Stir-fried Pumpkin Shoots
Stir-fried Pumpkin Shoots is a simple, savory dish featuring the tender young leaves and vines of the pumpkin plant, quickly cooked with garlic and often a touch of chili. It is a popular home-style vegetable dish in many parts of China, particularly in southern and rural regions where pumpkin vines are a seasonal summer crop.
🍽️ Nutrition at a glance
This dish is low in calories and carbohydrates, providing a good source of dietary fiber and essential vitamins. A typical serving offers a moderate amount of protein for a vegetable dish, with key nutrients including vitamins A, C, and K, as well as minerals like iron and calcium.
Nutrition breakdown
| Calories | 55 kcal |
| Protein | 3.5 g |
| Carbs | 7 g |
| Fat | 1.5 g |
| Fiber | 3 g |
| Sugar | 2 g |
| Sodium | 280 mg |
| Vitamin A | 4500 IU |
| Vitamin C | 35 mg |
| Vitamin K | 120 µg |
| Iron | 2.5 mg |
| Calcium | 80 mg |
| Potassium | 320 mg |
| Magnesium | 25 mg |
| Folate | 45 µg |
Per 1 cup (150 g) · estimated, varies by recipe
💡 What's interesting
Culturally, this dish highlights a 'root-to-shoot' eating philosophy, utilizing a part of the plant often discarded in Western cuisine. Nutritionally, the vibrant green shoots are exceptionally rich in chlorophyll and antioxidants, making them a more nutrient-dense choice than the mature pumpkin fruit itself.
