It’s still warmish during the mid-days around here, but the mornings and evenings are chilly! And what’s better for chilly evenings than soup? Especially this ultra-flavorful, velvety spiced pumpkin and carrot soup that uses the best of fall’s produce!
When we moved last month, I found the pumpkin puree I made last year from the little sugar pumpkins. I had to use it, but for what? I also had some carrots that needed to be used up, and then the idea popped into my head—soup!
Also, one of my favorite things during the cold months (besides soup) is something with spice in it—it just gives me that warm, cozy feeling, and this soup does just that! It’s absolutely packed full of bright, warm flavors and a little bit of spice to warm you up even on the coldest of days!
This spiced pumpkin and carrot soup is truly versatile. You can use any type of pumpkin you’d like or any type of squash, if that’s what you prefer. It’s gluten free, egg free, nut free, and can be made dairy-free and vegetarian. This soup also takes about forty-five minutes to make, and most of that time is spent boiling away on the stove, so all you have to do is cut up the carrots and onion and dump all of the ingredients into a pot, blend it when it’s done, and voila! It’s also packed full of healthy goodness because the pumpkins and carrots bring, among others, vitamin C, beta-carotene, and fiber to the table.
Note: I used vindaloo seasoning in this recipe. You can find recipes for this spice mix online or you may be able to find it at a local spice specialty store. If not, just add another teaspoon of curry powder.
(And by the way, the pumpkin spiced pumpkin seeds from Trader Joe’s make a perfect topping for this soup. A little bit of crunch, a bite of sweet, and a hit of heat from the curry in the soup—it’s heaven on a spoon.)
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth or water
- 1 cup of sliced carrots, about 4 to 5 medium-sized carrots
- ½ cup of pumpkin puree
- ¼ cup of milk or milk alternative
- ¼ cup of diced yellow onion
- 1 Tbsp. oil, like grapeseed or olive oil
- 2 tsp. of curry powder of choice
- 1 tsp. vindaloo seasoning, or 1 more tsp. of curry powder
- ½ tsp. salt, or to taste
- ½ tsp. pepper
- ½ tsp. cinnamon
- ½ tsp. turmeric
- Optional: 1 tbsp. honey, depending on how sweet your carrots are and how sweet you want your soup
- Toppings: Pepitas, sour cream or yogurt, or smoked paprika
- Cut the carrots into coins and dice the onion.
- Heat the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pot, then throw the onions in once the oil is warm.
- Sautee the onions until translucent, then add the carrots and seasonings. Sautee for five minutes until the carrots have some color.
- Add the pumpkin puree, then the chicken broth and milk and let simmer on medium heat for half an hour to forty-five minutes, or until the carrots are soft.
- Carefully pour the soup into a blender and blend until smooth and creamy.
- Taste the soup for seasoning and add whatever is missing.
- Serve with pepitas, sour cream or yogurt, and smoked paprika and enjoy!
Swaps:
- To make dairy-free, use a milk alternative (I actually used cashew milk for this recipe)
- To make this recipe vegetarian use vegetable broth, and to make this vegan leave out the honey and use an alternative milk
So, as the days and evenings grow colder and pumpkin everything pops up in the stores and coffee shops, take a moment to sit back and enjoy this spiced pumpkin and carrot soup and savor the tastes of fall’s best produce! It’s sure to warm you up.
‘Till next time!
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