What says Autumn better than pumpkin soup? I am a total soup person, and this incredible vegan recipe checks all the boxes for a fall delight.
Hello, fall! I adore this season with its array of colors, cooler temps, and produce filling the farmer's market. And naturally, I love pumpkin anything. (I don't even limit it to fall and winter.) But one thing I really love is a good pumpkin soup recipe, specifically a vegan pumpkin soup. It's healthy, filling, comforting, and warms you up when the weather is chilly.
How to roast fresh squash for pumpkin soup
Most of the pumpkin we consume at this time of year comes from cans...am I right? It's one of the easiest ways to add pumpkin to a recipe. But I implore you to try roasting fresh pumpkin. It's inexpensive as well as superior tasting to canned. Did you know that most canned pumpkin may not even contain real pumpkin?! Crazy!
Pumpkin roasting options
There are a few options when it comes to roasting the pumpkin for this pumpkin soup recipe. One is to halve the pumpkin, scoop out the seeds and roast the halves. Make sure to cut the pumpkin from the stem down, so that it's easy to scoop the seeds out.
The other option is to peel and cube the squash, like a butternut squash. It's totally up to you. I usually opt for the first one because it's super easy.
Buying the best pumpkin for pumpkin soup
When looking for a pumpkin, there are quite a few options out there. Sugar Pie pumpkins are wonderful for roasting. Their small size is more manageable than those giants used for carving, even though those big guys can be roasted too. Another of my favorite varieties of pumpkin is the kabocha variety. I find their knobby appearance charming + decorative, and the flavor is fantastic too. And like I said, you can certainly substitute any winter squash here. Use your favorite or whatever is available in your area.
What makes this a vegan pumpkin soup
A traditional pumpkin soup recipe uses milk or heavy cream as the base. My vegan pumpkin soup recipe uses canned coconut milk to achieve the same creamy result. Your tastebuds won't notice the missing cream, meanwhile your gut will welcome the benefits from the coconut milk! 93% of coconut milk's calories come from fat. I love using coconut milk for its healthy fat benefits, as it helps break down the carbs + fiber in other foods (like pumpkin).
Other vegan soup recipes
Love the idea of not having dairy as the base for your next soup? I've got you covered. Here are a few of my fav vegan soup recipes; all taste tested and family approved!
- Minestrone soup
- Carrot ginger soup
- Vegetable barley soup
- Coconut thai soup
- Bell pepper soup
- Split pea soup
Pumpkin soup recipe
Although pumpkin is the main attraction in this soup, I want to talk about a few other key ingredients. Roasting the pumpkin with the onions and garlic helps infuse the flavors better before blending. Nothing beats fresh roasted garlic! Now let's talk about this Colima Sea Salt™. There's a reason salt is such an important part of just about any recipe. It enhances the flavor of our food and if you're using the right kind of salt, we can also get trace minerals from the salt we use. This salt is 100% all-natural, unrefined, and hand-harvested to retain 80 essential minerals.
Finally, I use avocado oil for this recipe because of its ability to withstand high heat. The pumpkin needs to be roasted at 425 degrees F, which is too hot for olive oil. Avocado oil on the other hand, still holds together at this temp, making it a perfect oil for this soup recipe.
Ultimate Roasted Vegan Pumpkin Soup
Rate this Recipe Print RecipeIngredients
- 2 baking pumpkins (sugar pie pumpkin or another winter squash, about 4-4.5 pounds)
- 2 tablespoon avocado oil (divided)
- 1 yellow onion (peeled and cut into thick slices)
- 5 cloves garlic (unpeeled)
- 13.5 oz coconut milk
- ½ cup vegetable stock (if needed)
- Sea salt (to taste)
- black pepper
- optional spices or herbs (see notes)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Carefully cut open the pumpkins with a sharp chef's knife and a steady cutting board. Scoop out the seeds and discard or save for another use.
- Rub the pumpkin halves with a little of the avocado oil. This keeps them from drying out during roasting. Toss a little more avocado oil with the onion and garlic. Arrange everything on the baking sheet. Sprinkle with the Colima Sea Salt™. (The pumpkins do better being set cut-side down on the baking sheet.) Place in oven to roast for 30-35 minutes, or until pumpkin is tender. The tip of a sharp paring knife should pierce through the pumpkin easily. Remove from oven and let cool slightly before handling.
- Scoop the cooked pumpkin flesh from the skins. Place into the jar of a blender. It should measure about 4 ½ to 5 cups of pumpkin. Add the onion to the blender. Peel the garlic and add it to the blender too. Add a pinch of Colima Sea Salt™ and pour the can of coconut milk into the blender. Puree until smooth. If the soup is too thick, add a little water or broth until desired texture is reached. If desired, season according to the directions in the recipe notes.
- If the soup isn't hot enough, pour into a saucepan and heat gently before serving.
- Garnish and serve immediately. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week.
Notes
- Toasted Pepita + Herb Garnish: heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a skillet and add ½ cup pepitas plus 1 tablespoon finely minced fresh herbs (rosemary, sage, and thyme), toast lightly and remove from heat. Garnish soup.
- Curry Coconut: 1 tablespoon Thai or Indian curry paste/powder (to taste), serve with a scoop of brown rice on top, and a sprinkling of toasted coconut
- Immune Booster: add 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger, 2 teaspoons ground turmeric, ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, and pinch of cayenne
- Mexican-spiced: add 1 teaspoon each - dried oregano, ground cumin, and chili powder; top with chopped fresh cilantro
- Savory + Sweet: add 1 medium diced green apple or pear to pan when roasting pumpkin; add 2 tablespoons fresh herbs, finely minced (sage, rosemary, and thyme)
- Maple Spice: roast everything tossed with maple syrup, add 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, and top with maple candied pecans
Cindy
This soup is delicious!
emily stone
can you use canned pumpkin and if so how much should i use. i have a couple of pumpkins laying around now
Jessica
I seriously cannot wait to make this soup. It sounds ah-mazing.
