Melt-in-your-mouth slices of pumpkin plus cumin-kissed black beans and a cheesy-tasting sauce add up to a delicious vegan pumpkin casserole.
Before I get to my delicious pumpkin casserole recipe, I’d like to begin with an unintentionally Halloweenish photo:
Look closely. I was trying to take a basic photo of our homegrown pumpkin–the accidental result of tossing last year’s seeds into the compost pile–when someone decided that she would make a better subject. So what you see here is an accidentally Halloweenish photo of an accidental pumpkin.
There’s probably a moral here somewhere, something like “the best things happen by accident,” but I prefer to think of the photo and the pumpkin as representative of the way I work: throw enough scraps into the compost, photos onto the memory card, or ingredients into the pot, and I’ll eventually come up with something worth growing, viewing, or eating.
And this little pumpkin was definitely worth growing and eating. When D and I first noticed a pale green and white, oval-shaped fruit hanging from a thick vine, we didn’t know what it was. Gradually it took on a more traditional pumpkin shape and color, and when it stopped getting any larger, I decided that it was the offspring of one of last year’s pie pumpkins. Weighing in at just over 2 pounds, it probably would have been just the right size for a pumpkin pie, but I decided to do something a little less traditional with it.
My idea was to make a layered pumpkin casserole, sort of like Mexican Lasagna, but with slices of pumpkin instead of tortillas. The resulting casserole didn’t come out looking quite so neatly layered, but I think it fits my “toss enough ingredients” theme just about perfectly. It won’t win any beauty contests, but who cares? It’s all about the flavor, and in this case, melt-in-your-mouth slices of pumpkin plus cumin-kissed black beans and a creamy, cheesy-tasting sauce equal a real winner!
(This dish is actually uglier than it appears in the photo! Consider yourself warned.)
Pumpkin and Black Bean Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups cooked black beans or one can, rinsed and drained
- 1/2 cup corn fresh or frozen
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- 1/2 bell pepper finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon ancho chili powder or other mild chili powder
- 1/8–1/2 teaspoon chipotle chile powder to taste
- 15 ounces canned tomatoes drained and liquid reserved*
- 1 pound pumpkin about 1/2 one small pumpkin or any winter squash (butternut, acorn, etc.)
Sauce
- 3/4 cup soymilk or other non-dairy milk
- 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Spanish paprika
- 1 tablespoon tahini optional
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the black beans with the next 8 ingredients and set aside.
- Cut the pumpkin in half. Set aside one half for another use and peel the other half. Cut it into very thin slices about 1/4-inch thick and 2 inches long.
- Preheat oven to 425F. Line a 2-quart casserole dish with parchment paper (or wipe it with a tiny bit of oil, if you desire.) Lay one-third of the pumpkin slices in the bottom of the dish, and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Cover with half of the bean mixture. Repeat layers with another third of the pumpkin and the remainder of the beans. Finish with the final third of the pumpkin slices.
- In a blender, combine the reserved *tomato liquid (about 1/2 cup) with the soymilk and remaining ingredients. Blend well and pour over the pumpkin. Cover tightly, and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the cover and bake for 20-30 minutes, until sauce is thick and bubbly and pumpkin is tender.
Notes
Nutritional info is approximate.
Please pin and share!
KBeane
November 6, 2011 at 9:46 pmWhat an awesome way to use pumpkin. I made this tonight and it was so good! Thank you so much for posting such a creative recipe!
Annie J
November 9, 2011 at 10:44 amThat’s how we got the pumpkins in our garden, too! (and the butternut squash!)– seeds in the compost! This freezes well and it is MOUTHWATERING!!! When I have time to cut up a pumpkin, I love this one!
