Pumpkin and Pork Stew

As the air turns crisp and leaves begin to fall, our kitchens call for warm, comforting dishes. This Pumpkin and Pork Stew, known as "Zharkoe" in Eastern Europe, is the epitome of autumn comfort food. It's a delightful twist on a traditional hearty stew, swapping out the usual potatoes for sweet, tender pumpkin. This simple change creates a dish that is not only visually stunning with its vibrant orange hue but also boasts a unique, savory-sweet flavor profile. It’s a wonderful way to celebrate the season's bounty and enjoy pumpkin in a whole new savory light.

Pumpkin and Pork Stew

Cooking: 1 hour

Quantity: 4

Per serving

Calories: 381 kcal

Proteins: 28.5 g

Fats: 24.2 g

Carbohydrates: 11.2 g

Ingredients for Pumpkin and Pork Stew

• 0.5 kg (about 1.1 lbs) pork
• 1 small pumpkin or half a medium one (butternut squash works well)
• 1 medium carrot
• 1 small onion
• 1 scant tbsp salt
• ¼ tsp black ground pepper
• sunflower oil, for frying
• fresh parsley and dill
• 2-3 cups of water

How to Make Pumpkin and Pork Stew

Heat the sunflower oil in a frying pan, finely chop the onion, and start sautéing it over medium heat, stirring occasionally.

When the onion becomes translucent, add the coarsely grated carrot. Sauté together, stirring, for 3-4 minutes.

Next, add the meat, cut into pieces of about 2×2 cm (approx. 0.8×0.8 inches), to the pan.

Sauté the onion

Sauté the carrots

Brown the meat with onions and carrots

Season with salt (for now, use half the amount – half a tablespoon), pepper, stir, and continue to fry the onion and carrot with the meat until it changes color.

Add water

Then, pour enough water into the pan to completely cover the meat (about 2-3 cups), cover with a lid, and let it simmer over low heat for 30-35 minutes.

Simmer the meat with vegetables

Meanwhile, prepare the pumpkin. Scoop out the middle with a spoon – don’t throw it away, you can save, dry, and eat the pumpkin seeds – they are delicious and healthy.

Peel the skin and cut the flesh into large cubes. Pumpkin cooks faster than potatoes, so you need to cut it into larger pieces than you would for a potato stew.

Add the pumpkin

After the meat has simmered for about half an hour or a little more, transfer the contents of the pan to a pot, add the pumpkin, add the remaining salt, and stir. You can continue cooking on the stove or in the oven – in that case, transfer the meat and pumpkin to a baking dish and cover with foil.

Stir the meat and pumpkin

Simmer the stew in the pot with the lid on for 25 minutes over low heat, so it doesn’t boil too vigorously and the pumpkin doesn’t fall apart. There’s no need to stir – this will help the pumpkin cubes stay whole, beautiful, and neat. If you’re cooking in the oven, bake at 180°C (350°F) for about 45 minutes.

Simmer the meat with pumpkin

2-3 minutes before it’s done, add chopped parsley and dill to the pumpkin stew. The green herbs look very colorful against the bright orange pumpkin!

The pumpkin and pork stew is ready. Enjoy your meal!

Let the stew simmer with the herbs for a couple of minutes, and then you can turn off the heat.

Your aromatic, appetizing pumpkin stew is ready!