Recipes, Salads, Side Dishes, Soups, Vegan

Honey Nut Squash 2 Ways: Sweet Potato Honey Nut Squash Soup & Roasted Honey Nut Quinoa Salad

by Lisa Dawn

Have you seen this little beauty at the farmer’s market or store? It is probably my new favorite vegetable. It’s the Honey Nut Squash. It recently arrived on the vegetable scene and apparently it has a good origin story.

My first encounter with Honey Nut Squash was the Union Square Farmer’s Market. I picked it up and said out loud, to no one in particular, “What is this?”

A nice young women answered! She told me it is the creation of a Cornell based plant breeder at the request of the famous chef, Dan Barber. I was fascinated, of course, bought two and went on my way. I googled Honey Nut Squash and found this article, if you are interested.

Bottom line, it is a shrunken down, sweeter version of a butternut squash. And I am HOOKED! I don’t think I will be buying a butternut squash any time soon. I always looked for the smallest one anyway and quite honestly didn’t ever really love it. So now I will be remaking all of my butternut squash recipes with honey nut squash!

Today I have two for you, just in time for Thanksgiving: Sweet Potato Honey Nut Squash Soup & Roasted Honey Nut Quinoa Salad. Either or both would be a wonderful addition to your seasonal rotation.

Notes:

  • The skin of a honey nut squash is edible, like the skin of a delicata squash. I like to peel for soup but not for roasting.
  • For the soup, I use my vegetable broth powder that I made last year. If you don’t have any, use vegetable stock instead of water.
  • This soup gets puréed so don’t fuss too much over the vegetable preparation.

Print

Sweet Potato Honey Nut Squash Soup

My new favorite honey nut squash soupified with sweet potatoes, coconut milk and Sazon. It's hearty, heart warming, with just the right amount of creaminess and spice

Course Soup
Servings 6 bowls

Ingredients

  • 1 onion
  • 1 stalk celery
  • 1 teaspoon vegetable broth powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon Sazon seasoning
  • 1 honey nut squash
  • 1 sweet potato
  • 1 cup coconut milk
  • 3 cups filtered water
  • Salt, to taste
  • Roasted honey nut slices, for garnish

Instructions

  1. Dice the onion and celery and add to a soup pot. Dry sauté (or use oil) until they start to soften. 

  2. Add the vegetable broth powder and Sazon and stir around. Season with salt.

  3. Peel and chop the honey nut squash and sweet potato. Add to the pot. 

  4. Add coconut milk and water and bring to a boil. Reduce to a rolling simmer and cook until everything is soft. 

  5. Take off the flame and carefully transfer to a blender. Be sure to cover the top with a dish towel to prevent the soup from blowing out the top and burning you. Puree until smooth.

  6. Serve with roasted honey nut squash and a sprinkle of Sazon, for garnish. Enjoy!

Now to the quinoa pilaf. This isn’t really a recipe. It is a throw-everything-in-a-bowl kind of thing. But here is the key. It has to be a mix of fresh, toasted, and roasted. Here are few thoughts:

  • In my bowl, I have toasted pumpkin seeds, raw red onions, fresh parsley and fresh lime juice.
  • Swap out the toasted pumpkin seeds for other toasted nuts or seeds or even pomegranate seeds. Swap the raw onions for scallions.
  • Always include fresh parsley and citrus (lime or lime works) to make it pop!
  • This salad can be served hot or room temperature.
  • Double or even triple for a big holiday gathering.

Leave a Reply