I have to admit something: the first time I cooked with pumpkin was a month ago. October of 2023. Hey, there has to be a first time for everything and better late than never! The reason I’ve avoided pumpkins for four decades was mostly because of the hard exterior; pumpkins can be difficult to cut. Like, really difficult sometimes, and if I’m nervous then I have someone stronger than me cut it so I don’t lose a finger. But once the pumpkin is cut, it’s smooth sailing from there.
I also discovered how easy pumpkin cooks in an Instant Pot (I’m a food blogger without an oven, believe it or not) and that has opened so many doors. It turns out that pumpkin is great in everything!
This Creamy Pumpkin Spiced Soup is perfect for brisk fall or winter days; it’s velvety smooth with warm spices of autumn! Delicious and nutritious comfort food!
How to cook the pumpkin in the Instant Pot
No oven? No problem! I actually don’t have an oven so I use the Instant Pot to cook pumpkin and it’s so easy. You can only cook half a pumpkin at a time, but total time is the same as cooking in the oven.
For this soup, use a small sugar pie pumpkin that’s about 3 lbs. If there’s a stem, cut off that off. Then, very carefully, cut the pumpkin in half. Scoop out the seeds and stringy pumpkin guts and discard or set aside to cook seeds later.
Place the trivet in the bottom of the Instant Pot and add 1 cup of water. Place one half of the pumpkin on top of the trivet with the inside flesh facing the ceiling. Seal the Instant Pot and set to High Pressure for 18 minutes. Do a quick release.
Once it’s finished cooking and cooled a bit, the pumpkin skin peels right off.
How to cook pumpkin in the oven
Pre-heat oven to 350°. Carefully cut pumpkin in half and scoop out the seeds and stringy guts. Place pumpkin halves on a baking sheet, flesh side facing the ceiling. Bake for 45-60 minutes, until pumpkin is tender when pierced with a fork.
How to make the decorative hearts
You don’t need to be a skilled chef to make the fancy little white heart garnish, it’s simple and sure to impress your friends and family when you put their bowl down!
In a small bowl, place a dollop of vegan sour cream or Vegenaise (this brand doesn’t have a “mayo-y” flavor so it pairs well). Drip a couple of drops of very hot water on top and stir. This will thin it out so it’s easier to work with but careful not to use too much water or it will be runny and bloom into the soup! If you’d like to practice first to make sure cream is the perfect consistency, fill the soup bowl halfway (then you can cover up any mistakes!). Use a spoon to make little dots in a row. Then, using a toothpick (or butter knife), place the tip in the soup above the first dot and then drag it through to create hearts. Voila!
Is pumpkin healthy?
Very! This winter squash, which is technically a fruit because it contains seeds, is packed with nutrients — especially vitamin A!
One cup of pumpkin contains:
- Calories: 137
- Protein: 3 grams
- Fat: 7 grams
- Carbs: 19 grams
- Fiber: 7 grams
(% of the daily value)
- Vitamin A: 209%
- Vitamin K: 37%
- Copper: 28%
- Vitamin E: 22%
- Iron: 18%
- Magnesium: 13%
- Riboflavin: 10%
- Vitamin B6: 10%
- Vitamin C: 10%
- Potassium: 10%1
Pumpkins get their vibrant orange hue from beta-carotene, which is a carotenoid and antioxidant. Our bodies convert beta-carotene into vitamin A, and vitamin A helps promote good eye health and vision (like carrots!), healthy skin,2 and boosts the immune system. The potassium in pumpkin helps lower blood pressure while the fiber binds to cholesterol and flushes it out of the body, which helps keep a healthy heart.3
Creamy Pumpkin Spiced Soup
Ingredients
- 1 3 lb Sugar Pie Pumpkin
- 1 small Onion roughly chopped
- 1 large Carrot chopped
- 5 cloves Garlic minced
- 1 ½-2 ” piece of Ginger peeled and chopped
- 2 ½ tsp Cumin powder
- ¼-½ tsp Cayenne (or sub paprika for no spice)
- ¼ tsp Cinnamon
- ⅛ tsp Nutmeg
- ⅛ tsp Allspice
- ½ cup Cashews raw
- 3 cups Vegetable broth or water (more if needed)
- ¼-¾ tsp Salt (to taste)
Garnish
- Pepitas
- Cashews chopped
- sprinkle of Cayenne or paprika powder
- Vegan sour cream (optional)
Instructions
- Cut Sugar Pie Pumpkin in half. Scoop out the seeds and pumpkin guts.If baking: Pre-heat oven to 350℉. Place pumpkin on a baking sheet, flesh facing up, and bake for 45-60 minutes, testing with a fork to see when pumpkin is tender.Instant Pot: Place trivet and ½ cup water in the bottom of the Instant Pot. Place one half of the pumpkin, flesh facing up, on top of the trivet. Seal Instant Pot and cook for 18 minutes, doing a quick release of pressure. Cook other half once the first one has finished.
- Heat a splash of oil or water in a large stockpot on medium heat and sauté onions and carrots until softened. Stir in garlic, ginger, and all the spices and cook for one minute, then turn off heat. Remove mixture from pot and place in a bowl, setting aside to cool.
- Once pumpkin halves are cooked, remove the flesh with a spoon and discard the pumpkin skin.
- Working in batches, place 1 cup of vegetable broth or water in blender at a time, along with some of the pumpkin flesh, cashews, and sautéed onion and carrot mixture. Blend each batch until smooth, then add back into the large stockpot. Don’t overload your blender! It takes about 3 batches for me.
- Once soup is blended and back in the stockpot, heat on low/medium until hot, stirring frequently as it tends to bubble and splash. Add anything more to-taste!
- Once soup is hot, serve immediately, with the option to garnish with chopped cashews, pepitas, vegan sour cream, and sprinkle with cayenne or paprika. Enjoy!
Notes
If you enjoyed with Creamy Pumpkin Spiced Soup, I’d love to hear about it! Leave me a comment below! 🙂
