As the weather gets cooler, it’s hard not to notice the many big orange pumpkins everywhere. While pumpkin pie and pumpkin spice lattes are delicious, let’s not forget about all the other vegetables on the color spectrum.
Fall vegetables have their own unique taste and purpose in fueling the body. Warm, comforting, and hearty, fall veggies are great for simple baking, soups, and stews. There are tons and tons of recipes online and even instructions on every step from preparation to storage. Without further ado, here are five versatile autumn veggies to swap for pumpkin any day of the week: beets, brussels sprouts, parsnips, spaghetti squash, and butternut squash.
Beets may get their appeal from their beautiful, rich purple color, but they actually come in a variety of colors and sizes—deep red, bright gold, and red. Beets have an incredibly earthy taste, but after cooking they become quite sweet. Some say beets can be eaten raw, however, I recommend roasting them in the oven like any other root vegetable. A note of caution, watch out for your hands and other parts of skin that come in contact when chopping beets. They will stain! Smaller baby beets don’t need to be peeled. Beets are in season up until the end of spring.
Next up, the brussels sprout. Fun fact: brussels sprouts are actually little cabbages. These round bunches of vitamins have a reputation for being quite nasty. I would argue that they often are cooked incorrectly, and end up far from a bright green, perfect-textured taste. The best way to cook them, depending on your ability to handle bitter foods, would be to roast them and then sauté over a pan. Olive oil, garlic, and rosemary make the perfect coat to bring out the naturally satisfying taste of brussels sprouts.
Parsnips are pretty uncommon, especially among the college-aged generation. Local to cooler climates, parsnips actually need frost in order to transform its starchy makeup to a more sugary, nutty flavor. Parsnips are cream-colored in appearance and pretty close counterparts to carrots.
When purchasing, look for small to medium-sized parsnips that are firm and not spotty (greens not attached). Parsnips are great cut lengthwise in short sticks. Pair with carrots cut similarly, add olive oil, seasonings, and honey to create a yummy skillet sauté. Carrots will take longer to soften, so be sure to put them on a minute or two before the parsnips!
Most similar to pumpkins are butternut squash, and their cousin, spaghetti squash. Winter squashes are among the most easy to use—handy vegetables once you know how to cook them. They may look complicated because of their tough exterior and large size, but cutting into them is the most difficult part.
Butternut squash is best in chilis, soups, and stews, while spaghetti squash can be more of a side or main dish by itself. To cook any squash, including pumpkins, simply cut in half and remove seeds with a spoon or fork. Place in a preheated oven at 400 degrees until they soften up (typically 25 minutes depending on thickness). If you like more flavor, sprinkle savory or sweet spices along with olive or coconut nut oil on top. Some great pairings are cinnamon and sugar, cumin and cayenne pepper, garlic powder parsley, and the classic salt and pepper.
Even though it’s in the name, many people have no idea that spaghetti squash can serve as a great wheat spaghetti replacement. Once a spaghetti squash is cut in half and baked for about 20 minutes, take a fork and start shredding until you reach the skin of the vegetable. You’ll have strings of squash that resemble spaghetti and taste pretty darn good. Season and top with any sauces you would use on your favorite pasta dish. Enjoy!