These Pumpkin Power Bowls combine sweet and savory fall flavors to create a festive, nutrient-dense lunch. To enhance the depth of flavor, we use herbs like thyme and sage to infuse the dish with aromatic spices.
Pumpkin puree and cinnamon form the base of the sauce, adding sweetness and warmth. Besides enhancing the taste, pumpkin puree may help to reduce the risk of cancer, diabetes, and oxidative stress. [1] We recommend using Ceylon ground cinnamon because, unlike cassia cinnamon, it offers great health benefits, such as helping to regulate blood sugar. [2]
If you’re short on time and need a quick, easy fall lunch, you can skip using the pumpkin shell as the serving bowl and enjoy this protein-packed meal from a regular bowl or food storage container.
TIPS:
- When carving out the flesh of the pumpkin, save the seeds and make these Spiced Pumpkin Seeds for a quick and easy snack.
- Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) omissions and substitutions are listed in the recipe ingredients.
References:
- Aziz, A., Noreen, S., Khalid, W., Ejaz, A., Faiz, I., Maham, Imad, A., None Farwa, Javed, M., Sezai Ercisli, Zühal Okcu, Romina Alina Marc, Gulzar Ahmad Nayik, Ramniwas, S., & Uddin, J. (2023). Pumpkin and Pumpkin Byproducts: Phytochemical Constitutes, Food Application and Health Benefits. ACS Omega, 8(26), 23346–23357. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsomega.3c02176
- Ranasinghe P, Galappaththy P, Constantine GR, et al. Cinnamomum zeylanicum (Ceylon cinnamon) as a potential pharmaceutical agent for type-2 diabetes mellitus: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial. Trials. 2017;18(1):446. Published 2017 Sep 29. doi:10.1186/s13063-017-2192-0
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Pumpkin Power Bowls
- Recipe by: Isabella Mead
- Serves: 4
- Meal: Lunch
- Serves: 4
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 22 minutes
- Total Time: 32 minutes
Ingredients
4 sugar pumpkins
2 tbsp olive oil
1 lb ground turkey
1 sweet onion, diced
1/2 sweet potato, diced
2 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
3 tsp black pepper (AIP - sub for ground ginger)
2 tbsp garlic powder
1 can pumpkin puree
1/3 cups no-salt added chicken broth
1 tsp Ceylon ground cinnamon
5 sage leaves
1/4 cups crushed pecans, for garnish (AIP - omit)
Directions
Make the pumpkin bowls: Cut the tops off each pumpkin and scoop out pulp and seeds. Set aside.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add turkey, onion, sweet potato, thyme, black pepper, and garlic powder. Cook, stirring occasionally, until chicken is lightly browned, about 10 minutes.
While filling cooks, make the sauce: Heat a saucepan over medium heat and add pumpkin puree, chicken broth, and cinnamon. Mix well. Place sage leaves on top, cover, and cook for 7 minutes.
Remove sage and pour sauce into pan with turkey filling. Stir to combine and let simmer for 5 minutes.
Divide filling between each pumpkin bowl. Top with crushed pecans and enjoy!
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