Vegan pumpkin recipes: ring in autumn with the power vegetableWhen

the days get shorter, the sun's rays get less and the weather slowly gets less pleasant, it's pumpkin time! Pumpkins are already in season at the end of late summer in August, in September you can find the orange fruit almost everywhere and by October at the latest, pumpkins are in high season. Pumpkins are real all-rounders, as they can be used for both sweet and savoury dishes and are packed with vitamins, minerals and trace elements. We at Keimling show you how you can easily integrate the nutrient bomb that is pumpkin into your autumn diet.

Colourful variety: what types of pumpkin are there?

In Germany, in addition to ornamental and edible pumpkins, a distinction is made between summer pumpkins and winter pumpkins

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Summer pumpkins - including courgettes and spaghetti squash - are edible when unripe and, unlike winter pumpkins, can only be kept for a few days. They should be eaten shortly after purchase or harvest. Winter pumpkins - including classics such as Hokkaido and butternut squash - are in season in autumn and can be eaten until the end of winter if stored carefully. All winter pumpkins can be used in our vegan pumpkin recipes.

The most popular pumpkin varieties include butternut squash and the rather small spaghetti squash, which is characterised by its special, stringy flesh. However, the bright orange Hokkaido pumpkin, which is particularly versatile, is at the forefront:

- cooked into pumpkin puree or pumpkin soup

- in sweet pumpkin brownies or a raw food pumpkin pie

- Sautéed in a pan or cooked in the oven

Curious? Then why not try our pumpkin and apple tarte flambée?

Pumpkin tarte flambée

The fruity and hearty autumn version with pumpkin and apple

Ingredients for the dough:

190-210 g rolled oats (ground)
100 ml warm water
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp salt

Ingredients for the almond cream:

100 g almonds (soaked)
175 ml water
1/2 lemon (juice)
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper

Ingredients for the topping:

80 g Hokkaido
1 apple (small)
1 handful of rocket
Black sesame seeds
chia seeds

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 170 degrees fan.
2. For the dough, knead all the ingredients together and leave to rest briefly. If necessary, add more water or ground oats.
3. Cut the pumpkin and apple into thin slices. For a particularly fine and even result, it is best to use a slicer.
4. Roll out the dough thinly, cover with almond cream, pumpkin and apple and bake for about 18-20 minutes.
5. Serve with rocket, chia seeds and black sesame seeds after baking

Autumn vegetables with power: what makes pumpkin so healthy

Pumpkin is a true miracle of vital substances. In addition to the delicately fruity, nutty and subtly sweet taste, the low-calorie pumpkin flesh (only 26 kcal per 100 grams!) provides plenty of vitamins, minerals and fibre, for example:

- Beta-carotene: is converted into vitamin A by the body and is important for the eyes, skin and mucous membranes

- Potassium: important for the excitability of cells, among other things

- Iron: for the transport of oxygen in the blood

- Calcium: an essential component of teeth and bones

- Magnesium: important for nerves, muscles, heart and fat and carbohydrate metabolism

- Fibre: regulates digestion and can regulate cholesterol levels

Caution: Pumpkins with a distinctly bitter flavour and ornamental pumpkins contain bitter substances known as cucurbitacins. After consumption, the human body reacts with typical symptoms of poisoning such as nausea, vomiting and even palpitations. The following therefore applies to pumpkins from your own garden: if they have a distinctly bitter flavour, it is better to avoid them and dispose of them in the compost.

Enjoy without cooking: Pumpkin as a raw foodPumpkins

that are guaranteed to be free from cucurbitacins can be enjoyed raw without hesitation. Not only does it taste wonderful, but you also maximise the nutrients it contains.

Before eating raw, it is best to test the flavour with a small piece of raw pumpkin. If it tastes bitter, you should refrain from eating it to be on the safe side. However, pumpkins from the (organic) supermarket can be eaten raw without hesitation, as the producers have deliberately bred out all bitter substances.

Guaranteed no bitter substances in pumpkins? Great, then you're ready to go: Try classic vegan pumpkin recipes such as pumpkin soup and baked vegetables or fresh dishes such as raw vegetable salad with pumpkin, homemade smoothies or juices - let your creativity run wild and find your favourite recipe.

Deacidify your body: alkaline pumpkin recipes

To counteract acidosis, it is important to eat a balanced and varied diet with plenty of alkaline foods. Pumpkin, especially the Hokkaido pumpkin, not only tastes wonderfully aromatic, but is also a healthy alkaliser and can be used in many ways in alkaline cuisine.

Why not try one of our alkaline pumpkin recipes? Pumpkin soup with coconut and lemongrass.

Pumpkin and coconut soup with lemongrass

The autumn classic with a refreshing citrus note

Ingredients for 2 people:

200 ml Dr. Goerg Premium Organic Coconut Milk
2 tbsp Dr. Goerg Premium organic coconut oil
2 tbsp coconut strips
200 g organic hokkaido pumpkin
2 organic shallots
1 stalk of organic lemongrass
100 ml root power stock
1 pinch of sea salt
1 pinch of pepper
1 pinch of nutmeg
A little olive oil

Preparation time: 40 min.

1. wash, quarter and deseed the Hokkaido pumpkin for the pumpkin soup. Cut the quarters into walnut-sized pieces.

2 Peel the shallots, halve and roughly chop.

3. sauté the shallots in a medium saucepan in a little premium organic coconut oil for a few minutes until colourless, then add the pumpkin and fry briefly.

4 Season with sea salt, pepper and nutmeg.

5 Pour Premium Organic Coconut Milk and Root Power Stock into the soup base and simmer in a closed pan over a low heat for about 20 minutes.

6. after 10 minutes, add the lemongrass, crushed at the stem end, and simmer for a further 10 minutes.

7. Now remove the lemongrass from the pumpkin soup, blend finely in a high-speed blender and pour through a sieve again if desired.

8. refine the pumpkin and coconut soup with a little pumpkin seed oil and the coarse coconut strips.

FAQ: Frequently asked questionsCan

Hokkaido pumpkin be eaten with the skin on?

Of all the pumpkin varieties, the Hokkaido is probably the most uncomplicated all-rounder. The skin can be eaten without hesitation, and with almost any method of preparation. This means that no important nutrients are lost and you save time during preparation.

Why should I eat pumpkin raw?

Some vitamins are "heat-sensitive". To get the maximum amount of nutrients from the pumpkin, it is advisable to use raw pumpkin from time to time, for example as a raw vegetable salad. Caution: test the pumpkin for cucurbitacins (bitter substances) beforehand, then it can be eaten raw without hesitation.

How long does a Hokkaido pumpkin keep?

If stored carefully (preferably in a cool, dark place), the pumpkin will keep for several months. Pumpkins that have already been cut can be stored in the fridge, but should be used up after 2-3 days.