Instant pot pumpkin soup - a heartwarming soup packed with all the flavors you crave on a chilly day. This is one healthy pumpkin soup you won't be able to get enough of!
Pumpkin season is here, so you know it's soup season! This easy instant pot pumpkin soup is so delicious and nutritious and can be enjoyed by the whole family.
One great thing about this soup is that it's ready in just 30 minutes. And making it in the instant pot pressure cooker requires very little effort. It is also vegan, dairy-free, and gluten-free and can be enjoyed on most special diets.
Unless you're on a pumpkin-free diet, but does that even exist? This warm bowl of soup will ignite your taste buds on a cold night or after a long day.
And if you're in the market for an instant pot, try this Instant Pot Duo 7 in 1 Pressure Cooker. It's seriously the best!
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Ingredients Used
- Pumpkin puree: I love this Farmers Market Pumpkin Puree from Amazon. You can make your pumpkin puree from scratch using fresh pumpkin during the fall season, but canned pumpkin puree works just fine and is available year-round.
- Unsweetened coconut milk: For this recipe, you need the thick full-fat coconut milk sold in cans, not the ones sold in the refrigerated section. I used Coco Lopez coconut milk for this recipe, but I have also used Thai unsweetened coconut milk in the past. You can also use keto-friendly coconut cream.
- Cauliflower: This helps to thicken up the soup without adding any additional thickeners. You can use a whole head of cauliflower or frozen cauliflower florets.
- Spices: Cinnamon, nutmeg, cumin, cayenne pepper, salt. Cayenne pepper gives this soup a slight spicy kick, but you can omit it entirely if you wish.
- Broth: Use chicken broth, vegetable broth, or any flavor of broth you like.
- Aromatics: Onions and garlic.
- Garnish: I garnish my pumpkin soup with cilantro and red pepper flakes, but this is optional.
- Olive oil: or your favorite cooking oil.
How to make this recipe
Here are the steps to make this delicious keto pumpkin soup.
- If you use fresh cauliflower, chop it up into medium-sized florets using a cutting board or a food processor. Also, cut the onions and mince the garlic.
- Turn the instant pot to sauté mode. Add olive oil and when it heats up, add the onions and garlic. Sauté till fragrant.
- Pour in the broth and scrape any browned bits from the onions and garlic.
- Pour in the pumpkin puree and coconut milk.
- Add the cauliflower, cinnamon, nutmeg, cumin, cayenne pepper, and salt.
- Turn the instant pot off and back on to manual mode. Set it to high pressure for 10 minutes. It will take approximately 10 minutes to come to pressure. When it is done, quick release the pressure by turning the venting knob from sealing to venting.
- Use an immersion blender to puree the soup until it is smooth. Taste for salt and adjust if necessary. I add a tablespoon of salt but remember the broth already contains some salt, so adjust how you see fit.
- Optionally top with cilantro and red pepper flakes and enjoy!
Make it on the stove
If you don't have an instant pot, you can also make this delicious pumpkin soup on a stove top. The steps are the same, until after you add the cauliflower and spices.
Bring it to a boil, then simmer for 10 - 15 minutes. Turn off the stove, then puree using an immersion blender.
This recipe serves 6 and contains 8 net carbs per serving.
Storing and Reheating
This creamy instant pot pumpkin soup keeps well in the fridge for 3-4 days, and it also freezes well. You can freeze it in a container or in freezer bags, and it is best to freeze individual portions. If you use a freezer bag, make sure you remove as much air as you can.
To reheat, either defrost in the microwave or bring it out overnight for best results, so it defrosts in the fridge.
Additional toppings
You can eat this delicious soup just as it is for a light, hearty soup, or you can add different toppings to jazz it up.
Some of my favorite toppings are:
- Roasted veggies
- Walnuts, pecans (or your favorite low carb nuts)
- Sunflower seeds
- Sesame seeds
- Lemon juice
- A drizzle of coconut milk
- Parsley
- Shredded coconut
- Sliced almonds
Helpful Tips
- You can reduce the cayenne pepper or leave it out entirely.
- Use vegetable stock for a vegan pumpkin soup.
- When you pour in the broth after sautéing the onions and garlic, make sure you scrape any browned bits in the instant pot. This is crucial to prevent your instant pot from giving a burn notice, so don't omit this.
- The combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cumin is quite potent together, so be careful about adding additional spices, or the taste might become overwhelming.
Check out these other savory keto soups!
Need more soups? Check out this collection of soups that will keep you warm and cozy!
Recipe
Instant Pot Pumpkin Soup
Ingredients
- 1/2 onion
- 1 garlic clove
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cups broth
- 15 oz pumpkin puree
- 1/2 can coconut milk
- 1 cauliflower medium
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tbsp salt or to taste
- cilantro optional garnish
- red pepper flakes optional garnish
Instructions
Make it in the instant pot
- Chop up the cauliflower into medium-sized florets.
- Cut the onions and garlic.
- Turn instant pot to sauté mode.
- Add olive oil and when it heats up, add onions and garlic and sauté till fragrant.
- Pour in the broth and scrape any browned bits from the onions and garlic.
- Pour in the pumpkin puree and coconut milk.
- Add the cauliflower, cinnamon, nutmeg, cumin, cayenne pepper, and salt.
- Turn the instant pot off and back on to manual mode.
- Set it to high pressure for 10 minutes (It will take approximately 10 minutes to come to pressure).
- When it is done, quick-release the pressure by turning the venting knob from sealing to venting.
- Use an immersion blender to puree till smooth.
- Taste for salt and adjust if necessary.
- Optionally top with cilantro and red pepper flakes and enjoy!
Make it on the stove
- The steps are the same, except you cook it in a pot on the stove instead.
- After adding the cauliflower and spices, bring to a boil.
- Simmer for 10 - 15 minutes.
- Use an immersion blender to puree till smooth.
- Taste for salt and adjust if necessary.
- Optionally top with cilantro and red pepper flakes and enjoy!
Notes
- You can reduce the cayenne pepper or leave it out entirely.
- Use vegetable stock for a vegan pumpkin soup.
- When you pour in the broth after sautéing the onions and garlic, make sure you scrape any browned bits in the pot. This is a crucial step to prevent your instant pot from giving a burn notice, so don't omit this.
- The combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cumin is quite strong together, so be careful about adding additional spices, or the taste might become overwhelming.
Don’t have an instant pot..can i just do this on the stove?
LOL! Never mind just saw the rest of the instructions!
Let me know how it turns out!
I've tried squash and pumpkin soups before and haven't found one I like. This one was a surprise! Great flavor and texture and so many options to add depending on your mood. I made it with vegetable stock and frozen cauliflower and cut back a little on the salt, I served it with a little cream swirled in. Delicious and perfect for a snowy fall day in Colorado.
I am sooo glad you enjoyed my recipe, Stephanie. It's a favorite in my house too, especially in this cold weather!