What else can you do with a pumpkin?

I remember talking to a vegetable-phobic friend several years ago in the spring, when I was planting my garden. I asked him what he would suggest I put in and he thought about it, then answered "pumpkins". I said, "Why? You don't eat pumpkins?" He just nodded and took another sip from his beer.

Well, a few years after that I decided to figure out just what culinarily could be done with a pumpkin. Besides pie. And, do it from an actual pumpkin, not from a can.

Thank goodness I went on that quest, because otherwise I may not have found the below recipe.

The first thing that may give pause is that it involved chunking up an actual pumpkin. This may seem difficult, until you think of it as a funny-looking cantaloup. Treat it similarly. Here are some steps.

1. Use a clean, smaller, baking pumpkin. You will probably get about twice as much ingredient from this as you really need. Pop the rest of the chunks in a plastic bag and into the freezer. Label, so you don't confuse it with fruit (blahgh.)

2.  Twist off the stem, or if that's tough, use a large cleaver to slice off the top of the pumpkin with the stem.

3.  Stand upright, and cut in halve, top to bottom.

4.  Scoop out the seeds. If you can, save them for roasting. Don't worry about scraping the inside perfectly clean. We will come back to that later.

5.  Lay half cut side up and slice into thin wedges. Then, cut them in half the narrow way so they form pie-shapes.

6. With a paring knife, skim off the slimy gut leftovers. Then, slice the thin outer skin off, as though you were slicing the rind off a cantaloup.

7. Chunk.

There is a little up-front work, yes, but this will make a good amount of soup, can be frozen, and is so healthy and good, it's well worth the effort. Scroll down to the bottom to see the benefits of some of the ingredients. My thanks to Dr. Oz for providing this great recipe.


Dr. Oz Indian Roasted Pumpkin Soup

2 cups pie pumpkin, chopped
4 shallots
2 carrots, chopped
1 Granny Smith Apple, pealed and sliced
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. turmeric
2 cups vegetable broth
1/2 cup coconut milk

Preheat oven to 425F
Toss together: pumpkin, shallots, carrots, apple, onion, garlic olive oil, coriander, cumin and turmeric
Spread mixture into 18″ X 12″ pan
Roast for about 30 minutes until vegetables are tender
(I often do the above the day before, cool, and reheat after blending as below)
Transfer mixture to blender
Add broth and coconut milk to it
Close blender cover, with center part removed
Season with 1/4 tsp. each, salt and pepper
Makes 5 cups or 6 servings

Pumpkin is balancing to vata and pitta dosha.
Coconut milk helps balance pitta.
Cumin, turmeric and coriander improve digestion.
Turmeric and garlic helps soothe coughs and congestion.
Turmeric is anti-inflammatory.