How To Cut It: Pumpkin | Everyday Health

Healthy RecipesIn the Kitchen With Everyday HealthShare this articleShare on FacebookShare on XShare on PinterestCopy LinkHow to Cut Pumpkin: A Step-by-Step GuideThere’s nothing like using fresh pumpkin in your favorite healthy recipes, but cutting this gourd isn’t the same as carving a jack-o'-lantern. Use these tips to do it the right way.

How To Cut It: Pumpkin

Maybe you carve a pumpkin each year for Halloween. Did you know you can cook with whole pumpkin, too? To get started, Everyday Health staff nutritionist Kelly Kennedy, RD, shares how to cut a sugar pumpkin in this video.

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ByKelly Kennedy, RDN, LDNFact-CheckedPublished on June 6, 2022

Lattes may be pumpkin’s claim to fame, but they are far from the only (or best) use of this beloved fall flavor. While all pumpkins are edible, you may enjoy the flavor of some varieties more than others. Sugar pie pumpkins, for instance, tend to be smaller, less stringy, and sweeter. Fresh pumpkin can be used in a variety of dishes, from dinner to dessert. Like other squashes, it’s low in calories and full of fiber and potassium. Pumpkin also contains vitamin C, and is a particularly rich source of vitamin A, per the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Once you know the correct way to cut pumpkin, you’ll be able to add it to your plate anytime.

Here are the steps fir the best way to cut pumpkin:

How to Cut It: Pumpkin

1. Set a washed and thoroughly dried pumpkin upright on the cutting surface. Using a sharp chef’s knife, cut the pumpkin in half just to the side of the stem.
2. Using an ice cream scoop or spoon, scoop the seeds out of each half and reserve if desired.
3. Place the flesh side down on your cutting surface and cut each half in half again.
4. Cut off the end just enough to remove the stem and the tough skin on the opposite end (called the blossom end).
5. Peel the remaining rind from each piece using a vegetable peeler.
6. Slice each piece into strips, about ½-inch thick.
7. Cube the strips.

Curried Pumpkin Soup

Nothing combines the flavors and feelings of autumn quite like pumpkin soup. Here, the rich flavor of curry brings this soup to life while lending the anti-inflammatory benefits of the spices it contains (namely turmeric, as Johns Hopkins Medicine notes). A touch of black pepper is added to increase your body’s ability to absorb the curcumin from the turmeric, as described in the results of a past study. Low-sodium broth makes this recipe healthier for your ticker.

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large sweet onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 medium apples, peeled, cored, and diced
• 1 medium sugar pumpkin (about 4 to 5 lb), roasted
• 4 cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth (plus more as needed)
• 1 tbsp ground curry powder (plus more to taste)
• ½ tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1½ tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
• ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• ½ cup whole milk (optional)

Directions

1. Place a large stockpot over medium heat. Add olive oil and onion and sauté until the onions begin to soften, about 5 minutes.
2. Add garlic and apple to the stockpot. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 5 to 10 more minutes.
3. Add pumpkin and broth and bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover and continue to simmer for 15 minutes.
4. Remove from heat. Blend using an immersion blender or cool slightly and use a countertop blender.
5. Return to the stove and season with curry powder, nutmeg, cumin, salt, and pepper. Stir in the milk, if using, and serve.

Yield: About 10 cups

Nutrition per serving (1 ⅔ cup): 165 calories, 5g total fat (0.8g saturated fat), 3g protein, 31g carbohydrates, 4g fiber, 17g sugar (1g added sugar), 369mg sodium

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Kelly Kennedy, RDN, LDN

Author

Kelly Kennedy is a licensed dietitian-nutritionist with over 14 years of experience in digital media. She previously managed and oversaw nutrition content, recipe development, meal planning, and diet and nutrition coaching at Everyday Health. She developed and reviewed various meal plans, books, slideshows, and online tools, and oversaw the creation of more than 500 unique recipes. She received her bachelor's degree from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and a master's degree from the State University of New York College at Oneonta.

Kennedy enjoys anything that takes her outside, from gardening and playing in the yard with her kids to hiking and even feeding her pet chickens.

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