Christaface
March 15, 2012 at 12:00 pmThis was delicious! The tex-mex flavour really made me want some cornbread. Which reminded me of a cornbread-topped casserole my mom makes. So next time, I just just throw some cornbread batter on top before baking, and see how it turns out (or at least make some cornbread muffins to serve with it.) 🙂
gladys
October 20, 2020 at 12:02 pmpumpkin corn bread.is so good…..
https://www.veganricha.com/vegan-pumpkin-cornbread-1-bowl/
Kerno
April 20, 2012 at 10:27 pmHi Susuan this looks amazing and I’m going to cook it tonight for my wife and I. the only issue I have is I can’t buy black beans ANYWHERE. I live in a country town in Australia and they simply don’t exist here. Any ideas on a decent substitute? I have some red kidney beans, do you think they will do?
Susan Voisin
April 20, 2012 at 10:41 pmJust use the smallest beans you can find, and it should turn out okay.
Rob Furneaux
September 6, 2019 at 9:14 pmAll types of dried beans are available as mail order from Nuts About Us in Melbourne
Con Conz
May 15, 2012 at 6:33 pmBest casserole ever. Wish pumpkin was around more!
bluegrass2
May 29, 2012 at 3:18 pmSusan, I’m making this tonight for non-vegan houseguests and I’m very nervous. The nutritional yeast with the milk and tomato juice and spices smells terrible in the blender. Have non-vegans liked this? I almost cut back on the yeast but nobody else said they did.
My lasagne type baking dish is a 3 quart. I have a two quart but it is round and deep–like a souffle dish. Would it be best to bake it in the lower dish and just cook it less time?
waldripp
October 2, 2012 at 9:14 pmI have never cooked with fresh pumpkin or with nutritional yeast so didn’t know what to expect but this was SO good! It has a real comfort-food feel to it. I will definitely be making this again! Thanks, I am really enjoying this site!
Crystal
October 24, 2012 at 11:04 amI have cooked more than a dozen of your recipes and have liked each one but this one was by far the most delicious! My meat and cheese loving daughters and husband were scraping their plates when it was gone. I did use acorn squash, doubled the recipe and cooked it in a 9×13 baking dish but aside from that I didn’t change anything else and I’m so happy I didn’t. It did need to cook longer, which I anticipated from the reviews and because I doubled it. It cooked for 1 1/2 hrs and I let it sit another 10 minutes but it was more than worth the wait. Thanks again, Susan, for another great recipe!
Kristi
October 24, 2012 at 5:22 pmYay cat!
nurseratchit
November 4, 2012 at 3:22 pmHi Susan, this looks delicious…do you recommend red or green bell pepper?
Thanks!
Christine
Susan Voisin
November 4, 2012 at 3:23 pmBoth will work fine, but I bet the red will be prettier. 🙂
nurseratchit
November 4, 2012 at 6:54 pmthanks for the quick reply, Susan…that’s what I thought too. It’s in the oven now…I couldn’t find all the spices, but I think it’s still going to be good. Also…shouldn’t total cooking time say 50-60 minutes? Thanks! Christine
Susan Voisin
November 4, 2012 at 7:34 pmGood catch on the cooking time! I’ll change it right away. I hope you enjoy the casserole!
nurseratchit
November 4, 2012 at 10:59 pmOMG, this was amazing and a hit at our potluck! I think this is one of those recipes you’d have to try pretty hard to screw up. These are some of the alterations I made. Replaced pumpkin with a Sweet Dumpling squash because there were no more pumpkins at the store. I used oat milk instead of soy. I could not find ancho chile powder or chipotle powder so they were omitted. I used Hungarian paprika instead of Spanish paprika, because that was what the store had and I figured it was close enough. And I used 3 cloves garlic instead of 2 ’cause I love garlic. It turned out amazing! The sauce is really good and turns out really creamy…it did not taste overwhelmingly of the nutritional yeast. I like nooch, but I know a lot of people don’t and I wouldn’t let that put you off this recipe unless you absolutely can’t stand it. Oh, and I also only used 1/4 tsp. salt…wondering if I could just leave it out altogether next time?? I also microwaved my squash for 5 minutes after cutting in half, which made them easier to cut and peel. Thanks for another awesome recipe! Will be making it again this week because my poor husband only got a tiny bit of leftovers since he couldn’t go to the potluck.
nurseratchit
November 5, 2012 at 12:23 amand I did not use tahini either
lynn
January 1, 2013 at 6:23 amThanks for the great info and love your comment about the food actually being uglier than the photo – made me laugh!
