How to Make Vegan Pumpkin Soup from Scratch with Coconut Milk
Learn to make a rich and creamy vegan pumpkin soup with coconut milk. This savory fall meal is delicious as a main course. Or serve it as a side dish to compliment your favorite autumn dinner recipes.
Many popular pumpkin recipes tend to be sweet desserts. While I love a fresh slice of homemade pumpkin pie or a piece of pumpkin bread, I also enjoy savory pumpkin recipes. Therefore, I love making homemade pumpkin soup throughout the season. Keep reading for one of my favorite autumn recipes.
Vegan Pumpkin Soup With Coconut Milk
If you’ve roasted pumpkin for soup, then you know that this gives it an overall sweet flavor. While sweet soups have their place, you don’t always want dinner that is reminiscent of liquid pumpkin pie. My vegan pumpkin soup is made from scratch without roasting the pumpkins. So, rather than the sweetness you get from making roasted pumpkin soup, you have a savory dinner instead.
The base of my pumpkin soup is made without cream. Instead, I use homemade coconut milk for a creamy texture and light coconut taste that compliments the seasonal vegetables. You’ll love the rich and complex flavor these provide when combined with the other herbs and spices in this autumnal soup! In addition, the fresh pumpkin also gives this coconut milk soup a beautiful orange hue. So, your soup not only tastes delicious, it also represents some of the beautiful fall colors we come to expect when the leaves change.
I can’t wait for you to try this delicious recipe on a cool fall day! I serve my homemade pumpkin soup warm for dinner with a crusty bread, fresh ears of corn on the cob, or even a simple salad. However, it’s also tasty as side dish. You can also reheat the leftovers for a quick lunch the next day.
Is Pumpkin Soup Healthy?
Pumpkin soup is a healthy option for lunch or dinner. Nutritionally it’s rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. It’s a also a low-calorie food that’s high in fiber. Therefore, it’s a great choice if you’re trying to make healthy food choices or are watching your weight.
As this coconut milk pumpkin soup is a savory meal, it has no added sugar. This also makes it a healthier alternative to recipes with added sweeteners. You’ll love the vibrant flavor you get using my choice of low calorie, vegan ingredients. I even include white beans for extra protein for a complete and balanced meal.
What Can I Substitute for Coconut Milk?
Personally, I like to use coconut milk because it makes this dairy free pumpkin soup extra creamy. To make vegan pumpkin soup recipe with no coconut milk, you can substitute it with the following plant based milks or homemade nut milk:
- Homemade almond milk
- Oat milk
- Rice milk
- Hemp milk
- Soy milk
How Do I Make Pumpkin Soup With Canned Pumpkin?
I use a real pumpkin to make my coconut milk vegan pumpkin soup recipe. I chop up the pumpkin, then allow it to simmer with the other ingredients. So, it’s really not hard to make. However, you can also use canned pumpkin puree if you prefer.
A fresh pumpkin will yield about 5 to 6 cups of pumpkin. Whereas a 15-ounce can of pumpkin puree has just under two cups. Therefore, to make this healthy pumpkin soup recipe you would need to use three cans of pumpkin. Alternately, you can also use one large can of pumpkin puree and one small can of pumpkin puree.
Make sure that you use pure pumpkin puree when making this fall soup. You don’t want to use pumpkin pie filling as it has extra spices that can affect how your coconut milk vegan pumpkin soup tastes.
How Do You Fix Bitter Pumpkin Soup?
If you find that your pumpkin soup without cream tastes bitter, try adding some salt. This should counteract the bitterness. You can also add a pinch of sugar. As a last resort, try adding some olive oil or coconut oil to your recipe for homemade pumpkin soup.
Healthy Pumpkin Soup Variations
The great thing about making vegan pumpkin soup from scratch is that you can easily change things up and customize it to your liking. If you’d like to give this recipe your own unique twist, try one of these variations or additions:
- Use a different winter squash, such as kabocha or a Queensland blue pumpkin, instead of or in addition to butternut pumpkin.
- Try adding cayenne pepper for a little bit of heat.
- Use a sweet potato in place of the potato.
- Add quinoa to the soup.
- Use a low sodium vegetable stock in place of the water.
What Herbs Go Well With Homemade Soup?
In addition to the variations you can incorporate into my recipe, you can also try one of the following herbs or spices. They add a flavorful boost to any pumpkin soup made with coconut milk:
- Cayenne pepper powder
- Turmeric root powder
- Fresh basil
- Rosemary sprigs
- Fresh thyme
- Cumin seed powder
- Ground nutmeg
- Paprika powder
- Ginger root powder
Tips for Making Dairy Free Pumpkin Soup From Scratch
To assist you with making this fall soup from scratch, here are some tips for making vegan pumpkin soup:
- I start with a fresh pumpkin and cook the cubed pumpkin. However, you can use homemade or store bought pumpkin puree. Use about 5 to 6 cups of puree in place of one pumpkin.
- You can make your own coconut milk, as I did, or use one can of coconut milk. I recommend the full fat coconut milk for a creamy flavor.
- Saute the onions and garlic to mellow their flavor prior to adding them.
How to Make Dairy Free Pumpkin Soup in a Slow Cooker
If you want to make this pumpkin soup without cream in a slow cooker, then I recommend sauteeing the onions and garlic to mellow the flavors. Otherwise, they can get quite strong while cooking in a slow cooker.
Once they are sauteed until soft, combine all of the ingredients in a slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours. Then use an immersion blender to blend until smooth. After you blend it, you can turn the slow cooker on low. Then allow the soup to cook for several hours.
