Simple and Healthy Pumpkin Recipes for Fall

By Shanna Lea, on October 19th, 2011

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Small sugar pumpkins are easy to roast, steam, mash or stew into delicious recipes that you can enjoy throughout the fall season. Pumpkins will keep for several months, so stock them back in your cellar and enjoy eating them healthy recipes.

Pumpkins are rich in protein, fiber, vitamins A and C, potassium and beta-carotene. Most pumpkins sold for Halloween Jack-o-lanterns are too stringy for eating, so look for the smaller Sugar Pumpkins for cooking. Here are several simple and healthy pumpkin recipes to add flavor and variety to your dinner table this season.

Roasted Pumpkin

1 Sugar Pumpkin

2 tablespoons olive oil

¾ sea salt

½ teaspoons black pepper (omit if using pumpkin in a sweet dish)

Cut the pumpkin in half and scrape out the seeds. (Save the seeds for Spiced Pumpkin Seeds recipe, below). Drizzle the olive oil over the pumpkin and season with sea salt and black pepper.

Place the pumpkin cut side down on a baking sheet, and roast until very soft, 35-45 minutes in a 400°F oven.

Pumpkin Wedges with Sage

Roasted pumpkin that is tender but not completely soft

Fresh sage leaves

1 tablespoon olive oil

Sea salt and black pepper

Remove the roasted pumpkin from the oven before it gets soft, but is still tender, about 30 minutes into the roasting time.

Turn oven to broil.

Cut the pumpkin into 2 inch wedges and poke fresh sage leaves in the flesh. Drizzle the olive oil over the wedges and sprinkle with sea salt and black pepper.

Broil the pumpkin wedges about 6 minutes, until they sizzle and the sage is crisped. Drizzle with additional olive oil when serving.

Indian Spiced Pumpkin

½ a roasted pumpkin

1 tablespoon olive oil

¼ teaspoon fennel seeds

¼ teaspoon cumin seeds

¼ teaspoon hot red pepper flakes

2 tablespoons maple syrup

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Scrape out the flesh from ½ a roasted pumpkin

In a skillet, warm the olive oil, fennel seeds, cumin seeds, and hot red pepper flakes on medium heat, cooking until fragrant. Add the pumpkin and the maple syrup. Cook for 1 minute, mashing and stirring to combine all the flavors. Add the butter and serve.

Pumpkin with White Beans

8 oz (1 1/3 cups) dry white beans

4 teaspoons olive oil

1 large minced onion

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 sliced Serrano chile

¼ teaspoon sea salt

¼ teaspoon hot or sweet paprika

1 tablespoon tomato paste

3 cups chicken stock or water

15 sprigs cilantro

½ sugar pumpkin, peeled, seeded and cut into 1 inch chunks

Place the dry beans in a saucepan with water that covers the beans by 2 inches. Bring to a boil, remove from heat and set aside to let stand for 1 hour. Drain the water off the beans and rinse.

In a stockpot, warm the olive oil, onion, garlic, Serrano chile, and sea salt. Sauté for 5 minutes, until onion is translucent.

Stir in the paprika and tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.

Add the beans, chicken stock and cilantro. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook 35 minutes, partially covered.

Add the pumpkin chunks to the beans and add more chicken stock if needed to cover and cook for 25 minutes. Remove the cilantro and serve.

Spiced Pumpkin Seeds

Pumpkin seeds from 1 pumpkin

1 tablespoon olive oil

Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Pinch each: cinnamon, cumin and cayenne powder

1 tablespoon honey

Remove the seeds from the pumpkin and discard the membranes.

Spread the seeds on a baking sheet and bake 20 minutes at 350°F.