Spiced Pumpkin Carrot Soup

This spiced pumpkin carrot soup recipe is creamy and fragrant. Perfect to enjoy on a cold day.

This pumpkin carrot soup is super simple but it has a lot of flavor. The base is fresh pumpkin and carrots, but there is the addition of fresh ginger and ground spices too. Both pumpkin and carrot are very versatile and they pair will a lot of different flavors.

Pumpkin and carrot are both packed with vitamins like vitamin c and beta carotene which are great for the immune system.

Serve this carrot pumpkin soup recipe with a hunk of crusty bread and a dollop of yogurt or sour cream.

The ingredients

Find the ingredient amounts for this creamy soup listed in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post. Here is a rundown of what you will need.

• Fresh pumpkin. I don't recommend using canned pumpkin puree, the taste is not as good in soup as fresh pumpkin or sweet squash.
• Carrots - Fresh sweet carrots pair well with the pumpkin.
• A large onion
• Olive oil
• Garlic cloves
• Ginger - Fresh ginger gives the soup a great kick.
• Ground cinnamon, cayenne, cardamom, and cumin. All the spices start with C so it's easy to remember!
• Vegetable stock or chicken stock - A good quality stock is a must for a delicious soup.
• Fresh lemon juice - just a touch to make the soup a little zingier.
• Roasted pumpkin seeds for topping
• Yogurt or sour cream for topping. Yogurt or sour cream works well to bring a little tanginess to contrast the soups' sweetness. You could also use heavy cream, coconut milk, or coconut cream.
• Salt and black pepper to taste

Best pumpkins for soup

When it's pumpkin season, you'll find pumpkins everywhere! The type of pumpkin used in the soup makes a big difference in texture and flavor. There is a variety of pumpkin or hard winter squashes you can use for soups and the best varieties have a flesh that becomes smooth and sweet when cooked. They may be labeled sugar pumpkin or baking pie pumpkins.

The more decorative pumpkins used as Halloween props (like the Jack-o-lantern pumpkins) can be quite bland, stringy, and watery. Here are some delicious pumpkin varieties that can be used for pumpkin soup recipes.

• Jarrahdale
• Cinderella
• Autumn Gold
• Golden Nugget
• Queensland Blue
• New England Pie Pumpkin
• Cinderella
• Sugarpie
• Crown
• Musque de Provence
• Kabocha squash
• Acorn squash
• Butternut squash

Equipment

Immersion blender - Also known as a stick blender. This is the easiest to blend the soup up until it's nice and creamy. You could use a regular blender or food processor too but you'll need to let the soup cool down first before blending it that way.

Method

Peel and chop the carrots and the pumpkin. The pumpkin cooks a bit faster than the carrots so you can cut the pumpkin slightly bigger than the carrot.

Dice the onion into small pieces and crush the garlic cloves.

In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until softened and starting to caramelize, stirring occasionally. This will take around 8-10 minutes. Add in the garlic cloves, ginger, and spices and stir for 30 seconds until fragrant.

Add in the diced pumpkin and chopped carrots and cook for a further 30 seconds, stirring to coat.

Pour over the vegetable or chicken stock and the lemon juice.

Bring the soup to a simmer and let it simmer on medium-low heat until the cooked vegetables are soft around 20-30 minutes.

Let the soup cool slightly then use an immersion blender to blend it until smooth and creamy. Season it according to taste. If the soup is too thick, add more stock or water to bring the soup to your desired consistency.

Serving

Serve the soup hot, drizzled with natural yogurt or a dollop of sour cream, and a sprinkle of roasted pumpkin seeds.

Storing

Leftover soup can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. It can also be frozen in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.

Try this creamy potato soup next time!