Cozy up this fall and winter with a warm bowl of quick, simple, delicious, and filling pumpkin soup. All you need is 4 main ingredients, seasoning, and a pressure cooker.
Warm-up your gloomy and cloudy day with a warm soup. Pumpkin soup is the perfect one to make the day. It is my frequent go-to recipe, as it is the easiest, quickest, and simplest soup to make. Benefits just do not stop there. Pumpkin is a powerhouse of vitamins, minerals, and proteins. It is also relatively low in carbs, so great for weight loss without compromising on nutrients for our body. Also perfect for the sick days to boost our immune system.
I love soup so much, that I can sip on it every day anytime whether I am well or not well. It has the power to brighten my day and pump me with a burst of energy.
Make pumpkin soup with simple ingredients and a secret step that will set your simple pumpkin soup apart from any other pumpkin soup. Believe me, people will want to come back to your pumpkin soup. Read further to discover.
Skip to recipe Pumpkin Soup - Vegan Recipe or continue reading for tips and stages of making the recipe
Ingredients for Pumpkin Soup
All you need is pumpkin, onion, garlic, oil, and seasoning easily found in every (Q)Kitchen. Chives are optional for garnishing.
whole ingredients...
chopped...
Pressure cooked...
I use an electric pressure cooker. A gas top pressure cooker will do equally well. My recipe has instructions for both types of cookers.
Personally, I like my electric cooker for many reasons (some stated below) which makes cooking easier, faster, and fewer vessels to clean.
1. It comes with a stainless steel cooking container, better than the non-Stick container, and it can go straight into the dishwasher for cleaning.
2. It doesn't whistle and spurt liquid vapour all over my countertop. Again, one less job of unnecessary cleaning.
3. I can set the cooking time and it will turn off by itself when done. Perfect, for times when I am busy running errands for the day.
4. It has a sauté option which is handy to heat up the oil and sauté spices and vegetables prior to pressure cooking. I also use this setting for further heating or boiling food. Perfect to make recipes in one pot and less washing to do.
If you have any queries related to the recipe or equipment I have used please feel free to drop a line in the comment box. Always happy to help my followers to make their cooking experience fun and hassle-free.
Stages of making - 5 simple steps
1. Heat up oil (on sauté setting in an electric cooker or on gas in the gas top pressure cooker. Sauté garlic and onions.
2. Here comes the secret step that I was talking about earlier. It is a simple step but a crucial one which will make the flavour sing. Sweating and caramelisation of onion it is. This is what will make a big difference to the taste. It adds that beautiful depth to the flavour which instantly elevates the soup. So, do not skip this step. You have to trust me on this. I have tried omitting this step and the soup tasted flat.
Sauté garlic and onions on low heat. Add salt to help onions to sweat. Sweating will gently cook the onion to soften its texture, increase its sweetness and reduces the sulphur content, making it sweeter in taste and caramelising it. I sometimes cover it with the lid for a few minutes to speed up the process. Continue sweating and caramelising onions till it turns translucent but not burned or browned.
3. Add Pumpkin and sauté for few minutes then add water. Place the pressure cooker lid and cook. The last pic shows how pumpkins have shrunk and water is visible on top after pressure cooking.
4. Blend using a stick blender and sieve the soup.
5. Season with salt and black pepper to your taste. Heat the soup, garnish and serve warm. Check garnish options below to give that oomph to your soup when serving.
What type of pumpkin is best for the soup?
I normally use a mix of butternut and Kent pumpkin to get the best result. Always choose a pumpkin that has deep orangish-yellow colour flesh. Pale coloured pumpkin lacks flavour.
How to alter soup consistency?
Pumpkin soup is usually of thick consistency. That's what makes it rich and filling and perfect to mop up with bread. If you want to thin the soup then add more water to the soup and warm it. If you want the soup to be thick then simmer it until your desired consistency is reached.
Garnish options?
There are many ways to garnish the soup. You can have a simple garnish of crushed pepper and chopped chives, or amp up with roasted pine nuts, sesame, pumpkin, pepita, and /or sunflower seeds or you can go extravagant by topping the soup with crispy delicate pumpkin shoestring fries (julienne fries) or crispy croutons for extra crunch.
Can it be made ahead of time?
Yes definitely, it can be made ahead of time. In fact, the soup tastes yummier the next day. This soup can stay good for 3 days in the refrigerator. You can also stock it by freezing. It will stay good for a couple of months in the freezer.
Note: Once thawed then do not refreeze. Freeze in smaller packs so you can take out only how much you need.
What special dietary needs does this recipe cater to?
This is the ideal recipe that covers a wide range of dietary requirements. It is perfect for Vegetarian, Vegan, Gluten-free, Nut-free (do not add nuts as garnish), and Lactose-free diets.
Final Result
Ooooo.... look at this thick, silky, glowing warm soup. Doesn't it look inviting? Especially when it is freezing outside. I am going in for a slurp.
Add it as a starter to your dinner party menu or make it your comfy winter meal. Don't forget loads of garlic bread to mop up all the goodness.
What are you waiting for?
Pick up your cooker, collect the ingredients, and warm-up your winter.
Recipe link below
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