Easy pumpkin soup

This pumpkin soup recipe is so full of rich flavors and super easy to cook that it might become your most favorite soup for the fall season. The creamy pumpkin soup is flavored with mild spices with roasted pumpkin seeds and croutons strewn around for that perfect balance in taste and texture. Yet another healthy creamy soup recipe that uses no cream and so easy to make.

Have you tried the cream of cabbage soup without the cream and vegan cream of asparagus soup?

Reasons why this Pumpkin Soup recipe is the best

• Easy – This recipe uses simple ingredients that you’ll already have in your refrigerator or pantry.
• Healthier – Pumpkin is naturally creamy, so you don’t need to add thickening agents like flour or cream to give body to the soup.
• Full of fibre and nutrients– In this pumpkin soup recipe, carrots and roasted peppers are added along with onions and garlic that make it fibre-rich and nutrient-dense.
• Delicious – Juicy roasted peppers add an amazing flavor to the soup that can get you addicted.
• Aids weight loss – A bowl of this pumpkin soup with some wholemeal bread for dunking can keep you satiated for long, so this is a must-have soup recipe when you’re trying to lose weight.

What you’ll need for the Easy Pumpkin Soup

Pumpkin (Japanese pumpkin has been used here, but any pumpkin is good enough), onions, garlic, carrot, yellow bell pepper, cumin powder and some roasted pumpkin seeds and homemade wholemeal croutons for garnishing.

Peeling the pumpkin

Do you find it hard to peel the pumpkin? I always do. Through repeated trials, I finally managed to figure out an easy way to do it. Halve the pumpkin, scoop out the seeds and roast the pumpkin halves with cut side down in the oven at 180 degrees C for 20 minutes. After it cools down, it becomes easy to peel. Roasting for a limited time also enhances the flavor of the soup. I don’t roast the pumpkin all the way until it gets fully cooked because I feel the pumpkin loses some of its flavor and becomes a little dry when roasted.

I’ve tried quite a number of different combinations of cooking the pumpkin soup, and this recipe tastes the best. You’ll have to try it to believe. Don’t forget to tell me about it in the comments section after you make this soup.

Roasting the bell pepper

The bell pepper can be roasted along with the pumpkin, since it takes roughly the same time, if you’re using a 1 kg pumpkin and a medium-sized bell pepper. Roast the bell pepper as a whole so that the juices remain in the cavity which can (and should) be used. Peel and halve the pepper carefully so as to “catch” the juice within and chop roughly. Keep aside.

Making the pumpkin soup

Roughly dice onions, garlic, carrot and the peeled pumpkin into chunks. Add 3 and a half cups of stock or water, bring it to a boil and simmer until the vegetables become soft, about 10 minutes. Cool and blend along with roasted and chopped bell pepper, ground cumin, salt and pepper using. Alternatively, you can use a stick blender.

Roasting the pumpkin seeds

As soon as you turn off the oven and remove the pumpkin and pepper, spread out a handful of pumpkin seeds on a baking sheet and leave it in the oven until toasted, for about 10 minutes. By the time you blend the soup, the pumpkin seeds would be ready for garnish.

Wholemeal croutons

They are so easy to make and are made of healthier wholemeal bread that you wouldn’t think of using the store-bought one (which is most definitely made of white bread unless otherwise specified), after reading this. Chop whole-wheat bread slices into 1/2 inch cubes. Heat butter (or oil for a vegan recipe) in a frying pan and stir the bread cubes until golden brown on all sides.

The secret of this Easy Pumpkin Soup recipe you must know

The secret of this recipe lies in the roasted pepper and the spice – cumin powder. So don’t skip those ingredients, if you want an awesome pumpkin soup.

More soup recipes you’ll love:

• lentil turmeric soup
• red bean soup with pasta
• Minestrone soup with Asian spices

Print Recipe

Easy Pumpkin Soup

Easy creamy pumpkin soup with a rich unique flavor that is delicious and healthy.

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time10 mins

Oven roasting time20 mins

Total Time40 mins

Course: Soup

Cuisine: Western

Keyword: creamy, easy, pumpkin, vegan

Servings: 4 people

Author: Sheeba

Ingredients

• 1 kg pumpkin  Japanese or any other
• 1 bell pepper medium sized, yellow or orange
• 1 carrot
• 1 onion
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 3 1/2 cups water or stock
• salt and pepper
• 3 tablespoons pumpkin seeds

Croutons

• 1 tablespoon butter or oil
• 3 slices wholemeal bread

Instructions

• Preheat the oven at 180 degrees C. Halve the pumpkin and scoop out the seeds. Roast the whole bell pepper and pumpkin halves with the cut side down in the oven at 180 degrees C for 20 minutes. After it cools down, the pumpkin becomes easy to peel and slice. Chop into small chunks. Peel the bell pepper and slice, 'catching' the juices trapped within. Keep aside.
• Spread out the pumpkin seeds on a baking sheet and place in the warm oven (after turning off) for 10 minutes until toasted.
• Slice onion, garlic, and carrot. Add water/ stock and boil along with chopped pumpkin. Once the liquid comes to a boil, let simmer for 10 minutes or until the vegetables become soft.
• Turn off the heat. Add the sliced bell pepper with the juices, ground cumin, salt and pepper and blend using a stick blender. Or cool and blend using a regular blender.
• For the croutons, chop the whole-wheat bread slices into 1/2 inch cubes. Heat butter (or oil for a vegan recipe) in a frying pan and stir the bread cubes on medium heat until golden brown on all sides. Do it in batches so as not to overcrowd the pan.
• The pumpkin seeds would be ready by now. Pour the soup into bowls and garnish with croutons and the toasted pumpkin seeds.

Video

Notes

The cumin powder and roasted pepper give a unique flavor to the pumpkin soup, so do not skip those steps.