Creamy Pumpkin Carrot Soup (Vegan)

This creamy, vegan pumpkin carrot soup is a warming and delicious autumnal recipe.  Lightly spiced and simple to make it comes together in just over 30 minutes.

Pumpkin carrot soup is such a classic autumnal dish, healthy, delicious and so easy to make.  I combined the pumpkin with carrots for more sweetness, added a few spices and the result is a deliciously warming, creamy, nourishing soup.

Pumpkin is one of the main reasons I get excited about this time of year. It not only looks super appealing but is also a fantastic culinary ingredient.  I love to use pumpkin in all its forms.  Pumpkin puree can be used to make an easy pumpkin cake, soft pumpkin cookies, pumpkin chocolate muffins and healthy pumpkin pancakes.  Raw pumpkin is just as great in baking and I've used it to make a healthy pumpkin cake.

I also like to make savoury dishes using pumpkin, such as this roasted pumpkin pasta with arugula and garlic.  This recipe involved cutting and peeling the pumpkin, roasting it and then adding into the pasta. 

This pumpkin and carrot soup uses a similar preparation method except the raw pumpkin pieces are added into the soup without being roasted.  This method is quick and easy to do and ensures the vegetables become infused with the spices during cooking producing a delicious and warming dish.

Pumpkin carrot soup ingredients

I cooked the pumpkin and carrots in vegetable stock along with a few simple spices including cumin, coriander, paprika and nutmeg.  I also used a bay leaf, fresh ginger and garlic for more flavour and complexity.  The soup also contains cilantro (fresh coriander) for freshness.

What pumpkin to use

I recommend using culinary, sugar pumpkin (also called pie or sweet pumpkin) as it's got lots of flavour and is widely available at this time of the year.  Sugar pumpkins are smaller than field pumpkins which work better as Halloween decorations. 

I do not recommend using pumpkin puree which is a ready cooked product and the end result will not be as flavourful.  (This soup owes its delicious, intense flavour to the combination of vegetables and spices cooked together from scratch)

Step-by-step recipe instructions

1.To prepare the pumpkin cut it into thick wedges, place each on its side and cut the skin off slicing downwards. Chop into similar size pieces.

2. In a large pot heat up the oil, add the bay leaf, garlic, ginger, onion and celery and fry gently for 3 minutes stirring occasionally.  Add the spices, stir and fry for another minute.

3. Add the carrots, pumpkin and stock. Stir, cover and bring to the boil then simmer for 15-20 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.

4. Remove from the heat, discard the bay leaf and add the chopped cilantro.

5. Puree until smooth.  Add a splash of water if needed, season to taste and serve!

Serving suggestions

This carrot pumpkin soup is delicious on its own, with a splash of coconut milk, drizzle of olive oil or dollop of yogurt/sour cream.  You can also serve it with croutons, soda bread or easy homemade cheese breadsticks.

Top tips and FAQs

• Pumpkin: Use sugar/culinary pumpkin, not carving pumpkin. I do not recommend using ready-to-eat pumpkin puree in this recipe.
• Spices: You can use a touch of your favourite curry powder and omit the cumin and coriander. Sprinkle some chili or cayenne pepper for a bit of bite if you like.
• Refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days.
• Freeze individual portions for up to 3 months.

You might also like

• Creamy Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
• Creamy Mushroom Potato Soup (Dairy Free)

and

• Creamy Tomato Lentil Soup

Check out this collection of ALL my creamy vegan soups!

Keep in touch!

If you make this pumpkin carrot soup I'd love to know how it turned out for you.  Did you use a different combination of spices? Let me know in the comments below, thanks!

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