I can’t be the only one excited for soup season! This spiced carrot pumpkin soup recipe is a perfect meal for cooler weather. Like my creamy Instant Pot butternut squash, this one-pot pumpkin soup with carrots simmers for less than an hour.
Ingredients You’ll Need
The onset of cooler weather means homemade soup is in heavy rotation. Carrot pumpkin soup is an easy recipe with heat from cayenne and white pepper balanced by the naturally sweet carrot and fresh pumpkin. Check out what you need to get started.
- Coconut Oil: Saute the vegetables in coconut oil for the best flavor, or substitute it with extra-virgin olive oil, avocado oil, or butter.
- Pumpkin: One 3-4 pound pumpkin works well in the soup. Look for a pumpkin that is firm and blemish-free.
- Carrot: I love the combination of carrots and pumpkin. I use whole carrots, but you can also use chopped baby carrots.
- Onion: Yellow onions complement the natural sweetness of the soup, but shallots are a tasty alternative.
- Garlic: I suggest using four garlic cloves for the best flavor.
- Vegetable Broth: Use store-bought vegetable broth, vegetable stock, or vegetable Better than Bouillon and water. You can also use chicken broth if you don’t care about keeping the soup vegan-friendly.
- Bay Leaf: Add subtle, clove-like with a bay leaf.
- Spices: Season the homemade carrot pumpkin soup with ground turmeric, smoked paprika, cayenne, kosher salt, white pepper, rubbed sage, and black pepper.
- Coconut Milk: Full-fat coconut milk gives the soup an extra creamy consistency. If you don’t like coconut milk, replace it with with coconut cream, heavy cream, or half n half.
Additions and Substitutions
- Worried about heat? If you’re sensitive to spicy food, consider adjusting how much you cayenne and white pepper you use, or consider leaving it out.
- Swap out the spices. things up. Flavor the soup with two tablespoons of your favorite red curry paste or add a spice blend like this Cajun Slap Ya Mama Seasoning recipe for addition flavor.
- Get your veggies in. Incorporate fresh ginger, sweet potatoes, parsnips, cauliflower florets, or butternut squash into the soup.
- Add some protein. Keep the recipe vegan by adding red lentils or canned white beans to the soup, or you can stir in bacon bits or slices of chicken sausage or kielbasa.
Tools You’ll Need
You will need a heavy-bottomed pot large enough to fit all the ingredients. I recommend using a Dutch oven, stock pot, or large sauce pan. Use a chef’s knife to cut through the pumpkin and dice the vegetables. Then, puree the soup with an immersion blender or process the soup in batches using a blender. Always be cautious with hot liquids and hot soup—cover the blender lid with a dish towel to avoid spills or splashes.
Prepare the Pumpkin for the Soup
Peel the Pumpkin: Cut off the top of the pumpkin and peel the skin using a vegetable peeler.
Slice the Pumpkin in Half: Use a sharp knife to cut the pumpkin into half and remove the seeds.
Cut the Pumpkin: Cut the pumpkin into 1-inch cubes.
How To Make Carrot Pumpkin Soup
The full recipe with measurements is in the recipe card below.
Step 1: Warm the coconut oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Then, add the pumpkin, carrots, onions, and garlic cloves. Saute for 10 minutes.
Step 2: Season the cooked vegetables with turmeric, smoked paprika, cayenne, salt, white pepper, rubbed sage and black pepper. Continue cooking for another 1-2 minutes.
Step 3: Stir in the vegetable broth and add the bay leaf. Bring the pot to a boil over medium heat. Cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes.
Step 4: Remove the pot from heat. Use an immersion blender to puree until smooth.
Step 5: Add the coconut milk and whisk to combine.
Expert Tips
- Uniformly cut the vegetables. Cut the veggies the same size to ensure they cook at the same rate.
- Use caution blending hot liquid. Remove the pan from the heat before using the immersion blender to prevent the hot soup from splashing. If using a blender, use one designed for hot liquids and work it batches so it doesn’t overflow.
If you enjoy the easy carrot pumpkin soup, try more flavorful fall soup recipes!
Serving Suggestions
Finish the soup with toasted pumpkin seeds, pine nuts, roasted chickpeas, croutons, and fresh herbs like chives or parsley. Or add a dollop of tangy Greek yogurt, sour cream, or creme fraiche.
- Sandwiches: Avocado Toast, BLT Sandwich, Bella Hadid Sandwich Recipe
- Main Entree: Tandoori Turkey
- Sides: Turmeric Roasted Cauliflower
- Bread: Corn Bread Muffin, Dutch Oven Sourdough Bread, Focaccia Bread, Pao de Sal, Garlic Bread
- Salad: Fall Kale Salad, Arugula and Spinach Salad
What To Do With Leftovers
- Refrigerate: Store the leftover pumpkin soup in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
- Freeze; Let the soup cool, and transfer it to a freezer-safe container or bag. Carrot pumpkin soup freezes for 2-3 months.
- Thaw: Defrost the leftover soup in the refrigerator overnight.
- Reheat: Warm the leftovers on the stovetop to serve. Maintain a gentle simmer over medium heat.
- Repurpose: Eat leftovers as-is or use the soup to top pasta and roasted vegetables like potatoes or Brussels sprouts. You can also include shredded chicken or cooked spaghetti squash to complete the meal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use pumpkin puree?
Carrot pumpkin soup is a great way to use canned pumpkin leftover from fall treats like our Kodiak Cakes pumpkin muffins. Stir the pumpkin puree in with the vegetable broth and simmer as instructed.
What kind of pumpkin should I use?
You can use any eating pumpkin for this recipe. I used a small, sweet sugar pumpkin, a classic choice for making pumpkin soup. It has a fine-grained, smooth flesh and a rich, sweet flavor that works well in soups. Sugar pie pumpkins are often labeled ‘pie pumpkins’ in grocery stores. A small hokkaido pumpkin will work as well.
Can I make carrot pumpkin soup in the Instant Pot?
1. Warm coconut oil in the Instant Pot on saute mode. Then, add pumpkin, carrot, onion, and garlic cloves.
2. Season the vegetables with turmeric, smoked paprika, cayenne, salt, white pepper, rubbed sage, and black pepper. Saute for another 1-2 minutes.
3. Stir in the vegetable broth. Secure the lid and set the Instant Pot to manual high pressure for 10 minutes, followed by a 10-minute natural release.
4. Use an immersion blender to puree until smooth. Add the coconut milk and whisk to combine.
More Squash Recipes:
Carrot Pumpkin Soup
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1 small pumpkin, peeled, seeded, and cut into ½-inch cubes
- 3 medium carrots, peeled and coarsely diced
- 1 medium white onion, coarsely diced
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon white pepper
- ½ teaspoon dried rubbed sage
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 can coconut milk 15-ounce, full-fat
- Warm the coconut oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Then, add the pumpkin, carrots, onions, and garlic cloves. Saute for 10 minutes.
- Season the cooked vegetables with turmeric, smoked paprika, cayenne, salt, white pepper, rubbed sage and black pepper. Continue cooking for another 1-2 minutes.
- Stir in the vegetable broth and add the bay leaf. Bring the pot to a boil over medium heat. Cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes.
- Remove the pot from heat. Use an immersion blender to puree until smooth.
- Add the coconut milk and whisk to combine.
- Uniformly cut the vegetables. Cut the veggies the same size to ensure they cook at the same rate.
- Use caution blending hot liquid. Remove the pan from the heat before using the immersion blender to prevent the hot soup from splashing. If using a blender, use one designed for hot liquids and work it batches so it doesn’t overflow.