Here is my easy “saute, dump, and go” Instant Pot pumpkin soup recipe made with real pumpkin! Learn how to make this rich and creamy vegan pumpkin soup with coconut milk with detailed step-wise pictures.
Rain or shine, I love soups year around. You can find some delicious and easy soup recipes on my blog, and I will add a few more to that collection. I am participating in the monthly blogging marathon, and this week’s theme is “soup.” So starting today, I will share three easy vegetarian soup recipes you can make in your Instant Pot.
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I am starting my soup series with this vegan pumpkin soup/shorba recipe or pumpkin shorba with aromatic flavors of fennel seeds, star anise, and cinnamon.
So what’s Shorba? It’s soup too. Shorba is derived from the Arabic word – Shurbah, meaning soup/stew, and this shorba, with the goodness of pumpkin and mild spices, is a must-try this fall season. I highly recommend you try this soup, and I am sure you will make it again and again.
PS – I have a few pumpkin and squash recipes on my blog, and you will find them all in my pumpkin and squash category.
Ingredients
Oil and spices – We start the soup by tempering some mild and aromatic spices – fennel seeds, star anise, and cinnamon in the oil of your choice. I used cold-pressed peanut oil for this recipe.
Aromatics – To add more flavor to this soup, we add some onions, garlic, ginger, and green chilies, which we saute right after tempering the above spices.
Pumpkin – I have used fresh pumpkin for this soup. I get cut-pumpkin wedges in Indian groceries, and I opt for them as they are easy to peel and chop when compared to a whole pumpkin. You can opt for pre-cut or frozen ones, but I won’t recommend pumpkin puree for this soup.
Coconut milk – I used full-fat coconut milk for this soup and the top creamy part without shaking the can. But that’s optional.
Apart from these ingredients, we also need salt, pepper, water, and optional pumpkin seeds to garnish. Please check the recipe card for exact measurements and the substitutions section for alternate ingredients.
Dietary specifications and serving suggestions
This pumpkin soup is a vegan, nut-free, and gluten-free recipe making it perfect for everyone with special dietary needs. You can enjoy this pumpkin soup with any rustic bread, sandwich, or salad for a filling meal.
Storing suggestions & freezing options
So far, I have refrigerated this soup for up to three days. As we add coconut milk, it forms a thin white layer on top, and that’s fine. Mix well and reheat the required portion and enjoy the soup.
If you plan to freeze the soup, do not add coconut milk. Puree the pumpkin and the spices, and freeze them in small portions. Before serving, reheat the soup, add the coconut milk required for that portion, and enjoy the soup.
Substitutions and variations
- Instead of pumpkin, you can use butternut squash, acorn squash, kabocha squash, or a mix to make this recipe. I have yet to try this soup with spaghetti squash. You can also check out my roasted butternut squash and bell peppers soup recipe or vegan butternut squash soup with coconut milk for more ideas.
- I love coconut milk in my soups. But you can try this with other plant-based milk. If the soup is not thick, you can add some cornstarch slurry (Mix 1 tbsp of cornstarch with 2 tbsp of water and add it to the soup and simmer) to thicken the soup.
- Making this pumpkin soup in a stove-top pressure cooker – You can very well make this soup in the stove-top pressure cooker. You can do the tempering and sauteing part in the pressure pan or cooker and then turn off the heat. Then add the pumpkin and water and pressure cook for three whistles.
- Making this pumpkin soup without a pressure cooker – I recommend using a heavy bottom pan or a Dutch oven. Temper the spices first and then saute the aromatics. Then add the pumpkin and the water, cover, and cook until the pieces are soft and mushy. Make sure to check if there is water in between. You can puree it and simmer the soup.
Frequently asked questions
We want the flavors of fennel seeds, cinnamon, and star anise to incorporate well into the soup. So we pressure cook them all together. With pumpkin puree or the pie mix, it’s hard to achieve for this soup especially. So I recommend fresh pumpkin.
Yes, you can. In that case, increase the pressure cooking time to 10 minutes.
After you cook the pumpkin or the pressure cooking is complete, let the mix cool completely. Then you can transfer it to a mixer jar or blender and puree it.
Yes, you can, but for this soup, we personally liked the flavors of pumpkin with the spices and didn’t want to mask it with any other flavors. So I skipped using vegetable broth.
