Clementine Day's Roast Pumpkin With Salsa Verde and Greek Yoghurt

Welcome to Put on a Spread, a recipe series that takes you inside the kitchens – and dining rooms – of some of our favourite home cooks. For this instalment, Melbourne-based cookbook author Clementine Day shares her recipe for roast pumpkin with salsa verde, crispy rice puffs, and greek yoghurt.

Pumpkin's sweet, earthy flavour makes it an incredibly versatile ingredient that works well in both savoury and sweet dishes. Used as a pie filling, served in a salad, or blended into soup, there are countless ways to incorporate this hefty vegetable into a meal. And not only does it taste delicious but its colour brings a wonderful vibrant hue to the table. 

Roasting pumpkin elevates its natural sweetness and creates crisp ends that are delightfully moreish. Clementine Day's recipe celebrates the humble vegetable by doing just this. It's served alongside a punchy salsa verde, crispy rice puffs, and thick, creamy yoghurt. It's a mouthwatering umami combo that is powerful enough as a standalone meal or as an impressive vegetarian side dish.

Ingredients

• 1 kent pumpkin, cut into wedges (skin on)
• 3-4 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp soy sauce or tamari
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 2 tsp ground coriander seed

For the salsa verde:

• A small handful of parsley
• A small handful of mint
• A small handful of coriander
• 1-2 tsp of dried chilli flakes, to taste
• 1 lemon, zest and juice
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/3 cup olive oil 

For the crispy rice puffs:

• 2 cups of puffed rice
• 1 tbsp linseed
• 1 tbsp buckwheat
• 1 tbsp chia seeds
• Pinch of salt
• 60ml coconut oil
• 2 tbsp honey
• 2 tbsp red curry paste

To serve:

• 1 cup of Greek yoghurt

Method

Preheat oven to 200 C. Line a large baking tray with baking paper.

Start by preparing your pumpkin. Into a large bowl, add your olive oil, soy sauce, paprika and coriander and combine.

Add your wedges of pumpkin and toss well, coating the pumpkin wedges all over. 

Add your pumpkin to your baking tray and place in the centre position in the oven for 45-60 minutes or until the pumpkin is tender inside and nicely caramelised on the outside. 

While that is cooking, prepare your puffed rice.

Prepare a second baking tray with baking paper.

Combine dry ingredients in a bowl. In a small saucepan, add coconut oil, honey, and curry paste and whisk over medium low heat until bubbling and thickened.

Pour over dry ingredients and combine well.

Lay out onto prepared baking sheet and pop in the oven for about 8 minutes. Watch these like a hawk, they can easily burn.

Remove from the oven and leave to cool on the tray before breaking up and setting aside.

Meanwhile, for your salsa verde, chop your herbs and add to a small bowl.

Add all other ingredients and combine well.

You may like to add a bit of extra vinegar or olive oil, you want it to be nice and wet, easy to drizzle over. 

To serve, smear your yoghurt onto your serving plate, top with your pumpkin and drizzle your salsa verde all over the top.

Crumble your crispy rice puffs on top and enjoy. 

Shop Clementine's look with our Turmeric tablecloth, Terracotta & Rust scalloped placemats, and Terracotta & Rust scalloped napkins in our Build Your Own Table Bundle.

For more from Clementine, follow her at @somethingsiliketocook

Hungry for more? Explore more recipes from our favourite home cooks here.