Hearty Vegan Pumpkin Soup with Pepita Cream Recipe

Now that temperatures are just starting to dip below the 80s here in California, I’ve been getting excited for soup season. I’ve been particularly pining for pumpkin soup to meal prep for work, but noticed that all the recipes I’d found weren’t nearly hearty (read: starch filled) enough to get me through the day.

So, I came up with my own! I wanted to add as much starch, protein, and fiber as possible while staying true to pumpkin soup flavor & texture, so I decided to add my favorite secret soup ingredient: chickpeas. Not only do they pump up the nutrition, but they make the soup really creamy.

This experiment once again confirmed my conviction that chickpeas are magical, and can and should be added to just about everything. (Including oatmeal–it’s good, I swear!)

Oh, and I whipped up a cream to top the soup with that looks and tastes fancy, but is super easy.

Did I mention this recipe takes only takes 20 minutes to make, and a serving (1/3 of it, about ~400 cals) has 19 grams of fiber and 24 grams of protein?!

Serves 3

Soup Ingredients:

• 2 – 15 oz cans pumpkin puree
• 2 – 15oz cans chickpeas
• 1/2 medium yellow onion, roughly chopped
• 4 big cloves garlic
• 2 cups unsweetened non-dairy milk (preferably light canned coconut milk)
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 1 tsp ginger powder
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tsp vegan chicken bouillon (optional)
• Salt to taste
• Topping ideas: cranberries, pumpkin seeds, roasted chickpeas

Directions:

1. Sauté onions and garlic until onions are translucent.
2. Combine all ingredients in blender, and blend until smooth.
3. Heat the soup on the stove or microwave when ready to serve.
4. Add toppings, and enjoy!

Pepita Cream Ingredients (optional):

• 1/4c dry roasted pumpkin seeds
• 1/4c raw cashews
• 1/2c water

Directions:

1. Blend all ingredients until smooth. Add more water, 1 tbsp at a time, if desired for thinner consistency.

Bonus: it can also double as a creamy pumpkin pasta sauce.