Ingredients

1 small pumpkin
a pinch of whole sea salt
filtered water (to cook the pumpkin)
2 apples (I used Red Delicious), peeled and cut into cubes or slices
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, and some more to serve
juice of 3 cm fresh ginger root
a large handful of pumpkin seeds
half a teaspoon dried, powdered ginger
1/4 teaspoon Himalayan salt

Makes 2-4 servings.

Directions

Peel the pumpkin and remove the seeds, then cut the flesh into cubes. Place the pumpkin cubes in a heavy-bottomed saucepan, sprinkle with the salt, and add the water. Cover and cook over low heat for about 15 minutes, until soft. Add some more water if necessary. When cooked, set aside and allow to cool a bit, then transfer the mixture into a food processor. Add the apples, the olive oil and the ginger juice and blend until smooth and creamy, adding some more water for a much looser texture (in case you do add some more water, make sure it’s not too cold). Briefly crush the pumpkin seeds in a mortar with the ginger and salt. Gently reheat the soup if necessary, transfer into cups or serving bowls and sprinkle with olive oil and some of the pumpkin seeds-ginger-salt mixture before serving.

Thoughts, tips, ideas

This soup is good warm or at room temperature but also colder. You can even  make it completely baby-friendly and leave the ginger (as well as the pumpkin seeds and salt) out.

This comforting and colourful dish is perfect as a filling appetizer or as a main course. In this recipe the polenta complements all the other flavours beautifully. The sesame seeds add a crunchy touch to the soft polenta and velvety, creamed pumpkin.

Ingredients

For the creamed pumpkin

you can find the recipe here

For the polenta

250 g organic polenta
1 1/2 litre filtered or mineral water
a pinch of whole sea salt
30 g dried porcini mushrooms
2 handfuls fresh sage, finely chopped
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons tahin
black and white sesame seeds, to taste
chili powder, to taste

Makes 6 servings.

Directions

In a small bowl filled with mineral or filtered water, rehydrate the porcini for about 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 180° C. Pour the 1 ½ litre of filtered or mineral water into a large heavy-based saucepan and bring it to the boil over high heat. Add the salt. Add the polenta in a thin stream, stirring constantly until all the polenta is well incorporated. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring constantly, for 30-40 minutes or until the polenta is done, then remove from the heat and set aside. When the porcini are soft, rinse them and dry them with a paper towel then finely chop them. Sauté the mushrooms and the sage in a pan with the olive oil for about 3-4 minutes. Stir the porcini into the polenta, add the tahin and make sure everything is well combined. Divide the mixture among oven-proof molds and bake at 180° C for about 15 minutes. In the meantime, lightly toast some black and white sesame seeds in a dry frying pan over medium heat. Remove the polenta from the oven and let cool a few minutes before unmolding. Serve the polenta on individual plates with the warm creamed pumpkin, the sesame seeds and chili powder to taste.

Part sauce, part soup, part side dish, this creamed pumpkin is versatile, simple and delicious. You can enjoy it as a sauce with almost any kind of pasta and other grain-based dishes. As it’s incredibly smooth, it makes a perfect soup. It can also be wonderful paired with beans.

Makes 4 servings.

Ingredients

1 medium sized pumpkin
half a leek
whole sea salt, to taste
chili powder, to taste
half a teaspoon dried ginger powder
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 cups filtered water, and some more to blend, if necessary

Directions:

Clean, trim and slice the leek. Peel the pumpkin and remove the seeds, then cut the flesh into cubes. Pour the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan, add the leek and stir fry for 1 minute. Stir in the pumpkin cubes, sprinkle with the ginger, some salt and chili powder and add the water. Cover and cook over low heat for about 15 minutes, until soft. Add some more water if necessary. When cooked, set aside and allow to cool a bit, then transfer the mixture into a food processor and blend until smooth and creamy, adding some more water for a looser texture. Reheat before serving.

If you love “the” orange winter vegetable as much as I do, here’s another easy recipe to try. This pumpkin-based dish is delicious eaten warm during the colder months, but equally enjoyable if served at room temperature (or even cold) as finger food. You can substitute the cinnamon sticks with ½ teaspoon of powdered cinnamon, although the sticks definitely make the dish look more special.

Makes 2-4 servings.

Ingredients:

1 medium sized pumpkin (butternut, buttercup or autumn cup are all fine), seeded, peeled and cut into bite-sized chunks

4-5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

½ teaspoon powdered nutmeg

6-7 cinnamon sticks

whole sea salt (to taste)

freshly ground black pepper (to taste)

2-3 handfuls toasted pumpkin seeds

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Place the pumpkin in a large bowl and sprinkle with the nutmeg, salt, pepper and drizzle with the olive oil. Add the cinnamon sticks and toss everything together. Transfer into a roasting pan and bake for about 30-40 minutes, until the pumpkin is tender. In the meantime, toast the pumpkin seeds on medium heat for a couple of minutes. Set aside. When the pumpkin is done, remove it from the oven and sprinkle with the toasted pumpkin seeds. Serve warm as a side dish or at room temperature (or cold) as finger food.

