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Like Linus waiting for the Great Pumpkin to appear, every year people just like me eagerly await Halloween if only for the promise of everything pumpkin. Sure carving Jack O’Lanterns is great, but what I’m talking about is the excuse to cook and eat pumpkin in every food imaginable from soup to ice cream. Typically the food we associate with Halloween doesn’t go much beyond miniature Snickers and packs of Twizzlers, but it is the pumpkin, mascot of Halloween, that can make for most delicious treats long after the costumed kids have been put to sleep.
In a time where tempting not-so-good for you foods abound, pumpkin is actually (dare I say it) healthy. In its pure form, pumpkin is a fantastic source of fiber, vitamin A and C as well as potassium and a host of other essential vitamins and minerals. Naturally low in fat and sodium, pumpkin is actually primed for being a part of the fall season’s healthy diet. Now if you mix pumpkin puree with sugar, eggs and milk and bake it in a butter laden crust the health factor is questionable. But in its pure form, those cans of pure cooked and drained pumpkin in the canned vegetable aisle actually pack in a more concentrated dose of nutrients than if you were to carve, cook, and drain the whole pumpkin yourself. Isn’t it great when a canned food is more convenient and better for you?
Beyond the pie, pumpkin puree has a variety of possible uses in the kitchen. The abundance of pumpkin breads and muffins in coffee shops this time of year is no coincidence; pumpkin makes a wonderfully moist addition to any of a number of quick breads. Kind of like the old trick of using applesauce in place of some oil to add moisture to muffins, naturally moist pumpkin puree can have the same effect. Try adding some pumpkin to a standard whole grain or spice muffin recipe and drop the amount of oil or butter. Top the muffins with some raw pumpkin seeds that will toast in the oven for a crisp and healthy alternative to the usual sugar and butter streusel.
If there is one fall recipe that helps me get over my end-of-summer grief, it is ravioli filled with butternut squash or pumpkin puree in brown butter with fried sage. Making butternut or kabocha squash filling from scratch can be labor intensive and time consuming, whereas pumpkin puree comes concentrated and ready to use. Sauté some garlic in olive oil and stir in the pumpkin reducing a bit until hot liquid is gone. Stir in mild Asiago cheese then fill pre-made pasta squares (many store carry sheets of fresh pasta) with the filling. Cook for a few minutes in boiling water until the ravioli float.
The classic sauce for this bistro dish is a brown butter, where several tablespoons of butter are cooked over a medium heat while constantly swirling the pan until the milk solids brown to a nice caramel color. Some whole sage leaves are thrown in during the last 30 seconds to crisp up along with some salt and pepper for seasoning. Just like that you have brown butter-sage sauce over a platter of pumpkin ravioli that practically screams fall.
Winter squash soup is another autumn regular to restaurant menus and magazine pages. A lovely roast butternut squash makes for a delicious if time consuming soup. Pumpkin, however, is already cooked and pureed and can be ready to slurp up in soup form in less than 30 minutes. Since pumpkin has become a staple of certain South East Asian cuisines, I like a spicy Thai take on the fall classic. Sautéed onion and garlic lend a nice flavor base for the puree. Combined with red chili paste and chicken stock, the soup is practically done with little more than 10-15 minutes to let the flavors meld. A drizzle of heavy cream to balance the flavors and some toasted pumpkin seeds make for a quick and simple weekend lunch or a nice start to a weeknight dinner.
The Peanuts gang might still be waiting for the Great Pumpkin to appear, but in the meantime the rest of us can enjoy great pumpkin anytime of the day. A healthy alternative the candy bowl, pumpkin adds flavor without fat to everyday baked treats. And when tossed in pasta or whizzed into soup, pumpkin sure can do some neat tricks, having dinner made in less than the time it takes to put on a Halloween costume.
©2026 CDKitchen, Inc. No reproduction or distribution of any portion of this article is allowed without express permission from CDKitchen, Inc.
To share this article with others, you may link to this page:
https://www.cdkitchen.com/cooking-experts/amy-powell/1101-cooking-with-pumpkin/
This Halloween, The Great Pumpkin Is For Real
Like Linus waiting for the Great Pumpkin to appear, every year people just like me eagerly await Halloween if only for the promise of everything pumpkin. Sure carving Jack O’Lanterns is great, but what I’m talking about is the excuse to cook and eat pumpkin in every food imaginable from soup to ice cream. Typically the food we associate with Halloween doesn’t go much beyond miniature Snickers and packs of Twizzlers, but it is the pumpkin, mascot of Halloween, that can make for most delicious treats long after the costumed kids have been put to sleep.
