Looking for a cozy Fall dinner that will warm you up from the inside out? This Carrot Pumpkin Soup is comforting, nutritious, full of Fall flavors, and only requires one pot and under an hour to make!
This cozy vegan soup recipe is packed with nutrient-dense carrots and pumpkins and is intensified by complementary aromatic spices like nutmeg and ginger. It will feed 4-6 hungry tummies and is a perfect Fall dinner or Thanksgiving appetizer or side dish.
As an environmental scientist, eating seasonally is something I try hard to practice. I love carrot season because they are just so versatile and delicious. I love roasting carrots with vegetables like broccoli or asparagus, and of course in this Carrot Pumpkin Soup!
Green tip: Eating seasonally is one of the best ways to live more sustainably, Local foods have less associated transportation costs and fuel emissions. Check when carrots are in season in your area with this Seasonal Food Guide.
Carrot Pumpkin Soup Ingredients
Here’s everything you need:
- Carrots. Whole carrots. You can buy a 1-pound bag or select 8 large carrots.
- Shallots. They add a lot of umami and earthiness to the soup. You can substitute 1 yellow onion in a pinch.
- Garlic. 2 cloves or 2 tablespoons of minced garlic.
- Olive oil. To sauté your carrots, shallots, and garlic in.
- Salt & Pepper. To ramp up all the other natural flavors.
- Nutmeg. This lends a warm, slightly nutty flavor.
- Ginger. To bring zesty, Fall aromatics to your soup.
- Vegetable broth. The base of your soup. Buy it or make your own vegetable broth.
- Pumpkin Puree. Just 1 can will bring a strong pumpkin flavor.
- Apple. Make sure to use a sweet one like Fuji, Ambrosia, Gala, Honeycrisp, or Red Delicious. This will bring out the sweetness in the pumpkin and carrots and temper the bitter after taste pumpkin can sometimes have.
Carrot Pumpkin Soup Tips and Tricks
Prep Your Carrots, Shallots, and Garlic
Bearing in mind we will be pureeing the vegetables to make a thick creamy soup, the cut on these vegetables definitely do not need to be uniform.
That being said, the smaller you get your vegetables, the quicker they will cook. Peel your carrots and cut them on the diagonal into carrot rounds as pictured below.
Green tip: Billions of tons of food is wasted annually in the United States alone! Don’t toss your carrot skins! Consider saving them to make your own vegetable broth!
Peel and dice your shallots and garlic as well.
Add Your Vegetables to the Pot
Add the prepped carrot, shallot, and garlic to a large pot with a lid or a Dutch Oven with the olive oil, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and ground ginger.
Sauté the Carrots, Shallots, and Garlic
Turn your heat up to high and sauté the vegetables, stirring occasionally for about ten minutes until the vegetables start to brown. At this point, your kitchen will start to smell delicious!
Green tip: If you have an electric range, use a pot that both sits flat on and matches the size of your burner to make sure you are not wasting energy.
How to Prep Your Apple for Soup
Meanwhile, peel and core your apple, cutting it into small chunks. The apple is not a strong flavor profile in this soup, but it brings out the sweetness in the carrots and pumpkin and balances the bitter aftertaste that pumpkin can sometimes have.
That means it’s best to choose a sweet variety of apple. Sweet apples include, but are not limited to Fuji, Ambrosia, Gala, Honeycrisp, and Red Delicious.
Avoid tart apples like Granny Smith, Pink Lady, and Braeburn.
Boil Your Soup Ingredients in Vegetable Broth
Add your vegetable broth and prepped apple to your pot and bring it to a boil. Cover and boil until both the carrots and apple chunks are fork tender. This typically takes about 20 minutes.
Make sure to stir occasionally to avoid anything sticking to the bottom of the pot.
Blend Your Soup
Once the carrots and apple are fork-tender, turn your heat all the way down to low and use an immersion blender to blend until the soup is smooth and free from chunks. Bear in mind the soup is very hot, so be careful of splattering!
If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can easily use a food processor or blender! Transfer the contents of you pot to your food processor or blender and blend on high until smooth. Then, transfer it back to the pot.
Add the Pumpkin Puree to the Soup
Once your carrot soup mixture is nice and smooth, add the pumpkin puree and stir to combine. Simmer on low for about 10 minutes to allow all the flavors to meld together.
Taste-test your soup to make sure it doesn’t need any extra salt or pepper.
How to Store and Reheat Leftover Pumpkin Carrot Soup
Stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, this Carrot Pumpkin Soup will last up to 5 days. You can reheat it by simmering it in a pot for about 10-15 minutes until heated through, or in the microwave on high, covered for 2-3 minutes.
This soup also stays fresh in the freezer for up to 6 months. Just thaw it overnight in the refrigerator before following directions aboce to reheat it from the fridge.
Why You Should Make This One-Pot Carrot Pumpkin Soup
- It’s nutrient-dense. Loaded with carrots, pumpkin, and apple, all of which provide a number of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants! Plus, it’s naturally dairy free and free of added sugars.
- It’s creamy. The consistency of the puree is thick, creamy, and hearty.
- It’s flavorful. Between the flavor-packed veggies and added spices, this soup is sure to satisfy your taste buds!
If you’re loving this Carrot Pumpkin Soup and want more cozy fall dinner ideas, check out this Hearty Mushroom Stew and Vegan Orzo Soup.
One-Pot Carrot Pumpkin Soup
SAVE RECIPE TO COLLECTION PIN PRINT RATEEquipment
- Immersion Blender *or*
- Food Processor *or*
- Dutch Oven (optional)
Ingredients
- 1 pound carrots (8 large carrots = approx. 1 pound)
- 2 large shallots
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 large sweet apple (like Fuji, Ambrosia, Gala, Honeycrisp, or Red Delicious)
- 6 cups vegetable broth
- 15 ounces pumpkin puree (1 can = approx. 15 ounces)
- 1 sprig rosemary (optional for garnish)
Instructions
- Peel your carrots and slice them diagonally into thin rounds (about ½ inch in thickness). Peel and dice the garlic and shallots.
- To a large pot fit with a lid or Dutch Oven, add olive oil, prepped carrots, shallots, and garlic, and salt, pepper, nutmeg, and ginger. Sauté over high heat for about 10 minutes until carrots start to brown, stirring occasionally.
- Meanwhile, peel, core, and chop your apple into chunks.
- Add the vegetable broth and chopped apple to the pot, stir and bring to a boil. Cover and boil until the carrots and apple are fork-tender (about 20 minutes). Stir occasionally to make sure nothing sticks to the bottom of the pot.
- Once the carrots and apples are fork-tender, turn heat down to low and use an immersion blender to blend the soup until smooth. If you don't have an immersion blender, transfer your soup to a food processor or blender and blend until smooth.
- Finally, add your pumpkin puree and stir to combine. Simmer on low for 10 more minutes covered.
- Serve hot with rosemary (optional) and enjoy!
Pro Tips
- This soup will last in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 5 days.
- You can freeze this soup for up to 6 months.
2 thoughts on “One-Pot Carrot Pumpkin Soup”
I made your creamy carrot apple soup for my cooking club; they all loved it.
YAYY!! I’m so glad to hear! Thank you, Sandy!