Pumpkin carrot soup is a savory vegan soup that's both hearty and comforting. Filled with warming spices like ginger, cumin, and turmeric, this pureed soup is just what you need on a cool fall day.
Pumpkin carrot soup has the perfect combination of savory, sweet, and spicy flavor. It turns out creamy, smooth, and thick without the need for any dairy ingredients.
This pumpkin carrot soup is made with all vegan ingredients. It's the perfect addition to your next fall meal that suits all dietary preferences. It's made with canned pumpkin puree (for a quick cooking time), carrots, onions, vegetable broth, and a variety of warming spices that add a little bit of heat.
Serve pumpkin carrot soup as an appetizer for your next fall meal. Its sweet, savory, and spicy flavor pairs well with main courses like pork roast or chicken thighs. You can also serve it with some crusty bread and kale apple slaw for a nice fall lunch.
Ingredients and substitutions
- Olive oil - Can be substituted with any cooking oil you have on hand.
- Onion & garlic - Adds flavor to your soup. I don't recommend omitting either ingredient.
- Carrots - Carrots can be fresh, frozen, or canned. If using canned or frozen carrots, make sure they're plain (unseasoned and unsweetened). As a reminder, canned vegetables contain about 30 to 40 percent water in the listed weight so you may want to grab an extra can to make sure you have enough carrots for the recipe.
- Pumpkin - You'll need one 15 ounce can of pumpkin puree or an equal amount of fresh cooked pumpkin. Have raw pumpkin on hand? Simply cube and add to your soup as directed, cooking until the pumpkin and carrot can be pierced through easily with a fork. Cooking time may increase.
- Broth - Vegetable broth is recommended if you'd like to keep your soup vegan. Use chicken broth if desired for a non-vegan soup.
- Spices - Ginger, cumin, turmeric, red pepper flakes, and salt add flavor and a little heat to your soup. I do not recommend omitting the spices. For a milder soup, replace the red pepper flakes with black pepper.
How to blend hot soup
Once your carrots are fork tender, you'll want to use either an immersion blender or a regular blender to blend your soup.
If you have an immersion blender:
- Transfer your stock pot from the stove to the countertop and allow soup to cool slightly (make sure it's no longer bubbling).
- Use your immersion blender to blend the soup until smooth. It can be blended right in the same pot it was cooked in.
If you have a regular blender:
- Allow soup to cool slightly.
- Remove the center cap from your blender's lid and have a kitchen towel ready to loosely cover the hole to allow steam to escape while blending. Otherwise, steam can build up inside the blender and cause the lid to pop off.
- Make sure not to fill the blender more than halfway full. You may need to blend your soup in batches depending on the size of your blender.
- When blending soup, start on low speed then slowly increase the speed until soup is blended to your desired texture.
- Return the blended soup to your stock pot over medium-low heat, add milk, and stir until incorporated and heated to your liking.
Blending alternatives
Don't have a blender? Here are a few alternatives:
- Use a food processor and blend in small quantities, making sure not to fill the processor above the liquid fill line.
- Use a potato masher. Cook your carrots until they fall apart when pierced through with a fork. Then, use a potato masher to gently mash until desired consistency is reached.
- Press cooked veggies through a fine mesh sieve. This method will take a bit of elbow grease and potentially a few passes through the sieve to achieve a semi-smooth consistency.
Soup toppings
Serve pumpkin carrot soup on its own or with a garnish or two from the list below:
- Croutons
- Pumpkin seeds
- Sunflower seeds
- Sliced green onion
- Chives
- Parsley
- Drizzle of heavy cream or coconut milk
- Red pepper flakes
Storing
Pumpkin carrot soup will keep for 3 to 4 days in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator and reheats well on the stovetop or in the microwave.
Freezing
Once your soup has cooled to room temperature, transfer to any freezer-safe container. Leave a little space to account for expansion when freezing.
Pumpkin carrot soup will keep for 3 months or more in the freezer. To thaw, transfer to the refrigerator overnight or transfer sealed container to a warm water bath to thaw quickly.
Recommended
📖 Recipe
Pumpkin Carrot Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 32 ounces vegetable broth
- 15 ounces canned pumpkin puree
- 16 ounces carrots, sliced into ½" discs
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon salt, add more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Instructions
- In a stock pot over medium heat, add olive oil. When hot, add onions and cook for about 3-4 minutes, or until they begin to brown around the edges. Add garlic and cook an additional 30 seconds.
- Add broth, pumpkin, carrots, and spices, stirring to combine. Bring to a simmer, cover, and reduce heat to low. Simmer for about 8 to 12 minutes, or until carrots are fork tender. Cooking time depends on the size of your carrot pieces.
- Remove from heat and allow to cool for 2 to 3 minutes. Use an immersion blender and blend until smooth, or transfer soup in batches to a standard blender to process until smooth (remove the center cap from the lid and lightly cover with a kitchen towel to allow steam to escape. Never fill a blender more than halfway full with hot soup).
- Finished soup will be thick. Water can be added to thin soup to desired thickness.
- Serve warm with your favorite soup toppings, like chopped parsley, croutons, pumpkin seeds, or sliced green onion.
Equipment Recommendations
Notes
- Recipe makes about six 8-ounce appetizer servings.
- Leftovers will keep for about 3-4 days in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator, or for about 3 months in the freezer.
- If substituting canned pumpkin for fresh, raw pumpkin, cook soup until pumpkin is fork tender. Cooking time may increase depending on size of pumpkin cubes.
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