Pumpkin Recipes
Ways to enjoy your incredible, edible pumpkin…
Pumpkins are one of the most versatile fruit (that’s right, they’re not a vegetable!) and work brilliantly in both sweet and savoury dishes. Here are the pick of our favourite pumpkin recipes (which work equally well with squash instead of pumpkin, for a slightly nuttier taste):
Warming Pumpkin Chilli
Ingredients (vegan friendly, serves 4)
1 medium pumpkin, cut into quarters
2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for roasting
1 large onion, chopped
4 celery sticks, finely chopped
1 red pepper, deseeded and chopped
1 green pepper, deseeded and chopped
3 large garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp tomato puree
1 tsp chilli powder (more, or less, depending on how spicy you like it!)
1 tsp dried mixed herbs
2 tsp ground cumin
1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
1 x 400g tin red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
small handful of fresh coriander leaves, roughly torn (to garnish)
salt and black pepper (to season)
Instructions:
Heat the oven to 180°C/Gas Mark 4. Place the pumpkin quarters skin side down on a lined baking tray, drizzle with olive oil and bake in the oven for 30-35 mins. In a large heavy pan, fry the onion and celery on a medium heat for 5 mins. Add the peppers and garlic and cook for another minute, before adding the tomato puree, chilli, salt, pepper, dried herbs and cumin. Stir well and then add the tomatoes. Leave to simmer for 20 mins (or longer, if you can wait!). Peel the skin from the pumpkin quarters (put this in the compost/food waste bin) and chop into bite-sized chunks. Add these to the pan along with the kidney beans and warm through for 10 minutes. Serve with a sprinkle of coriander. et voila! Serve with rice or a jacket potato.
Spicy Pumpkin Soup
Ingredients: (Vegan friendly, serves 6)
2 onions, roughly chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 celery stick, chopped
1 white potato, peeled and cut into chunks
1 big pumpkin, deseeded and cut into chunks
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp cumin
1.5 litres vegetable stock
Salt & pepper (to taste)
Optional: Handful of fresh coriander to garnish
Instructions:
Chop and lightly fry the onions and celery in a large saucepan with the olive oil for 5 mins. Cut the pumpkin into quarters. Remove the seeds and cut off the skin (if you’re using a squash you can leave the skin on) then cut into cubes. Peel the potato and cut into chunks. Add all the chunks to the pan and stir continuously (to keep it from sticking to the pan) for 5 mins. Pour in the stock and add the cumin, salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and leave it on low heat for 10-15 minutes.
Serve as it is for a chunky soup or use a blender to make a very thick soup. Serve with a crusty roll and enjoy.
Pumpkin Coffee Cake
Ingredients
For the topping:
4 oz light brown sugar
1 oz plain flour
2 oz finely chopped walnuts
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 oz unsalted butter/margarine, melted
For the cake:
10 oz plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground mixed allspice
4 oz light brown sugar
4 oz granulated sugar
10 oz fresh pumpkin puree
1/2 cup sunflower oil
1 tbsp coffee essence
2 large eggs, beaten
Optional: Maple syrup for drizzling
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease the bottom of an 8-inch square cake tin.
In a small bowl, combine all of the topping ingredients with a fork until crumbly, then set aside while you make the cake.
In a large bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, mixed spice, and both sugars. In a small bowl, stir together the pumpkin puree, oil, coffee essence and eggs. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients, then pour in the wet ingredients. Gently stir until just combined.
Spoon the batter into the prepared tin and sprinkle the topping on top.
Bake for 35-40 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave to cool. (For extra indulgence, drizzle maple syrup over the warm cake). Cut into squares and serve. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight tin for up to 4 days.
Crusty Pumpkin Bread
Ingredients (Vegan friendly)
8 oz plain flour
4 oz light brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp ground mixed allspice
a pinch of salt
2 tsp vanilla extract
75 ml water or unsweetened almond milk
75 ml coconut oil (or sunflower oil)
12 oz fresh pumpkin puree
2 oz finely chopped pecans
Optional: small handful pumpkin seeds for topping
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease and line a loaf tin.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt. In a separate bowl, combine the oil, sugar, water/milk and vanilla. Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture along with the pumpkin puree and pecans and mix well. Careful not to over mix, but be sure there is no flour clumps. Taste the batter, adjusting the flavour or sweetness to your liking. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf tin and bake in the oven for 1 hour. Check with a skewer that it is fully baked in the centre, then remove from oven and leave to cool for 20 mins. Remove the loaf from the tin and place on a wire rack to cool slightly before serving.
Maple & Pecan Pumpkin Muffins
Ingredients (Vegan friendly, makes 20)
15 oz pumpkin/squash puree
7 oz brown sugar
130ml sunflower oil
14 oz flour (self-raising or plain)
2 tsp cinnamon
3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
3 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 oz chopped pecans plus extra for decoration
Maple syrup for drizzling
Instructions:
Preheat your oven to 180C. Combine the dry ingredients: flour, sugar, cinnamon, bicarbonate of soda into a bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the oil, vinegar, pumpkin and mix well.
Now, make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet mixture. Stir gently to combine and remove any flour clumps. Then fold in the chopped nuts. Spoon the mixture into 20 muffin cases, leaving 1cm free from the top as the muffins are going to rise.
Bake at 180C for 20-25 min until brown. Leave in the oven for another 10 min, gradually opening the oven door (to prevent them from deflating). Drizzle with maple syrup and sprinkle over the chopped pecans. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight tin for up to 4 days.
For even more inspiration, see the Pumpkin Festival Recipe collection at Good Food Oxfordshire.
Cook Craft Compost – Keep pumpkins out of landfill! #EatYourPumpkin