Simple Green Smoothies
It's a super tasty fall soup and such an easy go-to! 🙂
Amanda
I love how this recipe shows you how to roast the entire pumpkin!! Much prefer learning this method than using canned.
Simple Green Smoothies
I agree! Roasting your own is def the way to go. 🙂
Kat B.
So yummy! And I love the pics in the recipe directions. Really helps me to know I'm on the right track.
Simple Green Smoothies
They really are a game changer!
Kim
I LOVE this recipe. It's delicious and makes my house smell amazing!
Simple Green Smoothies
Makes the whole house smell like fall!
Erin
Can't wait to try this with my homemade pumpkin puree! Love the color.
Simple Green Smoothies
It's such a beautiful fall color!
Kim
This is the perfect recipe for a cold evening. Can't wait to make this one!
Simple Green Smoothies
It really is the perfect warm winter dish!! We hope you enjoy it 🙂
Erin
Already have everything to make this soup, can't wait to give it a try! Pumpkin is my favorite
Simple Green Smoothies
That's so great you already have everything at home to make this soup. Let us know how you like it once you give it a try!!!
Amanda
I love how simple + delicious this recipe is. Add the salt + pumpkin seeds on top + it's AMAZING!!
Simple Green Smoothies
Thank Amanda! We are so happy that you love this recipe so much!!!
Dani Mitchell
I actually made this soup last year and really liked it! It was a little intimidating at first, but I am trying to eat more "seasonal" and this was all about that! I forgot all about this soup until you sent the email this morning. Maybe this time I'll try one of the seasoning tweaks you suggest to change it up.
Simple Green Smoothies
I am so glad that our email inspired you to try our seasonal tweaks to change things up. Let us know what you think once you give them a try!
Esperanza Chavez
I have made this recipe four times now as it has become a favorite. The very first time I made the recipe I used the small cooking pumpkins. The soup was delicious! Then, I used acorn and butternut squash because I wasn’t able to find the small pumpkins. The soup was still delicious! My husband loved the acorn squash the best. Thank you to all who made this recipe come to life!
Simple Green Smoothies
That is so great!! So glad that you still loved this recipe trying different ingredients!
Jane
P.S. to my above post - did a bit more research after discovering the pumpkin I use is Dickinson Pumpkin which is a pie pumpkin. Looks like Libby's may be the manufacturer of this particular pumpkin. The brand here in Canada is E.D. Smith and is 100% Dickinson Pumpkin.
Simple Green Smoothies
Thanks, Jane!
Jane
IHi Amanda - I read the Huffington Post article to which you referred and am puzzled as to why you would refer us to an article on pumpkin pie filling which doesn't make any reference to plain pumpkin. Here in Canada pumpkin pie filling is pumpkin which has spices included but plain p umpkin, which I assume would be the base of your soup recipe is just pumpkin. The ingredient in the brand I buy is 100% pure pumpkin and is, in fact, a product t of the U.S.!
Louise
Can I substitute butternut squash for pumpkin?
Simple Green Smoothies
You sure can, Louise!
Madeline
My partner unfortunately doesn't like coconut - (it's his only flaw lol). How coconut-y is this soup in the end? Would it work if I substituted almond milk for the coconut milk? Thanks!
Jen Hansard
Hey Madeline- You can def swap the coconut milk for almond milk. It would be less sweet, but more earthy and nutty. Yet I think it would delicious!
Jen Hansard
This recipe looks amazing Lindsey! i can't wait to get my hands on some pumpkins and make it myself. Thank you for sharing and educating us about sea salt too— I learned so much and def love a great salt company. Ava Jane's sounds like they got it right!
Simple Green Smoothies
It's so good, Lindsey really outdid herself!
Eileen
I grow pie pumpkins every 2-3 years and can it myself. So what I get I know is 100% pumpkin. I have tried other pumpkins and I do not consider them editable. One year I had invited my family to a vegan Thanksgiving. I had baked a big pumpkin that I had stuffed with the pumpkin stuffing all as outlined in a Mother Earth News magazine. It was the worst tasting thing any of us had ever eaten. The pumpkin looked good and smelled good but it and its stuffing ere terrible! Then I learned about pie pumpkins. They actually taste like the pumpkin in a can, only better!
Simple Green Smoothies
Hi Eileen,
YES! Sugar or pie pumpkins are definitely what you're looking for in this recipe! While your Thanksgiving sounds amazing - pumpkins you use for carving are definitely not as yummy.
Jodi
Apparently the FDA does not see any difference between pumpkin and other squash... the industry had determined that pumpkin isn't so flavorful on its own and so most canned pumpkin is really canned squash of some sort. And it has been that way for a while now.
https://www.marketplace.org/2017/08/15/life/big-book/your-pumpkin-pie-lie/
Simple Green Smoothies
Thanks for sharing, Jodi!
Margery
Could you explain the remark above “And did you know that most canned pumpkin may not even contain “pumpkin?!“ You dropped that bomb and just left it there. What does it contain? My canned pumpkin lists the ingredients as ....pumpkin. And that’s it.
Simple Green Smoothies
Hi Margery,
It's kind of scary, but most canned pumpkin is actually a different variety of squash. While we love squash, it's just scary that a company can actually fill those cans with a different vegetable than advertised. You can learn more in this Huffington Post article here...
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/canned-pumpkin-pie-filling_n_5941122