21 Sorts of Squash Recipe

Sorts of squash go WAY past butternut and zucchini! Preserve studying to learn to cook dinner a few of my favourite summer time and winter squash varieties.

What number of several types of squash have you ever tried? There’s good motive to transcend butternut and zucchini. Every number of summer time or winter squash has its personal distinctive style and texture, and it lends itself effectively to completely different cooking strategies and dishes. Delicata squash wouldn’t be my first selection for soup, for instance, however acorn squash or kabocha can be unbelievable. I may not stuff a patty pan squash, however I’d sauté it to make a scrumptious aspect dish.

Under, I’m breaking down 21 frequent forms of squash and sharing my favourite methods to cook dinner them. I hope this information encourages you to attempt a spread that’s new to you, opening up recent prospects in your kitchen.

Sorts of Winter Squash

Butternut Squash

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

As forms of winter squash go, butternut is extremely versatile. The peeled and cubed squash might be roasted, sautéed, steamed, or simmered into soups and curries. You too can halve the squash and roast it lower aspect down. The smooth 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 frequent 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 option 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 aspect dish, or it may be stuffed and served as a primary. Its smooth flesh will also be utilized in pureed soups, sauces, and dips.

These recipes provide an incredible introduction to working with acorn squash:

Delicata Squash

Of all of the forms of winter squash, delicata is my favourite. You’ll be able to acknowledge it by its small dimension, 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 simply don’t must peel it. Plus, when cooked, its darkish yellow flesh is extremely candy and creamy. It has the nickname “candy potato squash” for a motive!

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

Kabocha Squash

Often known as Japanese pumpkin, kabocha squash is usually utilized in Asian cuisines reminiscent of Japanese and Thai. Although you’re almost definitely 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 easy pores and skin with delicate ridges. A darkish inexperienced kabocha is pictured right here, however any such squash can also 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 beneath!), it has candy and creamy darkish orange flesh.

A very good rule of thumb for honeynut squash is that you could put together it as you’ll butternut. Peel and dice it earlier than cooking, or slice it in half and roast it lower aspect 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 kind of squash not like another. Weighing as much as 5 kilos, spaghetti squash is ovular and ranges in colour from cream to vivid yellow. When roasted, its frivolously candy flesh divides into skinny strands that mimic pasta.

Attempt my go-to technique for find out how to cook dinner spaghetti squash. Then, serve it as a aspect dish dressed with olive oil and sea salt, or prime 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

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

With its distinctive form, this squash might be tough to peel, so I like to recommend roasting halves lower aspect down with the pores and skin on. Scoop the smooth 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, any such squash is tough to peel. I prefer to slice it into halves or quarters and roast it with the pores and skin on to function a aspect dish or stuff. You too can puree the smooth, 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 prime. Its pores and skin is hard and thick, so I don’t advocate peeling it. As an alternative, put together this squash as you’ll buttercup, or get pleasure from it as a festive fall ornament as a substitute of cooking with it. It has a gentle taste in comparison with different forms of squash, so it wouldn’t be my first selection for utilizing in candy or savory dishes.

Sorts of Summer season Squash

Zucchini

Should you’re conversant in any of the forms of summer time squash on this put up, you positively know zucchini. This standard 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’ll be able to 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 commonest number of summer time 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 aspect dish—discover my favourite technique on this sautéed yellow squash recipe.

You too can add uncooked squash to salads (try 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 an incredible 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 the same style. Relying on the variability, its actual form and coloring can fluctuate. 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 larger than 1 / 4.

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

Zephyr Summer season 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 usually 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’ll frequent yellow squash or zucchini.

Mexicana Summer season Squash

This gray-green Mexican zucchini is standard amongst growers for its excessive yields, ease of harvest, and powerful 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’ll be able to establish them by their darkish yellow pores and skin and agency flesh.

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

Spherical Zucchini and Squash

These summer time 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 forms of spherical zucchini or summer time squash. Their form makes them excellent for stuffing, however you may also grill, roast, or sauté them as you’ll common zucchini.

Extra Sorts of Squash to Know

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

Hubbard Squash

Hubbard squash would be the largest of the forms of squash on this record. It sometimes weighs 12 to fifteen kilos, and generally extra! This winter squash selection has a spherical heart and pointed ideas, with bumpy flesh that could be blue-green, darkish inexperienced, or orange. Due to its giant dimension, it’s a wonderful ornamental squash, although its orange, considerably grainy flesh can be well-suited to soups and purees.

Pink Kuri Squash

Pink kuri squash, additionally known as Hokkaido squash, is a child Hubbard squash selection. It has frivolously candy, nutty, and easy orange flesh with a vibrant orange pores and skin. Put together it as you’ll kabocha squash, or attempt it on this kuri squash soup!

Yellow Crookneck Squash

You’ll be able to acknowledge crookneck squash by its attribute curved neck and vivid 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

Most of the forms of summer time squash on this put up look comparable…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 great uncooked or cooked. Thinly sliced, it might 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 time squash are quick, squat, and gently tapered from stem to blossom finish. Left to develop bigger, they develop into ovular, comparable in form to spaghetti squash. The small squash are excellent for stuffing, however you may also roast or sauté them like zucchini.

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