Kale & Farro Stuffed Mini Pumpkins

Vegan Stuffed Mini Pumpkins with kale, farro, hummus, and pistachios.

These Stuffed Mini Pumpkins make a lovely single-serve holiday main. They are easy to make, can be prepared ahead of time, and then served warm or at room temperature. My Stuffed Mini Pumpkins are not only healthy, but also full of awesome flavors and textures.

This is gonna be the last holiday recipe of the year, and likely the last recipe of the year in general too.

I can’t say this recipe is a revolutionary, never-seen-before approach to pumpkins, but it’s a really good one, so I thought I’ll share with you. Because hey, who doesn’t love a good ol’ pumpkin recipe, am I right?

Listen, if I want to be honest, I have to admit that using mini pumpkins is not the most practical thing ever. Yes, they are super cute and look amazing on a plate, but they are a pain in the ass to handle. Especially if you use different types as I did here.

I found this gorgeous bundle of mini squashes a few weeks ago in a shop, so I had to use these for the recipe. However, if you wanna save time and work, go for one large pumpkin or squash instead. That’s what I do normally…

You start the recipe with baking your pumpkins. You can bake them shorter if you prefer a firmer finish, or go for a generous 1+ hour bake to get nice and charred edges with extra soft pumpkin flesh. Baking time heavily depends on the size of your pumpkins or squashes, so make sure to check on them every 10 minutes or so.

While the pumpkins are baking, prepare the filling. For the base I use farro here, but you can try quinoa, millet, or buckwheat for a gluten-free option. Use spinach, chopped cabbage, or fresh herbs instead of kale. Or try walnuts or pine nuts, if you don’t like pistachios.

Pomegranate adds a nice sweet-sour touch to the mix. But of course, you can use other fruits, if you prefer. Apple, pear, mango, or chopped dried fruits would be tasty as well.

Since nobody likes dry fillings, it’s important to add lots of sauce to our farro-kale mix. I go with hummus, balsamic vinegar, mustard, vegan Worcestershire sauce, and a little olive oil here, but cashew cheese, a spicy tomato sauce, sunflower sour creme, or muhammara are awesome choices too.

After you stuff your pumpkins you can decide whether you want to serve them warm or cold. I like these cold/room temperature as a starter, and warm as a main dish. To warm these up, simply place them in the oven at low temperature for 10-30 minutes, until fully heated through.

To finish these babies off sprinkle them with extra pomegranate seeds, vegan feta, or chopped nuts. Then drizzle with a tahini. Or serve with some tofu cheese.

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Happy holidays! I really hope you guys will all have a great time, even if you can’t celebrate with friends and family this year. It’s an especially challenging season for all of us, so I can only wish you all the very best. 2021 will be a better year, I know! Until that, stay safe and healthy! ❤️

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