Creamy Pumpkin Velvety Soup (Printable version)

Velvety pumpkin soup blended with aromatic vegetables and warm spices for a cozy meal.

# What you need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 2.2 lbs pumpkin, peeled, seeded, and cubed
02 - 1 medium onion, chopped
03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 1 medium carrot, peeled and sliced
05 - 1 celery stalk, sliced

→ Liquids

06 - 3 cups vegetable broth
07 - 1 cup water
08 - ½ cup heavy cream (or coconut cream for dairy-free)

→ Seasonings

09 - 2 tbsp olive oil
10 - ½ tsp ground nutmeg
11 - ½ tsp ground cinnamon
12 - Salt and black pepper, to taste

→ Garnish (optional)

13 - Toasted pumpkin seeds
14 - Fresh chives or parsley, chopped
15 - A swirl of extra cream

# How To:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Toss pumpkin cubes with 1 tbsp olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread evenly on a baking sheet and roast for 20–25 minutes until tender and lightly caramelized.
02 - Heat remaining 1 tbsp olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, and celery; sauté for 5 minutes until softened. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute.
03 - Add the roasted pumpkin, vegetable broth, and water to the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes.
04 - Stir in ground nutmeg and cinnamon. Remove the pot from heat.
05 - Use an immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth and creamy, or carefully transfer in batches to a standard blender.
06 - Stir in heavy cream. Adjust seasoning with salt and black pepper to taste.
07 - Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with toasted pumpkin seeds, fresh herbs, and an optional swirl of cream. Serve hot.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It's the kind of soup that tastes like a warm hug on a chilly evening, and you'll find yourself making it again and again.
  • Roasting the pumpkin instead of boiling it gives you this deep, caramelized sweetness that store-bought versions can never quite match.
  • Ready in under an hour, but tastes like you've been simmering it all day long.
02 -
  • Don't skip the roasting step—I learned this the hard way. Boiling pumpkin makes it watery and dull. Roasting concentrates its sweetness and gives you that caramelized richness that makes people ask for seconds.
  • If your soup breaks when you add the cream (looks grainy or separated), it means the heat was too high. Let it cool slightly before stirring in the cream, or add the cream slowly while stirring constantly.
  • Taste before serving. Seasoning is everything with squash soups—what seems perfectly seasoned in the pot might taste muted once it cools slightly in the bowl.
03 -
  • Use a vegetable peeler or Y-shaped peeler on the pumpkin before cutting if you'd like, but a sharp chef's knife works beautifully too. The key is taking your time and being careful—pumpkin skin is tough.
  • If you can't find fresh pumpkin, high-quality canned pumpkin puree (not pie filling) works in a pinch. Use about 800 ml (3½ cups) of puree and skip the roasting step, but know that the fresh version has a brightness that canned can't quite match.

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