15+ Winter Squash Recipe Ideas
This collection of 15+ dietitian-designed winter squash recipes will give you tons of inspiration for how to cook butternut squash, spaghetti squash, delicata, acorn, and even pumpkin! These recipes are all easy, nutritious, and unique. You’ll find options for side dishes, mains, soups, salads, and appetizers, along with plenty of vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free options!
In this post, you’ll find 15+ healthy winter squash recipe ideas from the blog along with some squash nutrition facts! Keep scrolling or click on the following sections to go straight to them:
- winter squash nutrition benefits
- butternut squash recipes
- spaghetti squash recipes
- delicata + acorn squash recipes
- pumpkin recipes (using both fresh pumpkin + canned puree)
I’d love to know which of these squash recipes you end up making. Let’s get cooking!
Winter Squash Nutrition Benefits
While each variety will have it’s unique nutrition profile, in general winter squashes are a good source of:
- carotenoids, like beta-carotene (a precursor to vitamin A), lutein, and zeaxanthin – thanks to their rich orange and yellow hues. These carotenoids act as powerful antioxidants!
- vitamin C
- vitamin B6
- magnesium
- potassium
- dietary fiber
Butternut Squash Recipes
Butternut squash is probably the most well-known and popular winter squash variety. In this section you’ll find ideas for what to make with butternut squash, including soups, salads, mains, sides, and appetizers!
1) Roasted Butternut Squash & Red Pepper Soup
2) Kale Butternut Squash Salad
3) Cheesy Butternut Squash Rice Bowl
4) Roasted Butternut Squash & Pear Soup
5) Roasted Butternut Squash With Kale & Spicy Coconut Cream
6) Winter Pasta Salad
7) Roasted Butternut Squash Dip
Spaghetti Squash Recipes
When cooked, this squash produces “spaghetti-like” strands that you can scrape out with a fork! It’s such a delicious squash option that I love as the base of a main meal. Bonus: eating straight out of the squash “boat” is super fun and results in less dishes 😉
8) Spaghetti Squash With Pesto & Shrimp
9) Vegetarian Spaghetti Squash Casserole
10) Mexican-Inspired Spaghetti Squash Boats
Delicata & Acorn Squash Recipes
Delicata and acorn squash are two of my other favourite varieties. I find they have a bit of an earthier flavour compared to butternut.
What I love about them is that the skin is super delicate and can actually be eaten once cooked! There’s no reason to waste the skin and the skin of vegetables is often packed with tons of nutrients 🙂
11) Quinoa Stuffed Delicata Squash
12) Roasted Acorn Squash With Parmesan & Sage
13) Kale & Delicata Squash Salad With Maple Tahini
Pumpkin Recipes
Did you know that pumpkin is considered a winter squash, too?! Below you’ll find some recipes that use both fresh pumpkin and store-bought pumpkin puree in a variety of ways.
14) Roasted Pumpkin Salad With Quinoa & Feta
15) Pumpkin Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies
16) Pumpkin Pie Steel Cut Oatmeal
17) Cinnamon Raisin Pumpkin Cream Cheese Spread
More Recipe Roundups To Explore
- 10+ Healthy Sweet Potato Recipes
- 15+ Fall & Winter Salad Recipes
- 10+ Healthy Kale Recipes
- 30 Healthy Recipes with Oats
- 20+ Healthy Vegetable Side Dishes
- 20+ Healthy Pasta Recipes
And there you have it – 15+ Easy, Healthy Winter Squash Recipes to cook and enjoy. I so hope you found inspiration for some new and creative ways to cook with squash!
If you make any of these recipes, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram or Pinterest – seeing your creations always makes my day. You can also subscribe to my email list to never miss a new recipe or nutrition education post!
Get the Recipe: 15+ Winter Squash Recipes, Including Butternut Squash & Red Pepper Soup
Ingredients
- 1 small butternut squash, peeled + cubed (approx. 6 cups, cubed)
- 3 med-large red bell peppers, cored + cut into quarters
- 3-4 cloves garlic, peeled
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 1 cup coconut milk, full-fat
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1.5 tsp smoked paprika
- Salt + pepper, to taste
- Optional garnish: fresh herbs (like parsley or basil), microgreens (as pictured), pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, etc.
- Optional: a squeeze of lime juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F.
- Peel butternut squash with a vegetable peeler. Remove the seeds, and cut the squash into roughly 1/2 or 1-inch cubes. Place cubed squash on a baking sheet and toss in 1 Tbsp olive oil, salt, and pepper. Cook in the oven for 30 minutes, tossing halfway.
- Meanwhile, remove the core from the bell peppers and cut into 4 quarters. Place them on a separate baking sheet along with the garlic cloves. Toss in remaining 1 Tbsp of olive oil, salt, and pepper. Transfer to the oven for 20 minutes, tossing halfway.
- Heat the vegetable broth up on the stovetop while the veggies are in the oven.
- Remove the squash, peppers, and garlic from the oven. Add them along with the vegetable broth, coconut milk, ginger, and smoked paprika to a high-speed blender. Season generously with salt and pepper. Blend on high for a couple minutes, until smooth. If you'd like your soup slightly thinner, feel free to add a splash more veggie broth and/or coconut milk.
- Serve and add toppings as desired. Enjoy hot!
Notes
- If you’d like a bit of spice, feel free to add a pinch of red pepper flakes for that extra kick.
- You don’t have to only use red bell peppers – feel free to use orange or yellow ones, too! I would avoid green peppers, though, as they don’t offer the same sweetness.
- If you want to save time, you can roast frozen butternut squash cubes instead of cutting up a fresh one. There is no need to thaw the frozen squash before putting it in the oven.
- If you feel like experimenting, you could try adding different veggies to this soup too. Something like roasted sweet potatoes, parsnips, leeks, celery, etc. could work well!
Did you make this recipe?
Let me know by leaving a recipe rating below, or by tagging @walderwellness on Instagram. I love seeing your beautiful creations!