This is a nice, thick stew for wintery days. The onion, garlic and thyme, togehter with the sweetness of the pumpkin, make this a special, luscious meal. The pumpkin and chickpeas combination will satisfy and fill you up nicely. Also works great as a starter or side dish. Fresh thyme can be substituted with dried thyme.

Makes 2-4 servings.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons filtered or mineral water

½ large onion, halved and finely chopped

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1 medium-sized pumpkin (butternut, buttercup or autumn cup), peeled and cut into chunks

1 handful fresh thyme (to garnish)

2 cups vegetable stock

400 g cooked chickpeas

1 pinch whole sea salt

1 pinch chili powder

Directions:

In a large pot, heat the olive oil, then add the onion, the garlic and the water and cook over low to medium heat until the onion and garlic are soft and golden. Add the pumpkin, chili pepper, salt and vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the pumpkin is very tender and the stock has been absorbed. Use more stock if needed. Add the chickpeas, stir and cook for 5 more minutes, making sure the pumpkin and the chickpeas are blended together. Remove from the heat, drizzle with some olive oil, top with the thyme and serve warm.

This is a smooth, delicate and warming risotto. You can definitely use a pressure cooker to cook the rice, but if you choose the ‘ordinary’ risotto cooking method, I think you’ll get a much creamier result. Here I substitute stock with plain water, as the miso provides enough salt and flavour.

Makes 4 servings.                  

Ingredients:

330 g brown Carnaroli rice

1 medium sized pumpkin or butternut squash

½ leek, minced

3 teaspoons brown rice miso (unpasteurized)

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (plus 1 tablespoon to add before serving)

1 teaspoon mirin

1 teaspoon dried lemongrass

½ teaspoon dried marjoram

3 cm fresh ginger root (skin removed)

filtered or natural mineral water

Directions:

Clean the pumpkin, removing all seeds and surrounding filaments, then peel it and cut it into chunks. Place the pumpkin in the oven (preheated to 180° C) and bake for about 25 minutes. In the meantime, wash the rice in a large colander under running cold water and bring the water (preferably filtered or natural mineral water) to a boil. In a wide, heavy saucepan, heat the olive oil and add the minced leek and gently stir fry until golden. Add the rice and lightly fry for about 1 minute, then add the mirin and stir. Once the mirin has cooked into the rice, add the first ladle of boiling water and turn down the heat to a simmer. Keep adding ladlefuls of boiling water, stirring regularly. As soon as the pumpkin is cooked, cut it into small pieces, add it to the rice, and carry on adding water while cooking over low heat. Check the rice, and when it’s almost done add the lemongrass and marjoram. When the rice is cooked, remove from the heat and add the olive oil (about 1 tablespoon) and miso (which you’ll have melted in warm water). Stir well, place a lid on the saucepan, allow to sit for 2-3 minutes, then sprinkle with the fresh ginger juice and serve.

Is there anything more hearty and restorative than a bowl of soup, especially in the colder months?
I think carrot and pumpkin go perfectly well together. If you’ve never combined them in a soup before, give it a try. It has a wonderful, vibrant colour and tastes of naturally sweet vegetables with a hint of spice and a lovely coconutty flavour. This recipe is likely to satisfy any pumpkin lover.

Makes 4 servings.

Ingredients:

½ medium red onion, finely chopped

1 medium sized pumpkin, peeled, seeded and diced

4 carrots, peeled and thickly sliced

1 ½ cup unsweetened soy milk

3 tablespoons dried shredded coconut

2 teaspoons medium curry powder

4 teaspoons coriander powder

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

whole sea salt (to taste)

fresh chive sprigs (for garnish)

coriander leaves (I used dried leaves but fresh ones are much better), for garnish

Place the pumpkin and carrots in a steamer fitted over a saucepan, add enough water to come just below the bottom of the steamer and sprinkle some salt over the vegetables. Bring to a boil and steam for around 20-25 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large pan or wok over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, a pinch of salt, the curry, the coriander powder and the dry coconut flakes and sauté, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes. Add the soy milk, reduce the heat and cook for about 10 minutes. When the pumpkin and carrot are crisp-tender, remove them from the steamer (save the cooking water), add them to the soy milk/onion spicy mixture and cook for a few minutes. Remove the curried vegetables from the heat and place them in the bowl of a food processor, add about 1 cup of the cooking water you kept and puree until smooth. Add some more water for a runnier soup. Adjust seasonings and stir soup back into the pan or into serving bowls. Garnish with chives and coriander leaves.

PS: this soup was made with organic ingredients.