Not just table decoration—squash is a delicious, nutritious autumn favourite

Butternut squash, pumpkins, and other colourful winter squash signal the arrival of fall. A fruit (really!) native to North America, and a member of the gourd family like melons and pumpkins, squash is super-easy to stir into hearty autumn soups.

Add squash to your diet for good health

“Winter squashes, especially pumpkin, are one of the most nutritionally valuable foods known to man,” says Steven Pratt, MD, co-author of Super-foods. Loaded with good-for-you nutrients, the richly coloured interior flesh is the first clue to squashes' nutritional benefits, which include:

Large amounts of carotenoids, the deep orange-, yellow-, or red-coloured plant compounds that help fight a variety of diseases, including heart disease, various cancers, and eye diseasesVitamins C and E, plus potassium, magnesium, and folic acidHigh in fibreLow in caloriesMake an easy squash soup the star of your weeknight menu

For a quick and easy squash soup, use fresh, tinned, or frozen squash, or tinned 100% pumpkin purée (not pumpkin pie mix, which includes sugar and spices) as the soup base.

To prepare squash—If using fresh squash, peel a thin-skinned variety such as hubbard or butternut. Cut squash in half and use a large spoon to remove seeds and any fibres; cut squash into 2-inch (5 cm) chunks and set aside. Two 1-pound (.45 kg) squash will serve four people.

If a squash is difficult to peel, or if you are using a different variety from the two above, use a small knife to poke a few holes in the squash; then bake at 350ºF (177ºC) for 40 minutes or microwave for 12 minutes before slicing.

To make savoury curried squash soup—Using a heavy 5.5-quart (5 L) pot, sauté 1/3 cup (53 g) diced yellow onion in 1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil until translucent (about 5 minutes). Add squash, 1 quart (951 ml) chicken or vegetable stock, and 2 cups (475 ml) water. Cook covered over medium heat until squash is soft and blends into stock. Add more stock to thin mixture, if desired. Add 1/2 tablespoon (3.15 g) curry powder (or to taste), salt and pepper to taste, and 1 cup (238 ml) single cream; stir to blend. Serve hot, but do not let soup boil after adding single cream.Mix it up—Try these other terrific squash and pumpkin soup recipes: Golden Harvest Soup, and Winter Vegetable Soup. Squash is super-easy to stir into hearty autumn soups

Related reading

One-Dish Harvest DinnersWild about NutsMaking Sense of My PyramidHealthy Eating

Judith H. Dern

Judith H. Dern, an independent writer living in Seattle, WA, loves vegetables and finds squash soup the perfect cold-weather dish.

2007-09-01