Creamy Pumpkin and Carrot Soup is a mildly spiced, warm and comforting soup with the taste, aroma and fall flavors of pumpkin and carrots; a perfect warm hug in a bowl to enjoy on chilly nights or for that matter any time! I am not a big fan of soups on most days but when there is a nip in the air or I feel like having something light and filling for lunch or dinner, then soup it is! A side of toasted bread with a large bowl of light or creamy soup is all I need to fill me up and satisfy my hunger pangs; absolutely soul satisfying! You can see my love for soup in our family by the number of varieties of soup I have shared with you all; be it a simple Tomato and Carrot Soup, a light cabbage soup, a spicy Indo-Chinese Manchow Soup or a creamy Sweet Corn soup!
WHY PUMPKIN SOUP?
Well, it is fall/autumn and time for pumpkins to reach its peak in flavor, nutrition and variety! And, I love pumpkin, especially this mouthwatering south Indian Konkani style Pumpkin curry/stir fry or Duddhe Upkari! I just find that soft, tender and buttery taste and texture of cooked pumpkin with a twang of sweetness so, so tempting, not to mention its numerous health benefits (low in calories, rich in vitamins and minerals, full of beta carotene, powerful antioxidant, full of fiber etc.) Here, I have made a creamy, thick and delicious Pumpkin soup using fresh pumpkin chunks. I adore pumpkin for its thick and sweet texture and its ease of cooking; turns soft and tender in no time! As pumpkin by itself has a”bleh” taste, you need to add some warming spices to amp up the taste quotient! So here it is some cloves, a bay leaf, some fiery peppercorns and a chunk of spicy ginger to add to the immunity quotient along with flavor and aroma! To add more nutrition without changing its color, I have added some carrots too. The best part of this recipe is, it can be made in a pressure pan in no time.
HOW TO MAKE PUMPKIN-CARROT SOUP:
It is super easy and super simple! Just pressure cook (in the Indian style pressure cooker or Instant Pot), the vegetables (pumpkin, carrots and onions) with some simple spices like cloves, a dash of fiery peppercorns, a bay leaf and some spicy ginger chunks after they have been sautéed on high heat in some oil for a couple of minutes. Once soft and tender, puree either in a blender jar or use an immersion blender (remove whole spices if you want to avoid a super spicy soup!), adjust consistency, season with salt and more black pepper and simmer until all the flavors have amalgamated. That is it! A shower of freshly chopped cilantro or mint leaves and time to dig into a hot, comforting bowl of healthy and delicious Pumpkin and Carrot soup! Carrots and pumpkin cook so easily, you can make this soup on a stove top too without the pressure pan.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS:
Serve it as an appetizer or starter at any dinner or party and with a side of buttered and toasted bread, it could be a complete meal! Want to make it creamier and rich? Then stir in a splash of cream just before removing from stove! Enjoy Foodies and Happy Cooking!
Do check out these other Pressure Cooker soups you can enjoy this coming winter:
Light and Healthy Cabbage Soup Easy Sweet Corn Soup Celery soup with Cumin and ginger Moroccon Spiced Cauliflower Soup
Now, let us get on to make this creamy, beautiful and oh-so-easy Pumpkin and Carrot Soup:
STEP-WISE INSTRUCTIONS TO MAKE CREAMY PUMPKIN AND CARROT SOUP:
Heat oil in a pressure pan and once hot, add the warming whole spices; cloves, bay leaves and peppercorns along with the chopped ginger. Add cubed onions after a few seconds. Cook Time: 15 minutes
2 tbsp oil (any cooking oil); or butter/ghee if not vegan 3 cloves 1 bay leaf 7 to 8 peppercorns ½ inch piece of ginger, peeled and roughly chopped 1 small onion, roughly chopped 2 carrots, washed peeled and cubed 2 cups washed, peeled and chopped red pumpkin Freshly chopped coriander leaves./cilantro for garnish
Instructions Notes You can interchange the spices and use your favorite whole spices. This soup turns out thick so the consistency should be according to your family choice.
When they begin to saute and sizzle, add cubed pumpkin and carrots; fry on medium heat for a couple of minutes.
Add enough water to soak the veggies, close the pressure pan and pressure cook for 1 to 2 whistles (2 minutes in the instant pot).
Let pressure drop on its own and when able to open the lid, remove the whole bay leaf and cloves. At this stage, if you like your soup less spicy, remove the peppercorns too; I left mine in the soup as we love spicy food! Strain the mixture into a saucepan and blend the cooked veggies to a fine puree in a blender.
Transfer the pureed mixture into the strained broth, add more water (by rinsing the blender jar), add salt and sugar if needed and bring to a boil.
Lower the heat and simmer for about 5 to 7 minutes. Adjust consistency and seasonings if necessary.
Remove from heat, garnish with freshly chopped cilantro/mint leaves and serve hot as an appetizer or a complete meal with a side of toasted bread.
Enjoy this healthy, warm, nourishing and delicious PUMPKIN AND CARROT SOUP any time of the year!
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