Celebrating Butternut Squash: A Gift of Autumn

Butternut squash is a favorite fall vegetable, its golden hue echoing the colorful foliage of the season. Sweet, nourishing, and wonderfully versatile, it lends itself to both classic comfort dishes and creative new flavors.

In retreat kitchens and home kitchens alike, seasonal vegetables like butternut squash remind us of the quiet joy of living in harmony with nature. At The Expanding Light and during the peaceful days of The Seclusion Retreat, meals are prepared in the spirit of Ananda — with calm awareness, gratitude, and a desire to serve. Cooking becomes more than a task; it becomes a simple act of attunement, a way of offering care and upliftment through food.

Many of the treasured recipes that come from these retreat centers reflect this philosophy: wholesome ingredients, thoughtful preparation, balanced flavors, and meals made to nourish not only the body, but the heart and soul as well.

Whether simmered into a comforting soup, baked into fragrant herbed strips, or blended into a creamy rice dish, butternut squash brings warmth to the table and a quiet reminder of the abundance that surrounds us.

Here are a few delicious ways to enjoy this gift of autumn.

 

Herbed Butternut Squash Strips

Creative and refreshingly different

Preparation Time: 20 minutes, baking time 40 minutes- Serves 3-4

INGREDIENTS
1 Medium Butternut Squash
Olive oil for drizzling
2 Tablespoons Sunflower Oil
1 small onion, minced
½ teaspoon dried dill weed (or substitute minced or dried Rosemary or another herb of your choice)
¼ teaspoon black pepper
salt to taste (optional)
¼ cup parsley- several sprigs (optional)

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Peel, seed and cut squash into long strips (3”x1/2’ thick). Place on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil to coat the strips. Bake 40 minutes or until soft.
Meanwhile, saute the onion in the sunflower oil until golden brown. Add the dill and pepper.
Mx with the bake squash strips. Garnish with parsley and serve warm

Squash-Rice Combo

A creamy, nondairy variation on the traditional Italian risotto.

 
Preparation Time: 20 minutes, cooking time 25-35 minutes- Serves 6 Does not require oil or stirring.

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup basmati rice (rinsed 3 times)
2 ½ cups vegetable broth (2 ½ cups boiling water and 1 tablespoon powdered vegetable broth)
1 cup onion, minced
1 cup water
3 cups butternut squash, peeled and cubed
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

DIRECTIONS:
Combine rice and stock in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer until rice is cooked (approximately 10-15 minutes).

In another pot, place ½ cup of water and add onion. Simmer until onion is translucent. Add 1 cup of water, squash, coriander, parsley, salt and nutmeg and cook until squash is soft (approximately 15-20 minutes). You may need to add water. Mix cooked rice with squash. Add salt to taste, and serve.

Butternut Squash Soup

INGREDIENTS:
2 tablespoons olive oil, butter, coconut oil, or other mild cooking oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped (appx 1 1/2 cups)
½ teaspoon salt
1 (3-pound) butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cubed (appx 8 cups)
1 teaspoon powdered ginger
½ tsp cinnamon (or more to taste)
3 to 4 cups Vegetable Broth
Freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS:
Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, salt, and several grinds of fresh pepper and sauté until soft, 5 to 8 minutes. Add the squash and cook until it begins to soften, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes.

Add the ginger and cinnamon. Stir to coat the squash for 30 seconds to 1 minute, then add 3 cups (or more) of the liquid – enough to cover the squash. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook until the squash is tender, 20 to 30 minutes.

Let cool slightly and pour the soup into a blender, working in batches if necessary, and blend until smooth. If your soup is too thick, gradually add more broth until it is the desired thickness (tasting as you go), and blend again. Taste and adjust seasoning.

(This soup lends itself to experimentation. As you make it multiple times you might: Substitute coconut milk for up to 1 cup of the broth; add 2 apples peeled and grated to the mixture when you add the broth; add a 1/2 tsp or more of curry powder. ) Serves: 3-4  

The recipes above were adapted from Global Kitchen, A Cookbook of Vegetarian Favorites – from our sister retreat The Expanding Light, located at nearby Ananda Village.