Coconut Milk Vegan Pumpkin Soup Ingredients
You will need the following to make my dairy free pumpkin soup recipe:
- Pumpkin: I used butternut pumpkin, also known as butternut squash, for this savory fall recipe. However, you can also use other pumpkins to make soup.
- Onions
- Garlic
- Potato
- White beans
- Cumin seed powder
- Paprika powder
- Ground nutmeg
- Turmeric root powder
- Homemade coconut milk: I combined, then blended shredded coconut and water to make my own coconut milk. However, you substitute my homemade version with coconut milk from a can.
How to Make Vegan Pumpkin Soup
Follow these steps to make pumpkin soup with coconut milk:
1. Begin by preparing the vegetables. Peel the onions, garlic, butternut pumpkin, and the potato. Then dice the onion, pumpkin and potato into small cubes. Mince the garlic.
2. Now add the vegetables to large pot. Then cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. While the veggies cook, use this time to make the coconut milk for your soup. (You can skip this step if you are using canned coconut milk.) To do this, blend the shredded coconut in a food processor. Then the pour hot water over the coconut. Allow the mixture to rest for 10 minutes, Then use either a food processor or an immersion blender to mix. Blend for 3 minutes.
4. Now pour the coconut milk through a colander or fine mesh sieve into the pan with the vegetables. Then add the drained beans, spices and water to the pot. Stir to combine.
5. Next, bring the ingredients to make this healthy pumpkin soup recipe to a boil. Let simmer, uncovered, for about 40 minutes.
6. Once the ingredients have simmered down, use an immersion blender to puree the homemade pumpkin soup until it is smooth. It will be hot, therefore take care when blending. (If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can use a regular blender for this step.)
How to Serve
Once your soup is ready, I recommend serving it with a dollops coconut cream (or a plant-based substitute) swirled on top. You can also add your choice of roughly chopped, aromatic herbs. Or try this savory soup with a small amount of pepitas (pumpkin seeds) to garnish.
Vegan Pumpkin Soup Recipe with Coconut Milk
This vegan pumpkin soup makes a delicious, savory dish for fall. Made using homemade coconut milk for a rich, creamy flavor, this recipe is great for dinner! Or serve it as a side to compliment your autumn recipes.
Ingredients
Pumpkin Soup
- 1 butternut pumpkin, cubed
- 2 onions, diced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 potato, cubed
- 1 -15 oz can white beans, drained and rinsed
- ½ Tablespoon cumin
- ½ Tablespoon paprika
- ½ Tablespoon nutmeg
- ½ Tablespoon turmeric
- Aromatic herbs, to suit
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 3 cups water
Homemade Coconut Milk
- 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 2 cups hot water
Instructions
How to Make Savory Pumpkin Soup
- Peel the onions, garlic, pumpkin and potato. Dice the pumpkin, onion, and potato into small cubes. Mince the garlic.
- Now heat the vegetables in a large pan over medium heat for 10 minutes.
- Add the prepared coconut milk to the vegetables. (See below.) Then add the beans, spices and water to the pot.
- Bring the mixture to a boil. Then allow the soup to simmer uncovered for 40 minutes.
- Finally, use an immersion blender to puree the mixture until it's smooth. It will be hot, so take care when blending.
How to Make Coconut Milk
- While the vegetables for the soup recipe heat, make the homemade coconut milk. To do this, blend the shredded coconut in a food processor. Then pour the hot water over it.
- Allow the mixture to sit for 10 minutes, then blend for 3 minutes.
- Pour through a colander or fine mesh sieve to strain. Then add the coconut milk to the soup when called for in the above instructions.
Notes
If don't want to make homemade coconut milk, you can substitute it with a regular can of coconut milk.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1 servingAmount Per Serving: Calories: 384Total Fat: 15gSaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 425mgCarbohydrates: 53gFiber: 14gSugar: 6gProtein: 14g
Storage and Freezing
This recipe for making vegan pumpkin soup from scratch yields a large batch. Therefore, you’ll likely have leftovers. If this is the case, you can store any leftovers of this dairy free pumpkin soup in the fridge for up to three days. Alternately, you can also freeze leftovers in an airtight container for up to three months. Let it thaw in the fridge overnight and then reheat and serve.
Reheating Leftovers
To reheat leftovers, place the soup in a saucepan on the stove. Then heat on low, stirring frequently. Be sure you don’t allow the soup to boil, as it may cause separation.
If your soup is frozen, simply let it thaw it in the refrigerator overnight. Then reheat and serve as indicated above.
Get tips on choosing the best pumpkins for homemade soup. Plus learn how to roast pumpkins here should you wish to give your dish a sweet, rather than savory, flavor.
More Pumpkin Recipes for Fall
If you like this fall recipe, then be sure to try these other delicious ways to cook with pumpkin:
- Vegetarian Pumpkin Chili with Rice
- Pumpkin Butter Recipe
- Homemade Pumpkin Pie from Scratch
- Pumpkin Cheesecake Brownies
- Roasted Pumpkin Soup Recipe
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2 Comments
Juraj
September 21, 2021 at 3:20 pm
This looks amazing! I love pumpkin soup but I have never tried it with coconut milk before. I always use cream. I don’t know what I have never thought about using coconut milk 🙂 Next time I am making this soup, I’ll definitely try it!
Supriya Kutty
March 1, 2022 at 6:31 am
I read your entire post and found it really very helpful thank you so much for sharing such a great post.I got to know so much from it and it has also been a great guide for me during cooking.
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