Butternut squash is so versatile and satisfying. I eagerly await its arrival in the Fall and cook with it on a weekly basis throughout the cold months. I personally always prefer to get the honey nut variety when I can (vs classic butternut), but the two types are great and interchangeable in my recipes. Whether you’re into roasting cubes of squash to go in a salad, using squash purée in a pasta sauce, or enjoying it in all kinds of soups, I’ve got you covered with this collection of vegan butternut squash recipes.
How to prep butternut squash for recipes:
- I like to select squashes that are more cylindrical and uniform in thickness from top to bottom (ie I avoid a really round base where all the seeds are). I find these ones easier to peel and they usually have less seeds.
- I personally develop a light skin reaction when touching raw squash, so I always wear gloves when I handle it.
- Some of my recipes call for cooked butternut squash purée. In this situation, I just cut the squash in half lengthwise and place the halves face-down on a baking sheet. From here, I’ll roast them in a 400 oven until tender, about 40 minutes.
- To prep cubes or slices, I start by cutting the top and bottom ends off of the squash.
- Then, I peel the squash with a Y peeler.
- From here, I’ll place the squash upright, the flat bottom on the cutting board. Then I cut it in half lengthwise with a sharp chef knife.
- I remove the seeds with a spoon and cut the squash into slices or cubes! You can keep the prepped squash in a sealed container in the fridge for a week.
Vegan butternut squash recipes:
1. Vegan Butternut Galette with Shallots, Apples & GF Black Pepper Crust
This savoury galette is a beautiful holiday main for the plant-based eaters. Contrasting flavours of shallot, sweet squash, tangy sumac, fresh herbs, and lots of black pepper in the crust create layers of enjoyment.
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2. Roasted Vegan Butternut Squash Soup with Apples & Pecans
This is my version of a classic butternut squash soup. All of the squash is roasted with apples, onions, ginger, garlic, and a bit of chili before being blended with stock and toasted pecans for some extra hearty flavour and a creamy texture.
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3. Creamy Vegan Butternut Squash Risotto
This vegan dinner is perfect for a chilly night in. About 10 ingredients and lots of mindful stirring 😉 gives you a creamy risotto with lots of flavour from miso, garlic, herbs, and smoked paprika.
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4. Vegan Squash Patties with Mixed Herb Salsa Verde
I would describe these as a slightly fancier, very autumnal vegan veggie burger. So nice with a little salad on the side and maybe some warm rice or crusty bread to mop up the salsa verde.
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5. Creamy Vegan Farrotto with Butternut Squash
This is a fun alternative grain risotto that is ultra creamy thanks to puréed roasted squash. Cracking half of the farro grains helps to starch it up too!
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6. Baked Pearl Couscous & Butternut Squash with Basil Tahini
It's a complete meal that all comes together in one baking tray! Tangy flavours from za'atar, slightly sweet cubes of squash, spinach for some greens, and of course the creamy basil tahini to finish it all off!
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7. Black Bean Dip with Roasted Squash, Garlic, Pumpkin Seeds & Chipotles
This is a deeply flavoured and slightly spicy dip that's fun for holiday get togethers. It's also just a little bit different from the usual holiday appetizers, which is nice sometimes!
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8. Creamy Vegan Orzo Risotto with Butternut Squash
Over 50 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ reviews can confirm: this is a flavourful and satisfying vegan dinner that feels just a little bit extra special. The squash makes it so creamy and lush.
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9. Spicy Vegan Butternut Squash Flatbread with Za’atar & Miso Garlic Sauce
Slightly sweet squash pairs beautifully with spicy chili crisp on this delicious flatbread. A fresh fennel and arugula topping livens it all up and the miso garlic drizzle gives it a light "cheesy" vibe.
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10. Smoky Squash Chili with Quinoa, Pinto & Black Beans
This is a Fall spin on a hearty vegan chili. Lots of delicious smoky and spicy flavours that complement the homey squash so well.
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11. Salty Maple Squash with Ginger Rice & Brussels Slaw
This is a wholesome celebration of Fall veg with some flavourful rice to fill it out. This one has a few extra prep steps, but it turns out SO beautiful.
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12. Vegan Butternut Nacho “Cheese” Sauce
Of course this vegan take on cheese sauce won't taste exactly like cheese! But it is a fun, extremely veggie-ful take that's great to do as a game day snack in the Fall.
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13. Velvety Roasted Garlic & Butternut Dip with Sesame
This recipe is part of a big vegan appetizer spread. Butternut squash really does make for a silky and delicious dairy-free dip!
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14. Butternut Coconut Noodles with Greens & Herbs
Topped with a smoky coconut crunch and loaded with greens, these butternut coconut noodles are loaded with layers of flavour and so hearty.
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15. Butternut Minestrone with Sage, Chickpeas & Chard
This is a very autumnal take on the traditional Italian soup. We keep the tomato base and use orzo for our pasta. Chard greens and chickpeas fill out this nourishing and comforting soup.
