Ever wondered about what to do with those pesky sticky pumpkin seeds when making a pumpkin soup? Well, here is one solution. As you peel and de-seed the pumpkin, scoop out the seeds into a colander over the sink. Remove the excess pumpkin flesh that tends to hang onto the seeds (the house) with your fingers, then rinse the seeds under water. Leave the seeds in the colander to rest, whilst you follow my recipe for ‘Roasted Punkin Soup’.
When at the stage of removing the pumpkin from the oven, do so, and in the baking tray full of spices and oils, add the pumpkin seeds and mix them around in the ‘pumpkin juice’, add a pinch of salt and extra spice if you think it is necessary, and drizzle with toasted sesame oil. Ensure the seeds are spread out nicely all over the baking tray, and then put the tray back in the oven to roast the seeds.
Pumpkin seeds are really high in minerals, they are a solid source of minerals actually, and these remain intact throughout the process of cooking. This ‘dish’ is a great addition to any meal really, to boost its nutritional content.
- pumpkin seeds removed from the heart of the pumpkin used to make a pumpkin soup (in the picture are the seeds from half a kabocha/kent/japanese pumpkin)
- 1 pinch sea salt flakes
- 1 sprinkle of extra Kashmir chili powder
- 1 drizzle of toasted sesame oil
- Remove the seeds from the heart of the pumpkin and the house they sit in, put the seeds in a colander and rinse until clean, then set aside to dry.
- When the pumpkin has finished baking in the oven as per 'Roasted Punkin Soup' recipe, remove the pumpkin, but leave the baking paper with oil and spices in the baking tray and add the seeds, turning them and mixing them around in the remnant pumpkin baking tray juice.
- Add sea salt, the extra chili powder and a drizzle of toasted sesame oil.
- Return to the oven that has been cooking at a fanned 180C.
- Set the timer for 10-15 minutes, at which time stir the seeds around and continue roasting for another 10 minutes or so, ensuring they do not get burnt.
- When ready, bring the baking tray out of the oven and let the seeds cool down a bit, before transferring to a container or serving bowl.
- These seeds are great as a topping on pumpkin soup and other thick soups, and also on dips or with salads and other rice bowl style dishes. I suggest eating these seeds withing 24 hours of making, it is better to wash, dry and store pumpkin seeds in a jar for future roasting, if you are not going to eat them soon after roasting. I recommend using organic pumpkins at all times.
Enjoy these little ones!
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