October is here.
And even though Arizona may still be deciding whether it wants to participate in fall, I’m officially done waiting. 😂
We’ve eased our way into the season over the last few weeks with apples, sage, butternut squash, roasted vegetables, and some heartier dinners.
This week, we're bringing another fall ingredient into the mix:
Pumpkin. 🎃
But before you start thinking pumpkin spice salmon...
Absolutely not.
We're taking pumpkin completely savory.
This Garlic Herb Salmon with Creamy Pumpkin Cauliflower Risotto combines crispy-edged salmon with garlic, lemon, and herbs, a creamy cauliflower risotto made with pumpkin and coconut milk, and roasted broccolini for a little char and crunch.
It feels cozy enough for October without being overly heavy.
And the whole thing is naturally gluten-free and dairy-free.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
✔️ Gluten-free & dairy-free
✔️ High in protein
✔️ Paleo-friendly
✔️ AIP-friendly modifications
✔️ Ready in about 40 minutes
✔️ Great for meal prep
✔️ Sneaks in plenty of vegetables
✔️ Uses pumpkin without tasting like dessert
🐟 Garlic Herb Salmon
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Serves: 4
Ingredients
4 salmon fillets, about 5–6 oz each
1½ tablespoons olive or avocado oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon dried rosemary
½ teaspoon onion powder
¾ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper, optional
Juice of ½ lemon
Fresh parsley for finishing
🎃 Creamy Pumpkin Cauliflower Risotto
Ingredients
24 oz cauliflower rice
¾ cup pure pumpkin puree
¾ cup full-fat coconut milk
½ cup chicken or vegetable broth
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ small yellow onion, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon rubbed sage
½ teaspoon onion powder
¾ teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast, optional
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
Important: Make sure you're buying 100% pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling.
We're making dinner here, not pie. 😂
🥦 Crispy Roasted Broccolini
Ingredients
2 bunches broccolini
1½ tablespoons avocado or olive oil
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon sea salt
Juice of ½ lemon
Step 1: Get the Broccolini Going
Preheat your oven to 425°F.
Trim any tough ends from the broccolini.
Add it to a sheet pan with the oil, garlic powder, and sea salt.
Toss everything together and spread it out.
We want space between the pieces so they roast instead of steam.
Roast for about 15–18 minutes, until the stems are tender and the florets have crispy, slightly charred edges.
Finish with fresh lemon juice when it comes out of the oven.
Step 2: Season the Salmon
Pat your salmon dry.
This little step makes a difference when you're trying to get some color on the outside.
Combine the garlic, thyme, rosemary, onion powder, sea salt, and black pepper.
Rub the salmon lightly with oil and season evenly.
Then squeeze a little fresh lemon over the top.
Step 3: Cook the Salmon
You have a couple options here.
Oven Method
Place the salmon on a parchment-lined sheet pan.
Bake at 425°F for approximately 10–14 minutes, depending on thickness.
Skillet Method
Heat a little avocado oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.
Place the salmon presentation-side down and let it cook undisturbed for about 4 minutes.
Flip and cook another 3–5 minutes.
Either way, don't cook the life out of it.
Salmon continues cooking after you remove it from the heat, so pull it when it's just about where you want it.
Step 4: Start the Cauliflower Risotto
Now let's talk about the part that makes this dinner different.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
Add the diced onion and cook for about 4 minutes, until softened.
Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.
Then add the cauliflower rice.
Cook for approximately 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
We're trying to remove some of the cauliflower's moisture before adding our liquids.
Otherwise, instead of creamy risotto, you can end up with cauliflower soup.
Nobody asked for that.
Step 5: Make It Creamy
Add the pumpkin puree, coconut milk, and ¼ cup of the broth.
Stir everything together.
Add the thyme, sage, onion powder, sea salt, and nutritional yeast if using.
Reduce the heat to medium-low and gently simmer for another 5–8 minutes.
As it cooks, the cauliflower should soften and the sauce should thicken around it.
If it gets too thick, add the remaining broth a little at a time.
The goal is creamy—not watery.
Step 6: The Ingredient That Makes It Work
Once the risotto reaches the consistency you want, turn off the heat.
Then stir in:
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar.
This is important.
Pumpkin and coconut milk both have natural sweetness.
The vinegar adds just enough acidity to balance that sweetness and make the dish taste savory and bright.
Taste it.
Add another pinch of salt if needed.
You can also add a squeeze of lemon if you want even more brightness.
🍽️ Build the Plate
Start with a generous spoonful of the creamy pumpkin cauliflower risotto.
Add the garlic herb salmon.
Place the crispy broccolini alongside.
Finish everything with:
🌿 Fresh parsley
🍋 A squeeze of lemon
🫒 A tiny drizzle of good olive oil
That's it.
Simple ingredients, but it feels like a restaurant-style fall dinner.
🎃 Pumpkin Isn't Just for Sweet Stuff
This is one of my favorite things about pumpkin.
We tend to immediately pair it with cinnamon, maple, brown sugar, and pumpkin pie spice.
But pumpkin itself isn't actually very sweet.
It's earthy and mild.
Which means it works incredibly well with savory flavors like:
Garlic.
Sage.
Thyme.
Onion.
Broth.
Sea salt.
And when you combine it with cauliflower rice and just enough coconut milk, you get something creamy and comforting without needing butter, cream, or cheese.
Make It AIP-Friendly
This recipe is already almost there.
Simply:
Omit the black pepper from the salmon
Omit the nutritional yeast
Check your broth for compliant ingredients
Everything else works beautifully.
🙌 Make It Work for the Kids
Pumpkin cauliflower risotto may or may not be an immediate hit with every kid at the table.
And that's okay.
Instead of mixing everything together, serve the meal in components.
Salmon.
Broccolini.
Pumpkin cauliflower risotto.
Maybe add plain cauliflower rice or jasmine rice if that's something you already have around.
Let them decide what goes together.
Sometimes simply calling something "orange rice" instead of "pumpkin cauliflower risotto" improves your odds dramatically. 😂
Meal Prep Tips
If you're meal prepping this one, store the salmon separately from the risotto.
The pumpkin cauliflower risotto will thicken considerably in the refrigerator.
When reheating it, add a splash of chicken broth or coconut milk and stir.
It should loosen right back up.
For the salmon, reheat gently.
Better yet, eat the leftover salmon cold over greens the next day with cucumber, avocado, roasted vegetables, and lemon.
🍂 Okay, Pumpkin Has Entered the Chat
We made it to October.
I held off as long as I could.
But pumpkin has officially made its first appearance. 😂
And I actually think this is one of the best ways to bring it back.
Not a latte.
Not a muffin.
Not pumpkin pie.
A savory, creamy cauliflower risotto with garlic, sage, and herbs underneath a perfectly cooked piece of salmon.
It's fall food without being overly heavy.
It's packed with protein and vegetables.
And it's different enough to make a regular weeknight dinner feel a little special.
We'll have plenty of opportunities to go full comfort-food mode as we get deeper into fall.
For now?
This feels just right.
Happy cooking!
– Matthew