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16. Grilled Butternut & Radicchio Pizza
This time, we make a sauce out of butternut squash and combine it with a bit of pesto and fresh, slightly bitter radicchio salad on top. This is an ancient recipe in the TFM repertoire!
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17. Vegan Butternut Squash Zuppa Toscana
This cozy pot is a creamy, satiating, robustly flavoured, and autumnal twist on the classic Italian soup with plant-based sausage and cashew cream. It's deeply savoury and comforting.
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15+ Vegan Butternut Squash Recipes: Squash Patties with Salsa Verde
Enjoy these autumnal, slightly fancy vegan veggie burgers with squash and mixed herb salsa verde. Plus you can peruse 15 more vegan butternut squash recipes!
Ingredients
Roasted Squash Base
- 1 ½ cups peeled and cubed butternut squash
- 1 medium shallot, roughly chopped
- 1 clove garlic, peeled
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
Mixed Herb Salsa Verde
- 1 small shallot, finely minced
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- 1 clove garlic, finely minced or grated with a Microplane
- 1 tablespoon capers, drained and minced
- 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- pinch of chili flakes or ground chillies
- sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 cups leafy fresh herbs (NOT packed), finely chopped
- ⅓ cup olive oil
Squash Patties
- ¼ cup pecan halves
- ½ cup rolled oats
- 1 cup cooked brown lentils
- 1 cup cooked millet
- Roasted Squash Base
- 2 tablespoons ground flax
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons Tamari soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, minced
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon chili flakes or ground chillies
- olive or avocado oil spray
Equipment
Notes
- Any type of peeled and cubed Winter squash is great here. The only one that I would not recommend is spaghetti squash.
- You could replace the pecans with pumpkin seeds for a nut-free version. Use coconut aminos instead of Tamari to make these soy-free.
- To get 1 cup each of the millet and lentils, you’ll need to cook roughly ⅓ cup of each ingredient from its dry state.
- I recommend using an olive oil that you really enjoy the taste of for the mixed herb salsa verde. I used this one from Brightland.
- I used a mixture of parsley, cilantro, and dill for the salsa verde. Use whatever leafy herbs that you like.
- If you don’t have oil spray on hand, just brush some olive oil directly onto the parchment and then right on top of the squash patties before baking.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Get your squash base roasting. Place the cubed squash, chopped shallot, and garlic clove on the baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Give everything a quick toss to coat, spread the veg out in an even layer, and pop it in the oven. Roast the squash base until the squash is tender, about 30 minutes.
- While the squash is roasting, make the mixed herb salsa verde. In a medium bowl, combine the minced shallot, lemon zest, minced garlic, capers, sherry vinegar, Dijon mustard, chili flakes, salt, pepper, chopped herbs, and olive oil. Give everything a thorough stir until evenly combined. Set aside.
- Start assembling the squash patties. Set a large mixing bowl out on the counter. In the bowl of a food processor, add the pecan halves and rolled oats. Pulse this mixture until you have a coarse meal. Transfer the ground pecans and oats to the large mixing bowl.
- Put the food processor bowl back on the base. Add the lentils and millet to the food processor and pulse a couple times until the lentils are slightly broken up. Add this mixture to the large mixing bowl.
- Put the food processor back on the base one more time. Add the roasted squash, shallot, and garlic clove to the food processor bowl. To that, also add the ground flax, Dijon mustard, tamari, and water. Pulse this mixture a few times until you have a smooth, thick paste. You will need to pop the lid off and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula at one point, just to get it all evenly mixed!
- Scrape the squash purée into the large mixing bowl. To this, also add the minced thyme, nutritional yeast, onion powder, chili flakes, and a good amount of salt and pepper. Using a rubber spatula or clean hands, thoroughly mix everything together. It will feel a bit wet! Give the mixture a taste to see if the seasoning needs any adjustment.
- Divide the squash patty mixture into 6 equal portions. Grab the parchment lined baking sheet that you used to roast the squash. There should be enough residual olive oil left on the paper. Spread it out evenly across the paper with your hand or a pastry brush.
- Form the portions of the patty mixture into patties of approximately ¾ inch thickness. Spray the tops of the patties with oil and pop them into the oven for 35 minutes, gently flipping them over at the halfway point. The patties are done when they are golden brown and slightly firm feeling.
- Serve the vegan squash patties with the mixed herb salsa verde.
Your recipes sound amazing and totally delicious.
I plan on buying as many squash as I can
( they store well) and will start with the galette recipe – as our adult daughter and adult son are both gluten sensitive.
I think everyone will love this recipe.
I went plant based 6 years ago and your cookbook was one of the first I borrowed from the library.
You are a whizz. Thank you so much for creating such deliciousness and HEALTHY too.
XO W