Blessings,
Lynn
Lani
May 12, 2013 at 4:41 amThis is so super delicious!! I admit, I made a non-vegan version with cream instead of soy milk and no yeast as I am allergic, but it was soooooo good and still super healthy! I have bookmarked and will definitely be making again and again!
crabbylove
July 19, 2013 at 4:17 pmWell, it’s not pretty, but it gets the job done 🙂 I always make this with butternut squash instead of pumpkin. I dice it and mix it with the other ingredients instead of layering, then top it all with the sauce and bake. I do use the optional tahini, and I increase the amounts of the spices in the sauce. Sometimes I replace the seasoning on the veggies with one of the wonderful chili seasonings from Penzey’s. My husband actually make some sort of burrito thing with this casserole, whole grain tortillas, and lettuce.Whatever will get him eating more meat-free meals is fine with me! Thank you Susan for all the wonderful recipes
Karmalily
October 20, 2013 at 2:46 pmThis is so good! I just made it for the first time after having this recipe bookmarked for years, and I’m sad I didn’t make it sooner. It’s super easy and yummy!
KBeane
October 21, 2013 at 12:06 pmI made this a couple of years ago, but tried it out again last night and had forgotten how fantastic it is, so I felt it deserved another comment. I highly recommend this recipe (as well as topping with some avocado 🙂 )
Anne
November 27, 2013 at 2:16 amHi,
I would like to make your recipe today. I have all the ingredients in the house except for chipotle and ancho chilli powder. Can I do something alternatively with what I have:
– jalapenos
– hot chilli powder
– cayenne pepper
– (sweet authentic) chilli sauce
– hot bean sauce
– chilli bean sauce
– red chilli flakes
Thank you,
Anne
Susan Voisin
November 27, 2013 at 8:18 amYou could probably replace them both with the hot chili powder, but it may turn out spicier than I intended.
Liane Blanco
January 3, 2014 at 9:36 amI made this some time ago and it was incredibly delicious! This time I’m going to experiment a little. I’ll leave out the pumpkin, and roll the black bean mixture into corn tortillas before pouring the sauce over and baking it. Black bean enchiladas! If they turn out well I”ll make them for a gathering I’m going to this month.
Thank you for the inspiration!
Fern
January 28, 2014 at 6:28 pmI used kabocha, and didn’t have any corn so threw in some .. canned cactus (I know, who doesn’t have a can of corn but DOES have a can of cactus?). I was a little dubious about doing so but the results were tremendous. Seriously, such a simple (and odd) combination. My husband was floored 🙂
Rebecca
February 24, 2014 at 6:28 pmI made this dish a few weeks ago, and I loved it! I especially loved the cheesy sauce, and I don’t even care for nutritional yeast that much. Thanks for this recipe! 🙂
Erinn
February 25, 2014 at 11:53 amThanks for the great recipe idea! I modified your recipe using butternut squash and some jalepeno’s. You were the inspiration and thank you for introducing me to nutritional yeast! My version of the recipe here:
http://www.pinkspantry.com/2014/02/black-bean-butternut-squash-bake.html
And yes, it really doesn’t photograph well (but tastes delicious!)
crabbylove
March 23, 2014 at 8:02 amWe really like this recipe. Thanks for posting all of your wonderful food. Some changes I’ve made: I’ve always used butternut squash instead of pumpkin, because I can’t ever find pumpkin. Instead of layering, I cube the squash and mix it with the other ingredients, then pour the sauce over all, and bake. I use arrowroot, so I cut that down to 1 tablespoon.
Liane Blanco
August 13, 2014 at 5:49 pmSusan, I finally made this as an enchilada casserole and it’s HEAVENLY! I used small corn tortillas and made 3 layers instead of 2. When I took it out of the oven I scattered green onions over the top.
I’m eating a bit now to test and will have it for dinner tonight with a salad. What’s more, it’s going to taste even better after a night in the fridge. I’ll have it for lunch tomorrow too.
