is made with fresh pumpkin and pureed into a super creamy, smooth soup that’s full of delicious fall flavor and garnished with roasted pumpkin seeds for a slightly crunchy texture
.
» For more cool soups, try Instant Pot White Chicken Chili or Instant Pot Caramelized Carrot Soup.
I am always looking in September for pumpkins to get to the product department to be able to make this soup. Cooking a fresh pumpkin to make soup is somehow incredibly satisfying. It signals me to fall into my house when pumpkin soup hits the table.
You don’t have to use fresh pumpkin for this recipe. It can be substituted with pumpkin puree. However, I think the taste and texture of fresh is worth the extra work. Plus, you can make pumpkin seeds from the air fryer! If you love this soup, you should really try this pumpkin soup.
Ingredients needed for pumpkin soup
The best part is that you don’t need to add a lot of extra ingredients to this soup. The pumpkin really speaks for itself. We keep it very simple with just a little onion, garlic, salt and pepper. Then we add chicken broth or vegetables to soften it.
Pumpkin – You will need a medium-sized cooking pumpkin that weighs about 2 pounds, before peeling it. peeled
- , seeded and chopped into small pieces (about 2 pounds before peeling) – See the note on what type of pumpkin to use below
- Olive oil – You will need olive oil for cooking. It is a healthy choice for oil. However, you can also use canola oil or any other cooking oil.
- Onion – Finely chopped onions lay the foundation for this soup. You can use white or red onions for this recipe. I prefer to use white onions because of their salty taste.
- Garlic – Garlic adds a depth of flavor to this soup.
- Salt and pepper
- Cream of chicken broth or vegetables
- – this is optional. Some people really like the cream in this soup, but we’ve made it both ways and liked it both with and without it. You can use thick, half and half cream, or a non-dairy substitute.
- Toasted pumpkin seeds – for garnish, optional
What type of pumpkin to use
You can eat any
type of pumpkin
,
however, they vary quite a bit in taste and texture. Carved pumpkins tend to be waterier and more fibrous than other types of pumpkins. If you’re getting your pumpkin from a farm, ask the producer which one is best for cooking.
At the store, you
might not find a label on the pumpkin that says what type it is, but if you’re lucky, look for a Cinderella pumpkin or a baked pumpkin. I have been fortunate to find a display of pumpkins inside the store that are clearly labeled as kitchen pumpkins.
Read more about eating pumpkins
.
How to Make Instant Pumpkin Soup
Start by peeling and cutting the pumpkin. You will need a sharp knife for this, so you can cut the hard skin. Just make them in large pieces.
Activate the stir-fry mode, add the olive oil and let it heat up. When the oil begins to glow, add the onion and pumpkin pieces. Sauté them for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. When they are almost ready, add the garlic. It only needs to become aromatic, maybe 30 seconds. More time and it could burn.
Turn off the sautéed mode and add the broth, salt and pepper. Stir everything, deglaze the pot discarding the golden pieces from the bottom. Close the Instant Pot lid and make sure the valve is set to pressurize. Press the snap cook button and set the time to 9 minutes.
When the time is up, allow the pressure to be released naturally for 5 minutes and then manually release the rest. Use a stick blender to puree the soup in the pot, until it is smooth and creamy. It takes a little longer than you think for the soup to be super creamy and silky. Don’t stop pureing too soon, or you won’t get it to have the right consistency.
If you don’t have a bar blender
, you can pour the soup into a blender in batches to puree. Remember to leave the top insert outside the blender and cover it with a towel instead, as the hot liquid will cause too much pressure to build up inside.
I would suggest now to try the soup to see if you want to add the cream or not. It’s very good without it, so why add the extra calories, I say. But you might like that little more creaminess, and if so, now is the time to add the cream and stir.
Serve the soup with roasted pumpkin seeds or chopped green onions to garnish.
A side note, we also love serving this pumpkin soup on a small cooked pumpkin. You can also cook the pumpkin in the Instant Pot (here’s our recipe) or roast it in the oven. Cubed, it is the perfect container for soup.
» Check out our instant cooker schedule cheat sheet so you never have to search for the times of your favorite meals you prepare in the pressure cooker again. Print it or mark it so you always have it handy!
Why use an
Instant Pot?
The Instant Pot is one of the most useful kitchen appliances you can buy, Since it drastically reduces the cooking time to develop flavors in soups and stews, get hard cuts of tender meat and even bake a cheesecake. And there are plenty of accessories to help you get more out of your Instant Pot.
If you don’t already have one, check out our guide on which one to buy. See also our guide on how to use an Instant Pot for more information.
Frequently Asked Questions
What
can I add to make the soup creamier
?
If desired, you can add coconut milk, cream, half and half, soy milk or Greek yogurt
.
Can I use pre-made pumpkin puree instead of fresh pumpkin?
Yes, you can. If you’re looking for a quick fix, adding pumpkin puree is a good option. Just make sure you grab pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling. One is simple and the other has sugar and pumpkin pie spices added.
Tips and notes
- Serve in a hollowed-out pumpkin for added effect
- The cream can be substituted with canned coconut milk, Greek yogurt or soy milk, if desired
- longer will make the consistency of the soup creamier.
- If you must use canned pumpkin instead of fresh, You will need 2 cans of pumpkin puree.
.
. Mixing the soup
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