Instant Pot Pumpkin Soup

For me, pumpkin season begins with a warm bowl of soup and a slice of pumpkin pie. This easy instant pot pumpkin soup is a favorite on a chilly day. Incredibly creamy and filled with warm fall flavors. Made with fresh pumpkin, coconut cream, almond butter, and spices, this is the perfect accompaniment to any holiday dish.

It is almost soup season! This easy recipe is timely for the cold nights of autumn. This is just one of the numerous Instant Pot recipes I have shared and love. I highly recommend taking advantage of all the pumpkin and making my famous Instant Pot Pumpkin Cheesecake and Pumpkin Risotto.

The delicious soup is incredibly flavorful, heartwarming, and filling. It can be served as an appetizer or a side dish. Made with simple, wholesome ingredients and minimal effort, I guarantee it – this will become your go-to creamy pumpkin soup recipe. I call it my one-pot wonder, as it’s so fuss-free and easy to make that it’s ideal for busy weeknights, yet also elegant and tasteful for special occasions.

Please take my advice, make some in advance, cook two batches, and freeze one for later. This is my number one meal-planning trick. I store the soup in gallon-size ziplock bags, flat in my fridge, so they don’t take up too much space. Next time, when you crave pumpkin soup, you know you can thaw it, reheat it, and enjoy it! This is especially handy when pumpkin season comes to an end.

Why you will love this recipe 

• It’s a delightful holiday appetizer or meal: I can serve it for a pre-Thanksgiving meal, and it makes a nice lunch the next day with a turkey sandwich or cheesy turkey slider.   
• It is incredibly easy to make: It only takes a few minutes to prep and only 10 minutes to pressure cook. No stirring, no watching it!
• All in one pot: It is easy to clean up afterward because I make it all in the Instant Pot. 
• Healthy and delicious: It is easy to get the kids to eat their vegetables when they taste this pumpkin soup. They especially love it when I serve it in homemade bread bowls.

What you will need

• Pumpkin: I use six cups of diced organic sugar pumpkin, also known as pie pumpkin. 
• Wet ingredients: Vegetable broth adds depth of flavor to the juice, but I choose the low-sodium type because I prefer to control the amount of salt in my soup. I also like using coconut cream instead of heavy cream for a rich and velvety texture with a subtle sweetness. It is also dairy-free in case that matters. Again, I use dairy-free almond butter instead of regular butter. It makes the soup creamy and smooth while leaving out excess fat and dairy.
• Seasonings: Red curry paste lends the soup a complexity of both sweet and spicy notes, providing a robust flavor with hints of lemongrass, ginger, and garlic. I also add more minced garlic because the sweet and savory flavors add depth that elevates the overall taste. Diced yellow onion also helps create a subtle sweetness and umami base.  
• Herbs and spices: The blend of ground nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves gives the pumpkin soup its warm and welcoming holiday scent and flavor, reminiscent of pumpkin pie. The fresh minced ginger adds a spicy, warm kick. Red pepper flakes are optional, but I like to add a pinch for a subtle hint of heat. Sea salt is added to enhance the flavor of the other ingredients.  

How to make 

Sauté the onion: First, I set the Instant Pot to sauté and let the oil heat up before adding the onion. Then, I let it simmer for two minutes before adding the garlic, curry paste, and ginger, cooking for another 30 seconds. 

Cook the soup: Next, I blend the almond butter with a bit of broth and turn off the sauté setting before stirring in the remaining ingredients, except for the cream. I close the lid and seal the valve, setting it to high pressure. I let it cook for 10 minutes before allowing it to release for 15 minutes naturally. 

Add cream and serve: Once the pressure is released, I open the pot and stir in the coconut cream a little at a time. Then, I use an immersion blender to smooth it before serving it. 

Serve: I scoop it into carved mini pumpkins and top the homemade pumpkin soup with a drizzle of cream, olive oil, pepita seeds, and fresh thyme.

Expert tip

Roasting the pumpkin

I always roast my pumpkin for the best flavor rather than boiling it. When cooking it, the flesh gets watery and seems to have less flavor. The flavor just gets lost in the water. Additionally, the pumpkin becomes soft and full of water, retaining all that excess liquid. That means a watery soup, unless the flesh is drained overnight in a fine-mesh sieve. Roasting caramelizes the pumpkin, activating the natural sugar and making it sweeter. 

More tips to consider:

• I like to serve my soup in carved out pumpkins for a fun presentation. 
• Although it adds an extra step, using the sauté function for the onions, garlic, and other ingredients helps deepen the flavors.
• Waiting until the end to add the cream will keep it from curdling or separating.
• Mixing the almond butter with vegetable broth makes it easier to blend with the other ingredients. 
• Do not use regular pumpkins for this soup. They are too stringy and are mostly water.

Recipe variations and add-ins:

• Make it even faster: To make this soup in five minutes instead of 10, use my recipe for pumpkin puree. Since the pumpkin is already cooked, there is no need to reheat it. Pour the ingredients into the Instant Pot, except for the cream. Then, add the cream after it has cooked, as the recipe instructs. 
• Make it with dairy: It can also be made with real heavy cream and butter. The taste will be richer and smoother. Also, be sure to wait a few minutes before adding the cream at the end so the cream doesn’t curdle. 
• Use squash: Instead of pumpkin, I have used butternut squash, acorn squash, buttercup squash, and Kabocha squash. They all turn out delicious, but I like Instant Pot roasted butternut squash soup the best. 
• Add more vegetables: Sometimes, I like to add more veggies, such as roasted red bell peppers, carrots, and squash, to add flavor and color. I blend them up with an immersion blender, just like the pumpkin.
• Roasted pumpkin seeds: I like to add roasted pumpkin seeds on top to give this soup some crunch. 

Serving suggestions:

I served this healthy pumpkin soup at a ladies’ brunch last year, and everyone loved it. I served it in small pumpkin bowls with toasted pumpkin seeds and cream on top, and I had to share the link to my recipe with everyone so they could make it. They were especially impressed with the bowl, which I didn’t have a recipe for! They are just pumpkins with the insides scooped out to make bowls, though, so I am pretty sure they can figure it out. 

I also served some pumpkin focaccia bread, which the ladies enjoyed dipping into the soup. It was also topped with pumpkin seeds. These two dishes pair very well together, and I ended up with no leftovers for once. For dessert, my dulce de leche-stuffed pumpkin lava cakes were awe-inspiring, even though they were easy to make. Topped with cinnamon whipped cream and filled with dulce de leche, these are decadent and delicious little cakes full of warm caramel goodness.

Topping suggestions:

• crispy bacon
• Parmesan or Fontina cheese
• Garlic croutons
• Fried shallots
• Veggie chips
• Roasted pumpkin seeds
• Olive oil
• Cream
• Thyme

How to store leftovers:

• Reheating: Then, I reheat it in a saucepan over medium-low heat until it is warmed through. 
• Refrigerate: I put leftover Instant Pot pumpkin soup in a jar or airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
• Freezing: To keep it longer, I scoop it into quart freezer bags and lay them flat in the freezer, so they don’t take up much room. They will last up to four months.
• Defrost: Before serving, I thaw the soup overnight in the refrigerator.

Frequently asked questions

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