A recipe for days when the rain has no off-switch
Just look around. Restaurant menus, coffee bars, bakeries, local farmers market; there’s an explosion of pumpkin everywhere. Oh yes, the golden hour of the year has begun: autumn. The season of earthy colors, bold flavors, and of course… wearing that old, oversized, slightly out-of-style but oh-so-comfy sweater. Not that anyone notices under your jacket anyway.
There’s nothing more satisfying than eating pumpkin on days when the rain has no off-switch. The ways to use pumpkin are endless: creamy pastas, buttery pies, risottos, cookies, hearty stews, or even fresh-baked bread. I use pumpkin quite a lot during fall, especially when making one of my favorite breakfast bowls.
But today, I went for something simple. Something that tastes exactly like that cozy fall feeling: vellutata di zucca. It’s a silky soup filled with roasted pumpkin (what are the odds?), sweet carrots, a little swirl of cream, and topped with toasted pumpkin seeds for a nutty crunch.
What I used
✦ A medium-sized pumpkin
✦ One onion
✦ Three carrots
✦ A big spoon of olive oil
✦ Herbs like oregano, pepper, cumin
✦ A little pinch of salt
✦ Water
✦ Two tablespoons of creme fraiche and one teaspoon for topping
That’s more than enough for four people. And if you’re by yourself, you can portion it out and pop it in the freezer.
How I made it (but feel free to do it your way; trust your palate)
✦ For a soup, I prefer to peel the pumpkin first. Not necessary, just a personal preference. Then I chopped the pumpkin, carrots, and onion into large chunks.
I saved the seeds from my pumpkin. They are edible, tasty, and healthy, so use them. Nothing goes to waste here :-)
✦ I warmed the olive oil and first added the onion.
✦ When the onion turned translucent, I added the herbs. Don’t be shy, cooking is about listening to your own taste and letting the dish become entirely yours. Nobody tastes what you taste, so play with the amount of herbs.
✦ I added water to the vegetables, stirred gently and brought it to a boil.
In the meantime, I roasted the pumpkin seeds. First I washed them and removed any pulp. Make sure to dry the seeds as much as possible. Toss them in a bowl with olive oil and some salt, spread them on a lightly greased baking sheet, and roast in the oven. Pumpkin seeds are ready when they smell nutty and turn golden brown.
✦ I turned down the heat when the vegetables were fully cooked and blended everything with a hand mixer until silky smooth and stirred in two tablespoons of creme fraiche.
I served the soup in a big, cozy bowl and topped it with a teaspoon of creme fraiche and the roasted pumpkin seeds.
That’s all it took to create a warm bowl of comfort. How long it took? Half an hour to forty-five minutes tops.
Why pumpkin deserves a spot in your kitchen
Bringing pumpkin into your kitchen isn’t about rules or perfect recipes. It’s about discovering a little spark of joy that makes cooking, eating and life itself feel richer.
Health-wise: pumpkin is that reliable friend you can always count on. Its flesh is brimming with beta-carotene, keeping your eyes bright and your immune system strong. Digestion a little off? Fiber to the rescue. And the seeds offer protein, iron, and magnesium. Who knew a humble vegetable could be this generous?.
Taste-wise: Pumpkin is endlessly charming. It takes whatever you give it and turns it into comfort. Sweet or savory, creamy or spicy, simple or fancy, it never complains. It’s like a partner in the kitchen that always knows what you need, whether you’re craving warmth on a rainy day or a hint of sweetness with your morning coffee
Life-wise: Just look at them. They are beautiful! Leave one on your counter and suddenly your kitchen feels brighter. They remind you to slow down, to notice the little things. And did you know, you can easily grow your own. Even a small balcony can hold a climbing Butterbush, a quiet companion that rewards you with your own personal golden hour.
Your turn
We all learn cooking in our own way. From our mothers, our grandfathers, a holiday abroad or a happy accident at home. These moments shape your taste, the ingredients shape your style. But taste and style are not fixed; they move along with the rhythm of your life.
A meal is never just a meal. It’s a memory. A moment. Your moment. So don’t think of recipes as strict rules. Think of them as gentle directions, little suggestions along the way. A here-and-now moment. And it's entirely yours. Because nobody tastes what you taste. Play with food, dance in your kitchen and find your own taste.
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