Pumpkin is a highly nutritious vegetable you can use for so much more than pie!
Here are seven unique purposes for your pumpkin this holiday season using your Vitamix Blender! Vitamix is hands down the best blender, preferred by chefs, easiest to clean and is the best investment in my opinion. (You can read more about why I love Vitamix here)
1. Your BASE – Pumpkin Puree for All Things Pumpkin
Pumpkin puree is so simple to make in the Vitamix! You can then plug it into numerous recipes. Process roasted pumpkin flesh for 20 to 30 seconds using the 4 or 5 setting on your Vitamix – easy peasy! Pick either the sweet pumpkins or pie pumpkins for optimal results.
2. Pumpkin Pancakes, Muffins and More!
Your pumpkin puree blends right into most batters as a healthy sub for oils or butter normally called for in recipes. Give your baked goods an extra 5 minutes of baking time than typically called for. Just add in the pumpkin puree when you would normally add the oil or butter. Then stir the batter as the recipe directs.
3. Carrot Cake Transformed into Pumpkin Bread
Take your typical carrot cake recipe and sub the carrots with 16 ounces of that pumpkin puree you made and set aside (no more than 1 cup of puree). Follow the recipe otherwise and voila! You have moist, delicious pumpkin bread! Wrap it up and put a bow on it – you’ve got a great gift idea for neighbors!
4. Soup Stock
Save the seeds and fiber in the fridge to make a wonderful soup stock. You’ll need to make your stock within 1 day of refrigerating. Follow a standard recipe for making vegetable stock and use it for all kinds of warm soup recipes!
5. Creamy Pumpkin Soup
One of the GREAT things about the Vitamix is you can use it to make soup! Here is a recipe for delicious pumpkin soup using your Vitamix!
6. Pumpkin Butter is Better
Mix a pound of pumpkin puree with 1 cup brown sugar, plus a teaspoon of cinnamon and some crushed cloves to taste. Cook on your stove top over medium-low heat until it cooks down – roughly 35 to 40 minutes. Pumpkin butter can be used to season a poultry dish, flavor your morning porridge or spread on whole grain toast. Set it out on the table at meal time for any variety of ways to compliment a meal.
7. Pumpkin Cheer
You can create a warm pumpkin cider! Spike it with a bit of dark rum if you wish or drink mix a dollop of your pumpkin butter into some Lady Grey tea for a non-alcoholic treat.
8. Pumpkin Walnut Spread
This is such a yummy addition to your holiday meal! Check out this recipe HERE!
