This beautiful carrot pumpkin soup has a vibrant color and creamy mouthfeel. It’s an easy yet hearty vegetarian recipe for a chilly fall day or Thanksgiving celebration! Plus, you can make this veggie-loaded soup with or without cream (vegan, non-dairy option included in the instructions).
This week, we had a quick transition from summer to fall, going from 90 degrees last weekend to 50s and rainy today! In the blink of an eye, brisk weather and falling leaves had me craving ALL the cozy foods. So, it’s perfect timing to share this new recipe for carrot pumpkin soup.
If you’re in the mood for a nourishing, hearty, and creamy bowl of goodness, this recipe is for you! Seasoned with cinnamon, cumin, ginger, and thyme, it’s got all the fall flavors to complement two of the season’s best orange veggies.
Serve your soup with grilled cheese for a perfect October meal, add it to your Thanksgiving spread, or pair it with a fall salad like my Arugula Apple Salad with Pecans for lunch. It’s even a great option to pair with leftover turkey sandwiches during the holidays.
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Ingredients and Substitutions
- Pumpkin: You’ll use real pumpkin, not pumpkin puree, for this soup. I used a sugar pumpkin, also known as pie pumpkin, that was about 2 pounds. I imagine butternut squash, kabocha squash, and most other types of winter squash would work well as substitutes.
- Carrots: I like to use orange carrots to keep the color of the soup vibrant, but you can use any color (purple, yellow, etc).
- Onion: Yellow onion, shallots, or even leeks all work.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic adds great flavor to carrot pumpkin soup. If you only have dried, sub about a teaspoon of garlic powder.
- Ground ginger, cumin, and cinnamon: Don’t skip these warm spices!
- Fresh thyme: If you don’t have fresh, substitute 1 teaspoon dried thyme.
- Vegetable broth: Sub chicken broth if that’s what you have.
- Heavy cream: If you want to make pumpkin carrot soup vegan, use full-fat coconut milk instead of heavy cream. You can also sub half and half or whole milk.
- Optional garnish: Serve with more thyme leaves, pepitas, or even roasted pumpkin seeds saved from the pumpkin you use.
Instructions
The full recipe card for carrot pumpkin soup is at the bottom of the post. Here’s a preview of the steps!
Warm olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, until translucent.
Add the carrots and pumpkin to the pot, along with the seasonings. Stir to coat.
Pour the broth into the pot. Increase heat the bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to maintain a simmer, and cook until the carrots and pumpkin are fork-tender.
Turn off the heat. Blend the soup using a handheld/immersion blender or upright blender (tips below). Stir in the heavy cream or coconut milk.
Equipment
The easiest way to blend carrot pumpkin soup is with a handheld blender right in the pot, after you remove it from heat. I use the Cuisinart Smart Stick. You can also use an upright blender, such as the Vitamix E310.
Spoon a batch of the soup into the upright blender and put the lid on top but leave a corner cracked (or remove the plastic circle in the center and cover it with a dish towel). This allows steam to escape so you can prevent any mishaps that could lead to burns. Blend until smooth, transfer the blended soup to a bowl, and repeat with the rest of the soup.
Storage and Reheating
Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 5 to 7 days. Reheat in a saucepan or pot on the stove over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 7 to 10 minutes until warmed through. You can also reheat soup in the microwave.
To freeze carrot pumpkin soup, let it cool completely. Transfer to freezer-safe containers, leaving an inch of headspace to allow for expansion during freezing, and seal tightly. Store in the freezer for up to 6 months. Reheat from frozen in a pot or saucepan, stirring frequently to prevent scorching, or let it thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
Serving
This delicious fall soup is the perfect companion to sandwiches, including grilled cheese, turkey melts, or veggie wraps and burgers. If you want to serve a soup and salad combo, pair it with the Chopped Kale Salad with Tahini Dressing, Parmesan Brussels Sprouts Salad, or Kale and Broccoli Salad with Lemon Parmesan Dressing.
More Pumpkin Recipes
- Sheet Pan Pumpkin Bars (Lightened Up)
- Mini Cranberry Pumpkin Cheesecakes
- Leftover Pumpkin Recipes: Ideas and Tips
- Pumpkin Peanut Butter Balls (No Bake)
I’d love to hear how you like this recipe! Rate/review using the stars on the recipe card or in the comments, and follow the Veg World on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. Looking for something totally different? Browse the recipe library.
📖 Recipe
Carrot Pumpkin Soup
Equipment
- Handheld blender (or upright blender)
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion - diced
- 4 cloves garlic - minced
- 3 medium carrots - peeled and sliced into ½-inch pieces; about 1.5 cups
- 1 2 pound sugar pumpkin - peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch chunks; about 6 cups
- ½ teaspoon dried ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves - can sub 1 teaspoon dried
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- ½ cup heavy cream - substitute coconut milk
Instructions
- Warm the olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat.
- Add the diced onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 to 5 minutes until translucent.
- Add the carrots and pumpkin to the pot, along with the ginger, cumin, cinnamon, salt, and thyme leaves. Stir to coat the vegetables in the seasonings.
- Pour the broth into the pot. For a thicker soup, use 3 cups broth instead of 4. Increase heat to bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to maintain a simmer, and cook for 20 to 30 minutes until the pumpkin and carrots are fork-tender.
- Remove the soup from heat. Blend it using a handheld blender right in the pot. If you want to use an upright blender, see the Notes section for instructions.
- Stir the heavy cream or coconut milk into the soup.
- Serve warm with desired toppings, such as pepitas, roasted pumpkin seeds from the pumpkin you use (see notes), a drizzle of cream, or more thyme leaves. Enjoy!
- Leave a rating or review by tapping the stars on this recipe card (above) or in the comments section (at the end of the post)!
Notes
- Upright blender instructions: Transfer one batch of the soup to the upright blender. Leave a corner of the lid cracked, or remove the plastic circle in the center of the lid and cover it with a dish towel instead, to allow steam to escape. Blend until smooth. Pour the blended soup into a bowl. Repeat until the whole soup is blended.
- Leftovers: Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 5 to 7 days. Reheat in a saucepan or pot over medium heat or in the microwave.
- Freezing: Let the soup cool completely. Transfer it to freezer-safe containers, leaving some headspace to allow for expansion. Seal tightly. Store in the freezer for up to 6 months.
- Roasting pumpkin seeds: If you want to top the soup with the pumpkin seeds from the pumpkin you use, you can roast them while the soup cooks. Rinse in a colander under running water, removing the flesh with your hands. Dry thoroughly. Toss with olive oil and salt. Spread out on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Roast at 350 degrees F/177 degrees C for 10 to 15 minutes, checking frequently to prevent burning.
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