I’m no good at carving pumpkins, but I’m quite skilled at making delicious things out of them, like mini crustless pumpkin pie and beer-brined pumpkin seeds. Still, I usually end up at least one Jack-o’-lantern, because that’s what people do this time of year (and because I need those tangy, salty pumpkin seeds). I used to rinse away the slimy guts to get to the precious seeds, but no more—this year I’m saving the innards and turning them into a comforting, savory broth.
I first encountered this idea over at Food52, and I think it’s brilliant. Pumpkins are, after all, a squash, and squashes are known for their vegetal, slightly bitter, earthy flavor—a flavor that goes beautifully with tender noodles, starchy rice, roasted alliums, and salty meats. Pumpkin guts are packed with such a flavor, and you can extract it in about half an hour. Food52 recommends sautéing the pulp with other vegetable scraps, before covering with water and simmering for 30-60 minutes.
My vegetable scrap bag is currently empty (I just made a batch of stock), so I sliced up a couple small shallots, smashed a few garlic cloves, and grabbed a sprig of fresh sage. All of that was seasoned with salt and sautéed in a little olive oil, until the mixture was fragrant, and the shallots and garlic were starting to brown. I added the pumpkin guts, stirred them around to get some color on them, then covered everything with a few inches of water and let it simmer for half an hour.
I gave it a taste. As expected, it was vegetal and earthy, but slightly too bitter for my liking, so I added a few pinches of sugar, and a capful of apple cider vinegar, to balance it out with some sweet and tangy flavors. It was perfect.
Pumpkin broth is thicker and cozier than other vegetable broths, which makes it especially well-suited to creamy risotto and hearty vegetable soups, but you can use it just like you would any other broth, or add a little heavy cream to make a luxurious, bisque-like soup. Once you’ve made pumpkin broth, try it with a few other squashes. Acorn squash broth sounds particularly autumnal.
Savory Pumpkin Broth (makes about a pint)
Ingredients:
The innards of 1 medium pumpkin
2 small shallots, sliced into rings (You can leave the skin on)
4 cloves of garlic, smashed
3-4 sage leaves
A drizzle of olive oil
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
White pepper to taste
Remove the guts from your Jack-o’-lantern and set them aside in a bowl. Add the shallots, garlic, and sage to a medium stock pot or Dutch oven, along with a drizzle of olive oil and half the salt. Sauté over medium heat until the alliums are completely soft, and starting to brown.
Add the pumpkin, along with the rest of the salt, and stir it around for a few minutes to evaporate excess moisture and get a little color on it. Add the sugar, vinegar, a pinch of two of white pepper, and enough water to cover by a few inches. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for half an hour. Taste, and adjust seasonings as needed.