In a time where tempting not-so-good for you foods abound, pumpkin is actually (dare I say it) healthy. In its pure form, pumpkin is a fantastic source of fiber, vitamin A and C as well as potassium and a host of other essential vitamins and minerals. Naturally low in fat and sodium, pumpkin is actually primed for being a part of the fall season’s healthy diet. Now if you mix pumpkin puree with sugar, eggs and milk and bake it in a butter laden crust the health factor is questionable. But in its pure form, those cans of pure cooked and drained pumpkin in the canned vegetable aisle actually pack in a more concentrated dose of nutrients than if you were to carve, cook, and drain the whole pumpkin yourself. Isn’t it great when a canned food is more convenient and better for you?
Beyond the pie, pumpkin puree has a variety of possible uses in the kitchen. The abundance of pumpkin breads and muffins in coffee shops this time of year is no coincidence; pumpkin makes a wonderfully moist addition to any of a number of quick breads. Kind of like the old trick of using applesauce in place of some oil to add moisture to muffins, naturally moist pumpkin puree can have the same effect. Try adding some pumpkin to a standard whole grain or spice muffin recipe and drop the amount of oil or butter. Top the muffins with some raw pumpkin seeds that will toast in the oven for a crisp and healthy alternative to the usual sugar and butter streusel.
If there is one fall recipe that helps me get over my end-of-summer grief, it is ravioli filled with butternut squash or pumpkin puree in brown butter with fried sage. Making butternut or kabocha squash filling from scratch can be labor intensive and time consuming, whereas pumpkin puree comes concentrated and ready to use. Sauté some garlic in olive oil and stir in the pumpkin reducing a bit until hot liquid is gone. Stir in mild Asiago cheese then fill pre-made pasta squares (many store carry sheets of fresh pasta) with the filling. Cook for a few minutes in boiling water until the ravioli float.
The classic sauce for this bistro dish is a brown butter, where several tablespoons of butter are cooked over a medium heat while constantly swirling the pan until the milk solids brown to a nice caramel color. Some whole sage leaves are thrown in during the last 30 seconds to crisp up along with some salt and pepper for seasoning. Just like that you have brown butter-sage sauce over a platter of pumpkin ravioli that practically screams fall.
Winter squash soup is another autumn regular to restaurant menus and magazine pages. A lovely roast butternut squash makes for a delicious if time consuming soup. Pumpkin, however, is already cooked and pureed and can be ready to slurp up in soup form in less than 30 minutes. Since pumpkin has become a staple of certain South East Asian cuisines, I like a spicy Thai take on the fall classic. Sautéed onion and garlic lend a nice flavor base for the puree. Combined with red chili paste and chicken stock, the soup is practically done with little more than 10-15 minutes to let the flavors meld. A drizzle of heavy cream to balance the flavors and some toasted pumpkin seeds make for a quick and simple weekend lunch or a nice start to a weeknight dinner.
The Peanuts gang might still be waiting for the Great Pumpkin to appear, but in the meantime the rest of us can enjoy great pumpkin anytime of the day. A healthy alternative the candy bowl, pumpkin adds flavor without fat to everyday baked treats. And when tossed in pasta or whizzed into soup, pumpkin sure can do some neat tricks, having dinner made in less than the time it takes to put on a Halloween costume.
Roasted Red Chili Pumpkin Soup
Made with pumpkin seeds, heavy cream, salt and pepper, vegetable oil, onion, garlic, pumpkin puree, Thai roasted red chili paste, chicken broth
Made with pumpkin seeds, heavy cream, salt and pepper, vegetable oil, onion, garlic, pumpkin puree, Thai roasted red chili paste, chicken broth
Serves/Makes: 2
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1/2 medium onion
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 can organic pumpkin puree, no salt added
- 2 tablespoons Thai roasted red chili paste (available in most supermarkets in the Asian food section)
- 2 cups chicken broth
- salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds
Heat vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Mince onion and garlic. Add onion to pan and saute for 3 minutes until softened.
Add garlic to onion and saute for an additional 2 minutes. Stir in pumpkin puree and red chili paste until well combined.
Add chicken broth along with a bit of salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer. Let simmer for 10 minutes until slightly reduced and thickened.
Working in two batches, puree soup and return to the pot. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in heavy cream.
While soup is simmering, toast pumpkin seeds in a saute pan over medium high heat, tossing frequently for about 5 minutes. Top each bowl of soup with a couple of tablespoons of pumpkin seeds for garnish.
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©2026 CDKitchen, Inc. No reproduction or distribution of any portion of this article is allowed without express permission from CDKitchen, Inc.
To share this article with others, you may link to this page:
https://www.cdkitchen.com/cooking-experts/amy-powell/1101-cooking-with-pumpkin/