Tired of soup? Try these crispy pumpkin fritters with herby quark: the family’s new favourite dish

The cold creeps in, the school run narrows your evening, and there’s that hulking wedge of pumpkin daring you to make soup again. It’s good soup. You’ve made it three times this month. But the family wants crunch, not comfort by the spoonful. Enter a new weeknight hero: crispy pumpkin fritters with a bowl of herby quark so fresh it almost sings.

I remember the first time I made them: a Tuesday that felt long before lunch. The rain stitched the windows, the kids announced they were “not hungry-hungry, just snack-hungry,” and the dog circled like a referee. I grated the pumpkin without thinking, salted it, squeezed out an improbable amount of juice, then folded it into a bowl with egg and flour. A pan went hot. Oil shimmered. The first fritter hissed like a polite firework. The smell hits like autumn and Friday night at once. Then came the quark—lemony, herby, ultra-light—waiting chilled like a cool-headed friend. I flipped one fritter, then another, and everyone drew closer to the hob as if pulled by a string. Listen for the crunch.

Why crispy pumpkin fritters beat yet another soup

Crunch changes everything. Soup whispers; fritters crackle. The moment a crisp-edged disc hits the plate, conversation loosens, hands reach, and dinner becomes a game of “the next one’s mine.” It’s texture as a tactic, and it works.

There’s a family story here too. My nan swore by potato latkes on cold nights, and I borrowed that spirit for pumpkin. A friend who “doesn’t do pumpkin” ate three before admitting what they were. **These fritters disappear faster than you can stack them.**

There’s also a simple logic to it. Pumpkin runs sweet and soft, so it needs contrast: salt, spice, heat. Grated fine, it cooks in minutes; pressed dry, it holds its shape. The fritter redistributes flavour across a caramelised surface, and the quark’s lemon-dill lift keeps the palate awake.

The little method that delivers big crunch

Start with roughly 600 g raw pumpkin, peeled and seeded. Grate it on the large holes, then toss with 1 tsp fine salt and leave for 10 minutes. Grab fistfuls and squeeze over the sink until the liquid slows—this is the moment that makes or breaks the crunch.

Stir the squeezed pumpkin with 1 small grated onion, 1 beaten egg, 60 g plain flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp smoked paprika, black pepper, and a pinch more salt. Heat a heavy pan with 0.5 cm neutral oil until a breadcrumb fizzes on contact. Spoon in heaped tablespoons, flatten gently, and fry 3–4 minutes per side until bronze and crisp.

For the herby quark, fold together 250 g quark, zest of 1 lemon, 1–2 tsp juice, 2 tbsp chopped dill, 2 tbsp chopped chives, 1 small grated garlic clove, a glug of olive oil, salt and pepper. Chill it while you fry, so every dunk cools the heat and brightens the spice. Serve immediately, with wedges of lemon on the side.

Tips, swaps and the quiet art of not stressing dinner

Don’t rush the squeeze. If you skip it, the batter steams and sulks in the pan. After draining, the mix should feel light but clumpy, not wet. If it looks loose, dust in another spoon of flour and give it a gentle stir—no overmixing, just persuasion.

Keep the oil hot but not smoking. If fritters brown too fast, drop the heat a notch; if they absorb oil and go floppy, bring it up. We’ve all had that moment when the fridge offers nothing but good intentions and a half pumpkin giving you the side-eye. **Let’s be honest: nobody does that every day.** A small test fritter is your safety net.

There’s comfort in a little ritual, and this one repays you in crackle. Once you nail the squeeze and the sizzle, the rest is easy joy.

“I thought I was cooking to save a pumpkin,” a reader messaged me, “but it turned into the kind of dinner where everyone lingers. That crunch did the talking.”

• Grate, salt, and squeeze: non‑negotiable.
• Shallow oil, steady heat, small batches.
• Herby quark chilled; lemon nearby.
• Serve hot, stack on a rack, not a plate.

Make it yours, and maybe make it a habit

What begins as a rescue mission for leftover squash becomes a pattern: grate, sizzle, dunk, repeat. Fold crumbled feta into the batter for salt and oomph, or swap dill for parsley if that’s what’s in the pot by the back door. If you’re plant-based, use 3 tbsp chickpea flour and a splash of aquafaba instead of egg, and it works beautifully.

Gluten-free? A light rice flour blend crisps fiercely. No quark in the shop? Greek yoghurt or skyr, loosened with lemon, plays the same part. Add a pinch of cumin if you like it warm and a little smoky. Air-fryer people can do 200°C, a mist of oil, and flip at halfway—different, but still very good.

Serve with quick things: pickled red onions, rocket, a beet and apple slaw. Or just pile them up and call it dinner, plates warm from the oven, doors closed against the weather. There’s nothing showy about it; it’s honest food that crunches first and asks questions later.

Maybe you’ll eat them standing at the hob. Maybe you’ll bring a hot stack to the table and watch everyone—politely, then not—reach. You could tuck leftovers into a lunchbox with that herby quark and a shard of pickle, or crown them with a soft egg for brunch and pretend the day is already sorted. What happens next is up to you, and up to the mood in the room. The trick is simple: start with crunch, and the rest tends to follow.

FAQ :

• Can I use butternut squash instead of pumpkin?Yes. Butternut grates easily and cooks fast, giving you the same crisp edges and tender centres. You might need a touch more squeeze, as it can be a shade juicier.
• What exactly is quark, and what’s the best substitute?Quark is a fresh, soft cheese—clean, light, not tangy like sour cream. Greek yoghurt or skyr with lemon juice and a drizzle of olive oil is the closest stand-in.
• Can I bake or air-fry the fritters?Air-frying at 200°C with a light oil mist works well; flip halfway for colour. Oven-baking is possible on a hot, oiled tray, though it tends to be less shatter‑crisp.
• How do I keep them crispy for serving?Drain on a rack, not paper, and hold in a low oven (100°C) while you fry the rest. Avoid covering them; trapped steam steals crunch fast.
• Can I prep ahead or freeze?Yes. Mix the dry ingredients and herbs in advance, grate and squeeze pumpkin up to 4 hours ahead, and chill separately. Cooked fritters freeze well; re‑crisp from frozen in a hot oven.