Creamy Pumpkin Soup Toasted Seeds (Printable)
Velvety pumpkin blend with spices and toasted seeds offers warmth and texture for chilly days.
# What You Need:
→ Vegetables
01 - 2.2 pounds pumpkin (Hokkaido or butternut), peeled, seeded, and cubed
02 - 1 medium onion, chopped
03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 1 medium carrot, peeled and sliced
→ Liquids
05 - 3 cups vegetable broth
06 - ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream (or coconut milk for vegan option)
→ Spices & Seasonings
07 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
08 - ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
09 - ½ teaspoon ground cumin
10 - ¼ teaspoon chili flakes (optional)
11 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
→ Garnish
12 - 3 tablespoons pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
13 - 1 tablespoon sunflower seeds (optional)
14 - 1 tablespoon fresh chives or parsley, finely chopped
# Steps:
01 - Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add chopped onion and sliced carrot; cook for 4 to 5 minutes until tender.
02 - Stir in minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Add cubed pumpkin, ground nutmeg, cumin, and optional chili flakes; cook for 2 to 3 minutes while stirring occasionally.
04 - Pour in vegetable broth, bring to a boil, then reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes until pumpkin and carrots are soft.
05 - While soup simmers, toast pumpkin and sunflower seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until golden and aromatic. Set aside.
06 - Remove pot from heat. Use an immersion blender or process in batches in a countertop blender until smooth.
07 - Stir in heavy cream or coconut milk. Gently reheat if necessary. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
08 - Ladle soup into bowls and garnish each serving with toasted seeds and chopped fresh herbs.
# Expert Hints:
01 -
- It tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen, but honestly takes less time than scrolling through your phone.
- The contrast between silky soup and crunchy seeds is the kind of textural surprise that makes eating actually interesting.
- Works beautifully for both a quiet Tuesday dinner and impressing guests without the stress of complicated techniques.
02 -
- Blending hot soup can be temperamental—if using a countertop blender, let the soup cool slightly, blend in batches, and always leave the lid slightly ajar to avoid building pressure that sends soup everywhere.
- The seeds must be toasted before serving, not hours ahead; they soften as they sit and lose that crucial crunch that makes this soup actually interesting to eat.
- Don't skip seasoning at the end—salt and pepper make the difference between soup that tastes like you followed instructions and soup that tastes genuinely delicious.
03 -
- An immersion blender is genuinely worth owning for soups like this—it's faster, safer with hot liquid, and leaves a silkier texture than countertop blenders.
- The spice proportions here are starting points; trust your nose and taste buds, adding more nutmeg or cumin until it feels right to you.
- Toasting the seeds in a dry pan means watching them carefully, but the payoff is flavor you can't get any other way.