Don't Know What To Do With Those Pumpkin Guts? Try Turning Them Into Soups

Whether they're leftovers from carving jack-o'-lanterns or from a batch of delicious pumpkin goodies you're enjoying through fall, you may well be left with a large amount of pumpkin seeds and guts this season. While it's quite easy to clean pumpkin seeds and roast them for a nutritious and crunchy snack, the stringy guts might seem a little more challenging to repurpose. However, considering how much flavor (not to mention nutrition) is packed in them, it would be a shame to throw away those pumpkin innards. All you really need to do is get rid of that slimy texture. That can easily be achieved with some simple cooking and blending.

Since it's pumpkin flavor and not the texture that we're after, pumpkin guts are best turned into soup. There, that texture is easily overcome via cooking and blending. You can then combine that meal with other pumpkin dishes to amp up the final flavor, or enjoy the soup on its own. Using the innards for making broth is even easier, as the result can be stored and makes for a versatile kitchen ingredient. Considering you can use up just about every part of the pumpkin, including the edible skin and now the guts, it's a good idea to always keep some pumpkin spice handy, which can easily be made at home.

Repurposing pumpkin guts always starts with cooking them, though precisely how you proceed depends on how much you have. If you just have a handful or also have a load of other vegetable scraps to use up, make broth. Sauté the pumpkin leftovers with any other vegetable bits, along with some aromatic onion and herbs. Cook in a pot until it all starts to smell nice and roasted. Then top it up with water and let the mixture simmer for an hour. Strain and you have a flavorful broth to use as a base for soups and sauces.

If you have a large quantity of stringy pumpkin innards, you can easily sauté them with some onions, garlic, and herbs. You can also roast these ingredients in the oven with a drizzle of olive oil. Once it's cooked and fragrant, blend the mixture until it becomes silky. Then, return it to the pot where you can adjust for flavor. Add salt, pepper, spices, and even a handful of grated parmesan or some cream for additional richness.

Pumpkin innards can sometimes have slightly bitter notes, which you may wish to balance with a little sugar and vinegar. If the flavor is still too earthy for you, use the soup as a base for a more complex dish. Just as canned soups make great pasta sauces, so do fresh soups. Therefore, pumpkin soup can also be used as part of a fall-themed pasta sauce or even a dip.