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Warm up with a bowl of this Vegan Pumpkin Soup without Coconut Milk. A homey combination of pumpkin, potatoes, aromatic mirepoix veggies, and vibrant vegetable stock are simmered on the stove, then blended into an extra rich and creamy pumpkin soup with no heavy cream and no coconut milk!
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Check out my Pumpkin Smoothie and my Pumpkin Overnight Oats for more pumpkin recipes!
Attention plant-based pumpkin lovers: this vegan pumpkin soup showcases your favorite autumn squash in a luscious, downright decadent homemade creamy pumpkin soup. It's the perfect cozy and comforting soup for those chilly autumn afternoons!
These step-by-step instructions will teach you how to make this pumpkin soup from scratch without any added cream or milk. Nope, not even coconut milk! It's completely vegan, all veggies, and truly flawless.
In this vegan pumpkin soup recipe, creamy potatoes play the role of heavy cream or coconut milk. Once boiled and blended, the potatoes add a velvety element to the soup and a big boost of fiber. The remaining ingredients are a can of pumpkin puree, a handful of aromatic veggies, seasonings, and stock, which is nothing fancy but packed with flavor.
So, if you're ready to kick off pumpkin season with a creamy, dreamy, and deliciously dairy-free soup, gather the shortlist of simple ingredients, and let's make a pot of vegan pumpkin soup.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Because pumpkin! Pumpkin is packed with nutrients, low-calorie, high in vitamins A & C, and filled with fiber.
- It's vegan! The soup is made with all plant-based & dairy-free ingredients.
- This delicious and healthy fall soup is guaranteed to be a family favorite.
- It freezes well, so you can make some to enjoy now and freeze the rest to enjoy later.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Avocado Oil: This is all-around excellent cooking oil for sauteing vegetables. If you don't have avocado oil, you can use olive oil.
- Onion, Garlic, & Celery: This trio of savory and fragrant ingredients adds depth and delicious flavor to the broth.
- Potatoes: Help thicken the soup and create a creamy consistency despite no cream. I used gold potatoes, but please use whatever potato varieties are convenient.
- Pumpkin Purée: If you have access to pumpkins and would like to make pumpkin puree yourself, by all means, go for it -but a can of pumpkin is perfectly suitable for this soup.
- Vegetable Stock: Use a good quality vegetable stock with rich flavor and umami undertones. You can use vegetable broth, bearing in mind that stock delivers a more concentrated flavor and a richer mouthfeel than broth.
- Dried Thyme: For a rustic, earthy, and slightly citrusy flavor.
- Salt and Pepper: Salt improves the natural flavors, and black pepper adds warmth.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1: Sauté aromatics.
Add the avocado oil to a large stock pot and heat over medium heat. Add the onions and saute until lightly softened and fragrant. Then, add the garlic and cook for an additional minute.
Step 2: Cook potatoes and celery.
Add the potatoes, celery, and about a ¼ cup of the vegetable stock to the pot, and cook over medium-low heat for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
Step 3: Add pumpkin and simmer.
Add the pumpkin purée and the rest of the vegetable stock, and season with thyme, salt, and pepper. Raise the heat, bringing the mixture to a boil, then reduce it to a simmer, and cook for 20-25 minutes.
Step 4: Puree and serve.
Finally, add the pumpkin soup mixture to a high-speed blender, and blend until silky smooth. Alternatively, you can use an immersion blender and blend it directly in the stock pot. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed. Serve hot, and enjoy!
NOTE: You can print the FULL recipe with all ingredients & detailed instructions below!
Expert Tips
- If you decide to make homemade pumpkin puree, I suggest roasting the pumpkin instead of steaming them. It enhances the sweetness of the squash and adds caramelized undertones to the soup.
- This pumpkin soup is blended until completely smooth, but if you prefer chunky pumpkin soup with tangible potatoes and vegetables, use a potato masher to smash the soup ingredients directly in the pot until the soup is your desired texture.
- If the density of your soup is too thick once blended, mix in a splash of vegetable stock at a time until the soup is thinned to your preference.
Variations & Toppings
This vegan pumpkin soup is super flexible and easy to adapt precisely to your taste preferences with ingredients you may already have in your kitchen.
