Seasonal Serving Idea: Use Pumpkins as Soup Bowls!

Why use porcelain facsimiles of pumpkins to serve seasonal soups when you can go right to the source and use real pumpkins? Carve a large one as a terrine or hollow out several mini pumpkins for individual serving bowls.

First spotted with a pumpkin soup recipe over at Sunset, we've rounded up a few more recipes here at The Kitchn where you could use the inside of the pumpkin for the meal and the outside for serving:

• Roasted Red Kuri Pumpkin & Coconut Soup
• Pumpkin Soup with Bacon
• Pumpkin Tortilla Soup
• Clean-Out-the-Pantry Pumpkin, Peanut, & Ginger Soup

(Image: Sunset)

Categories: Gatherings, Main, Autumn, Dinnerware, Serving Dishes, Soup, Vegetable

Posted by Regina Yunghans

Regina is an architect who lives with her husband and son in Lawrence, KS. As a LEED Accredited Professional and longtime contributor to Apartment Therapy and The Kitchn, her focus is on healthy, sustainable living through design.
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Comments (2)

While the links do provide directions and ideas, it would be very lovely if this article actually included information such as:
1) Do you cook them or just use them raw?
2) Do you season them?
3) How long will a squash bowl last: can you cook it the day/week/year before?
4) Is that salt on the outside? How did they make it stick?
5) Do you cut the squash open before cooking? Remove the seeds?
6) Can you scoop the pulp out for soup, then use the squash as a bowl?

Agreed with m_j_s's questions.

Was also thinking that acorn squash might be an easier way to do single servings - I found a few recipes that do this.

http://itsybitsyfoodies.com/lentil-soup-in-acorn-squash-bowls/ puts a lentil stew into separately cleaned, seasoned, and roasted acorn squash.

http://www.poorgirleatswell.com/2009/12/recipe-butternut-leek-bisque-in-acorn-squash-bowls.html this follows a similar approach.

http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/recipes/acorn-squash-soup-in-a-squash-bowl-recipe/index.html this approach is a little different, as the top halves of the squash are cut up and part of the soup. The bottom halves are not cooked but I think they would be so much better if they were.