My Love/Hate Relationship with Squash

For this article I tried to find out exactly how many different types of squash there are and it seems to be infinite. Most websites showed around 15 different types of squash. But one threw out 25 variations, so i’m still none the wiser. Anyway, the reason I wanted to make a point about the various types of squash is because I don’t dislike all of them, just a few.

When you think of a squash, there is probably one particular type of vegetable that comes to mind. Whether that’s a butternut, spaghetti squash or even a pumpkin, these all come from the same family. That being said, they all have varying flavours, textures and tastes. You could like one squash and hate the other (like me). Today we are here to deconstruct some of the most popular forms of squash and see what you can do with them.

Pumpkin

I couldn’t not talk about pumpkins as they are very vogue at this time of year with Halloween just passing. If you’ve been celebrating Halloween with the kids then you probably have a whole lot of pumpkin seeds/puree leftover that you don’t know what to do with. I am not envious of you. This squash in-particular smells really bad. Every year that putrid scent shoots up my nose when I’m helping my little brother and sister carve their pumpkins.

That being said, you’ve got to love them. Even if it’s just because you like making scary faces out of them. But what you shouldn’t do is waste them. Here are some things you can do with the leftovers:

Seeds:

• Sprinkle on porridge
• Roast with salt and pepper
• Roast with cinnamon and sugar
• Seeded loaf
• Granola mix

Puree:

• Spiced pumpkin latte
• Pumpkin soup
• Pumpkin pie
• Pizza spread

Try this spiced, vegan Pumpkin and Sweet Potato soup recipe!

Butternut Squash 

Sorry, this is one squash that I really have no love for. I’ve tried it on many occasions, in a variety of forms, but I still can’t seem to swallow it. Butternut squash just doesn’t float my boat, regardless of the taste, it’s the texture. It’s just too soft and that doesn’t bode well with my palette, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy it.

If you can get past the texture then I highly recommend trying out butternut squash as an alternative to meat in many recipes. Some of the most popular dishes include:

• Roasted squash soup
• Butternut squash risotto
• Squash lasagne
• Hasselback butternut squash

Try this Vegan Butternut Squash soup recipe!

Spaghetti Squash 

This is probably one of the lesser known vegetables in the squash family but it sure isn’t one to miss. But I can see why you’d stride straight past it in a supermarket. It’s big and yellow and pretty intimidating if you don’t know what to do with it. The only reason I’ve ventured out is because it’s a great alternative to pasta.

But I promise, it isn’t as scary as you think, in-fact it’s a super versatile squash just like the rest of them. The easiest way to cook spaghetti squash is by oven cooking for 30-45 minutes until soft. From here, you can pull away the inside to get that spaghetti style texture. I know this may not sound like a good point, but spaghetti squash is pretty bland, and this is what makes it so brilliant. It means it will soak up the flavour or whatever sauce, dressing you choose to cover it with.

Now you see, squash aren’t my favourite vegetables but they are so versatile it’s hard not to be impressed by them. Next time you’re in the supermarket don’t be afraid to pick up a new variety and see what adventure it can take you on pumpkin seeds.