of summer season squash on this publish look related…not chayote squash! This pale inexperienced selection is pear-shaped, and it has crisp, agency flesh not not like that of a cucumber, although it’s additionally nice cooked. Native to central Mexico, it shines in salads and sautés.

Costata Romanesco

This ridged, striped zucchini is an Italian heirloom selection. It has a nutty taste and is superb uncooked or cooked. Thinly sliced, it could be scrumptious in a easy zucchini salad.

Cousa Squash

Hailing from the Center East, pale inexperienced cousa squash has a sweeter taste than common zucchini. The small summer season squash are quick, squat, and gently tapered from stem to blossom finish. Left to develop bigger, they turn out to be ovular, related in form to spaghetti squash. The small squash are good for stuffing, however you may also roast or sauté them like zucchini.

What are your favourite sorts of squash? Let me know within the feedback!