My next experiment will be to layer with polenta, using two layers this time and polenta on the top.
Thanks so much for your awesome recipes! Everyone thinks I’m a fabulous cook thanks to you. 🙂
Lydia
October 12, 2014 at 8:24 pmSimply incredible. Made this tonight for my husband and myself and used buttercup squash as it was what we had on hand. He LOVED it, and of course I did as well. This may become a repeat in our home!
Margo Smith
October 24, 2014 at 3:05 pmLoved the pumpkin and black bean casserole recipe! I used an orange kuri (kabocha) squash and substituted a can of Trader Joe’s Cuban black beans. Since they already have spices added, I adjusted down on the chiles. My husband was really hungry and I knew he wanted something “substantial”, so I also layered in a can of Eden Organics Caribbean Rice and Beans. I
t made a very delicious and satisfying dinner that even if my husband, a hesitant vegan at best, really enjoyed. Thanks for all you do and best of health to you!
Susan
October 28, 2014 at 6:10 amAnother fantastic recipe Susan! I had a small pumpkin from my community garden that I used. I will definitely make this again.
Sarah Mc
November 5, 2014 at 9:11 amWow. This is such a winner. Had never cooked with a fresh pumpkin (as opposed to canned pumpkin), so searched for recipes after I bought one to cook. My mouth is watering just thinking about how good this was. Thanks.
Werner
October 22, 2015 at 2:54 pmPerfect fall casserole. Must admit, however, I threw in the towel on peeling and slicing my acorn squash. Just cubed it the best I could and threw it in. Next time will consider a pumpkin (fewer ridges-more flesh) or use pre-cubed squash! Doubled the recipe = one can black and one can pinto beans, and used fire-roasted tomatoes with green chiles. Toppped with chopped pumpkin seeds. It was so delicious and satisfying! Love that you offer up these suggestions via your facebook, good reminder for seasonal dishes.
P.S. Mine was def not ugly, actually very colorful 🙂
Maia
February 8, 2017 at 10:25 amI’ve made this dish several times and I really love it. I am planning to make it again, but I just realized that the cookware I have at the moment is only oven-safe up to 350 degrees F. I’m wondering if the casserole would still work if I oven-roasted the squash separately, sauteed the filling ingredients, boiled the sauce and then just assembled everything in my 350 degree pot until heated through. I am not concerned with eating fat free, so I don’t mind adding oils to this. I am just wondering whether this would work properly. Thank you!
Susan Voisin
February 8, 2017 at 10:34 amMy only concern is that once the squash is cooked, it may be too fragile to handle and break apart awn you try to layer it. I think I would just cook it on 350 and count on it taking longer than the recipe indicates.
Maia
February 9, 2017 at 9:31 pmThat makes sense. Thanks!
Tracey
October 10, 2018 at 6:33 amI’m dying to make this! How many actual grams of pumpkin flesh do you need?
Cindy Pearson Cole
March 3, 2019 at 8:47 amFIVE STAR! We have made this recipe countless times, it is hearty and satisfying.
We double it, and have taken to just dicing the pumpkin in small pieces, pouring the sauce over. It’s all good.
Nancy Harrison
November 30, 2019 at 2:32 pmI made this recipe with kabocha squash. Scrumptous. It didn’t last long. Will double the recipe next time. Has anyone tried making this in a crock pot?
Cynthia
April 16, 2020 at 9:02 amHello Susan, this is the first time I have commented, although I have been following your blog for some time. I had this bookmarked for some time, but finally made it yesterday. It was lovely, but the main reason I decided to comment , is because I used sweet potatoes (the orange ones, not yams) instead of pumpkin. It makes the peeling, cutting and layering a lot easier and it was very good. We had left-overs in quesadillas for lunch today. Very good too. I did add some cheese to the quesadillas. In case anyone wants to try the same, I used two large sweet potatoes. I also ran out of potato starch, so had one table spoon of that and two table spoons of white flour. Seems to work. Thanks for all your wonderful recipes.