Dont let pumpkin hog all the glory! Try using butternut squash in vegetarian quesadillas, soups, and salads.
Pumpkin gets all the glory at this time of year, but there’s another gourd that deserves our love and attention: butternut squash. As its name suggests, this pear-shaped beauty is a creamy, nutty addition to all kinds of recipes.
Butternut squash is healthy too, with ample amounts of vitamin A, vitamin C, potassium, and manganese. Its bright orange hue also signals high levels of beta carotene, an antioxidant that helps ward off diseases while supporting a healthy immune system and glowing skin.
This Meatless Monday, we’ve compiled five of our favourite butternut squash recipes. Enjoy!
1. Harvest Squash and Black Bean Quesadillas
This vegan recipe is a filling, family-pleasing meal. Nutritional yeast, tahini, and Dijon mustard add savoury flavour that pushes the quesadillas from delicious to divine. And don’t waste the leftover filling—instead, enjoy it as a side dish or toss with pasta for tomorrow night’s dinner.
2. Cowboy Black Bean Soup
It’s officially soup season! This hearty bean and squash soup promises to warm your belly on a cold day. Coffee lovers can enjoy that it’s made with brewed coffee instead of vegetable stock, creating a truly unique dish.
3. Butternut Almond Pancakes with Strawberry Maple Sauce
Looking for a lazy Sunday breakfast? Mashed butternut squash adds a silky texture and earthy sweetness to these healthy flapjacks, which are packed with 11 g of protein and 9 g of fibre per serving.
4. Butternut Pecan Pie
Move over, pumpkin pie! Butternut squash makes for an equally creamy addition to baked goods. This pie employs all of our favourite fall spices—cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg.
5. Fall Harvest Hemp Salad
This colourful salad combines baked butternut squash with collard leaves, pomegranate seeds, and hemp hearts. A naturally sweetened dressing with maple syrup and apple cider vinegar tops it all off.
