Pumpkin season started. The shops are full of different kinds of pumpkins. Therefore, you will be seeing a lot of pumpkin recipes in the next month. Pumpkins are fruits with a slightly sweet aroma, but you can easily use them in any recipe you like. I bought again the Hokkaido pumpkin. And as a start, I made an amazing creamy pumpkin salad dressing. This is an easy recipe that will make your salad rich and delicious. I also played a little with the colours. The salad looked really summerish.
Ingredients for the creamy pumpkin salad dressing:
- ¼ of the Hokkaido pumpkin
- 3 garlic cloves (roasted)
- 2-3 Tbsp of sesame oil
- salt
- (water if you like it runnier)
Ingredients for the salad:
- ½ Pink Chinese cabbage
- 1 yellow bell pepper
- 3 Tbsp of corn
- 1 avocado
- cilantro
- 4 slices of bacon (optional)
- sesame oil
- salt
First of all place 3 garlic cloves on a piece of aluminium foil, add some drops of olive oil and put it in the oven at 200ºC. Simply leave them with the skin on and roast them for ca 20 minutes or until soft. As a result, they will easily slide out of the skin.
Furthermore, take the pumpkin and cut it in quarters. You will get quite a big cup of dressing with ¼ of the pumpkin. Fold the rest of the pumpkin in a transparent food foil and keep it in the fridge. I would suggest not keeping it too long; maximum for a couple of days. Use a spoon to scrape out all the seeds and the fibers. Also wash the piece of pumpkin well under running hot water. Some people like to peel it, but I rather leave the skin on. Cut the pumpkin in 3-4 cm big pieces. Place the pieces in a pan and add some warm water, just enough to cover the bottom of the pan. Cover and cook for ca 5-8 minutes or until tender.
Finally, place the roasted garlic cloves (without skin), cooked pumpkin, sesame oil and some salt in a container and blend it with an immersion blender. I also added the cooking water of the pumpkin. Once you get the consistency you like, transfer it to a nice bowl or cup. Another tip; you can use this pumpkin salad dressing also as a dip.
Using a paper towel, wipe off the pan and use it for the bacon. Turn the heat on and let the bacon get nice and crispy.
Take the Chinese cabbage and cut it crosswise in half. Place the half you won’t use in the fridge. Cut the cleaned cabbage (crosswise) into 1-2 cm strips. Wash, slice and cube the bell pepper, chop the cilantro and add everything, together with the Chinese cabbage, into a salad bowl. In conclusion, cut the avocado, add the sweet corn, drizzle some sesame oil, sprinkle with some salt and mix it well.
Serve this colourful salad topped with the creamy pumpkin salad dressing and a slice of crispy bacon. You can also add some nice pumpkin seed bread on the table.
Enjoy!