- Give it a kick - To make it spicy, add a pinch of red pepper flakes, cayenne, or Aleppo. Another option is blending in red chili pepper.
- Warming spices - Make this creamy pumpkin soup extra cozy by adding warming flavors like cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, coriander, or curry powder.
- Add more veggies, - Feel free to swap some of the pumpkin with a different pureed winter squash like butternut, buttercup, delicata, and kabocha. You can also add carrots, sweet potato, leeks, or cauliflower.
- Add leafy greens - After blending the soup and while it's still warm, feel free to stir in a handful of baby spinach leaves until wilted.
Serve individual bowls of vegan pumpkin soup garnished with some of the tasty toppings listed below, along with crusty bread or fresh naan.
- Pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
- Sunflower Seeds
- Croutons
- Fresh Herbs
- Crispy Sage Leaves
- Finishing Oils
- Toasted Nuts
- Crispy Chickpeas
- A Swirl of Vegan Sour Cream or Coconut Cream
Storing & Freezing
Storing: Let leftovers cool to room temperature, then transfer to an airtight container, and keep in the fridge for 4-5 days. To reheat, warm it in a saucepan or microwave.
Freezing: Due to the lack of dairy in this pumpkin soup, it freezes very well. Once cooled, transfer the soup to a freezer-safe container, leaving room at the top to accommodate any expansion, and freeze for up to 3 months. Let the soup thaw in the fridge before reheating. If it's too thick after thawing, add a splash of vegetable stock at a time until it loosens up.
Recipe FAQ‘s
Be sure to use a can of "100% pure pumpkin" or "pumpkin puree." "Pumpkin pie filling" is spiced and sweetened and will throw off the soup's flavor.
Sugar pumpkins (also called pie or sweet pumpkins) are the most common in cooking. Butternut and Queensland blue pumpkins are also good options.
You can add unsweetened coconut, oat, cashew, or soy milk to achieve a creamier consistency while sticking with vegan and dairy-free ingredients. If dairy isn't a concern, stir in some heavy cream, half and half, or sour cream.
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Vegan Pumpkin Soup Without Coconut Milk
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- ¼ cup yellow onion diced
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 2 medium gold potatoes peeled and chopped
- 2 stalks celery chopped
- 1 ½ cups pumpkin purée
- 2 cups vegetable stock
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat avocado oil in a stock pot over medium heat.
- Sauté onions for 2-3 minutes. Add garlic and sauté for an additional minute.
- Turn heat to medium-low. Add potatoes, celery, and about ¼ cup of the vegetable stock and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add pumpkin purée and the rest of the vegetable stock, thyme, salt and pepper.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer. Cook for about 20-25 minutes.
- Add soup to a blender and blend until smooth. You can also use an immersion blender if you prefer. Taste and adjust seasoning if desired.
Notes
- If you decide to make homemade pumpkin puree, I suggest roasting the pumpkin instead of steaming them. It enhances the sweetness of the squash and adds caramelized undertones to the soup.
- This pumpkin soup is blended until completely smooth, but if you prefer chunky pumpkin soup with tangible potatoes and vegetables, use a potato masher to smash the soup ingredients directly in the pot until the soup is your desired texture.
- If the density of your soup is too thick once blended, mix in a splash of vegetable stock at a time until the soup is thinned to your preference.
- Storing: Let leftovers cool to room temperature, then transfer to an airtight container, and keep in the fridge for 4-5 days. To reheat, warm it in a saucepan or microwave.
- Freezing: Due to the lack of dairy in this pumpkin soup, it freezes very well. Once cooled, transfer the soup to a freezer-safe container, leaving room at the top to accommodate any expansion, and freeze for up to 3 months. Let the soup thaw in the fridge before reheating. If it's too thick after thawing, add a splash of vegetable stock at a time until it loosens up.
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.
Gina
Such an easy fall soup to make! Love the potatoes for some staying power!
Noelle Simpson
Yum! This was the perfect fall soup, loved it!
Priya Lakshminarayan
Oh wow..that looks so tempting and soothing..will try this tonight
Shadi Hasanzadenemati
So delicious! Thank you for this amazing recipe!