How to make pumpkin soup in Instant Pot
- Set the Instant Pot in saute mode and add the oil. Add the fennel seeds, star anise, and cinnamon pieces when the oil is hot and saute for 30 seconds. Then add the onion, garlic, ginger, and green chilies, chopped. Saute for about three to four minutes or until the onions are slightly soft.
- Turn off the Instant Pot and add the chopped pumpkin and salt.
- Then add 2 cups of water and mix well.
- Press the cancel button, and close the Instant Pot. Ensure the sealing ring is in place and set the vent to the sealing position. Cook the soup at high-pressure manual/pressure cook mode for 8 minutes, and after the cooking is done, naturally release the pressure. Carefully open the Instant Pot lid once the pressure has subsided. Add the coconut milk.
- Using an immersion blender, puree the soup. Before that you can remove the star anise and the cinnamon. You can also blend them together.
- Set the Instant Pot in saute mode again and add the ground pepper. Let it simmer for 5 to 7 minutes, and turn off the Instant Pot.
- Garnish it with pumpkin seeds and enjoy the soup warm.
Recipe Notes
- Green chilies are optional, the coconut milk balances the spice, so it doesn’t add too much heat/spice.
- Adjust the salt and ground pepper to taste.
- I highly recommend full-fat coconut milk or cream for this soup. You can reduce the measure to ½ cup too. But do not add more than one cup of coconut milk, as it might be overpowering.
- While star anise adds a nice flavor, I have tested this recipe without it. So if you can’t source it, feel free to skip it.
- Please check the substitutions and variation section for other options.
More pumpkin recipes
Loved this recipe?
If you try these vegan pumpkin soup, please don’t forget to comment and rate this recipe. If you have any questions, please leave a comment, and I will get to it ASAP. Make sure to follow me on my Pinterest or Instagram or join my Facebook Group for recipe updates and simple Indian meal ideas.
📖 Recipe
Easy Pumpkin Soup | Pumpkin Shorba
Equipment
- Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
Measurement Details: 1 cup = 240ml; 1 tbsp = 15ml; 1 tsp = 5ml;
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- 1 star anise
- 1- inch cinnamon piece
- 1 onion chopped (150 grams)
- 2 garlic approx 10 grams, chopped
- 1 green chili finely chopped
- 1 tbsp ginger approx 10 grams, chopped
- 780 grams pumpkin peeled and roughly chopped (approx 1 lb 11.6 oz)
- 1.75 tsp salt or to taste
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup coconut milk thick full-fat coconut milk
- ½ tsp black pepper or to taste
- 1 tbsp roasted pumpkin seeds to garnish
Instructions
- Set the Instant Pot in saute mode and add the oil. Add the fennel seeds, star anise, and cinnamon pieces when the oil is hot and saute for 30 seconds. Then add the onion, garlic, ginger, and green chilies, chopped. Saute for about three to four minutes or until the onions are slightly soft.
- Turn off the Instant Pot and add the chopped pumpkin and salt.
- Then add 2 cups of water and mix well.
- Press the cancel button, and close the Instant Pot. Ensure the sealing ring is in place and set the vent to the sealing position. Cook the soup at high-pressure manual/pressure cook mode for 8 minutes, and after the cooking is done, naturally release the pressure.
- Carefully open the Instant Pot lid once the pressure has subsided. Add the coconut milk, and using an immersion blender, puree the soup. Before that you can remove the star anise and the cinnamon. You can also blend them together.
- Set the Instant Pot in saute mode again and add the ground pepper. Let it simmer for 5 to 7 minutes, and turn off the Instant Pot.
- Garnish it with pumpkin seeds and enjoy the soup warm.
Notes
- Green chilies are optional, the coconut milk balances the spice, so it doesn’t add too much heat/spice.
- Adjust the salt and ground pepper to taste.
- I highly recommend full-fat coconut milk or cream for this soup. You can reduce the measure to ½ cup too. But do not add more than one cup of coconut milk, as it might be overpowering.
- While star anise adds a nice flavor, I have tested this recipe without it. So if you can’t source it, feel free to skip it.
- Please check the substitutions and variation section for other options.
Nutrition
I am not a nutritionist. The nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It varies depending upon the product types or brands.
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