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A small white plate filled with a serving of pumpkin rice.

Pumpkin Rice

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5 from 1 review

Pumpkin Rice is a savory Jamaican-inspired rice dish made with real pumpkin and coconut milk. Serve it with almost any main dish for a fall-inspired side dish. Everyone loves this creamy and satisfying recipe that is plant-based, dairy-free, and gluten-free.

  • Total Time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: 8 servings 1x

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1 tablespoon cooking oil (I used coconut oil)
  • 1/2 onion, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 jalapeno pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 cup chopped pumpkin (cut into 1/2-inch pieces; see notes for substitutions)
  • 1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice, rinsed well in a fine-mesh colander
  • 2 cups reduced-sodium vegetable broth
  • 1 cup full-fat coconut milk
  • Chopped parsley (optional, for topping)

Instructions

  1. In a large saucepan or stockpot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and pepper, and sauté for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
  2. Add the thyme, pumpkin, rice, broth, and coconut milk and stir to combine. 
  3. Let the mixture come to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the rice has absorbed almost all of the liquid.
  4. Turn off the heat, remove the lid, and use a fork to fluff the rice.
  5. Serve hot, with optional chopped parsley on top as a garnish. 

Notes

  1. If you can’t find a real pumpkin, you can use peeled and chopped butternut squash instead. You can also use peeled and chopped Kabocha squash (sometimes called Japanese pumpkin). 
  2. Traditional Jamaican pumpkin rice is usually made with a hot pepper called a Scotch Bonnet pepper. This version uses a jalapeno pepper, but you can feel free to use a hotter pepper. Or, if you don’t like spicy food, feel free to leave out the pepper altogether.  
  3. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat before serving. 

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1/8 of recipe
  • Calories: 208
  • Sugar: 1.3 g
  • Sodium: 143.5 mg
  • Fat: 8 g
  • Saturated Fat: 5.7 g
  • Carbohydrates: 31.2 g
  • Fiber: 0.7 g
  • Protein: 3.3 g
  • Cholesterol: 0 mg