Halloween Pumpkin Soup Recipe
Soup is one of those foods that, although you can enjoy it any time of year, tastes especially delicious when the temperatures get a little cooler. This is especially true for soups that seem to shine with autumnal colors and flavors, and warm-spiced pumpkin soup might just be the poster child for comforting fall foods. Soup also happens to be a great food for customizing, and it's one that you can easily enhance, garnish, or even decorate to fit a holiday theme. That's exactly what I do in my Halloween pumpkin soup recipe, which packs in plenty of warm, cozy flavors and a not-so-scary spiderweb design that both kids and adults alike would get a kick out of.
Pumpkin soup can sometimes get a bad rap for being on the blander side, but with the right combination of spices and aromatics, you can transform the humble gourd into a creamy, velvety bisque with deep layers of savory and subtly sweet flavor. The coconut milk spiderweb is a highlight of this recipe, adding a touch of richness and transforming it into something a little more festive for Halloween. Lightly caramelized pepitas with a hint of cinnamon provide the perfect crunchy contrast to the silky soup.
Gather the ingredients for Halloween pumpkin soup
You'll start this recipe by making caramelized pepitas, which add just the right crunch and subtle sweetness to your final soup. To make the pepitas, you'll need maple syrup, shelled pumpkin seeds, kosher salt, and cinnamon.
For the soup itself, start with olive oil, onion, and garlic. From there, reach for an assortment of spices and seasonings, like salt, cinnamon, allspice, cumin, black pepper, and nutmeg. Pumpkin puree is a star ingredient here, and otherwise, you'll just need vegetable broth, maple syrup, and coconut milk to round out the soup.
Step 1: Heat the syrup in a skillet
In a small saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon of maple syrup over medium heat until it begins to simmer.
Step 2: Cook the pumpkin seeds
Add the pumpkin seeds and cook, stirring often, until the maple syrup begins to brown on the bottom of the pan.
Step 3: Stir in salt and cinnamon
Add ¼ teaspoon salt and ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon, and continue to cook until the seeds are toasted and fragrant.
Step 4: Set the seeds aside to cool
Pour the seeds onto a plate lined with parchment or wax paper, and set it aside.
Step 5: Heat the olive oil in a pot
In a Dutch oven or large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat.
Step 6: Cook the onion until softened
Add the onion and cook, stirring, until softened.
Step 7: Stir in the spices
Stir the garlic, ½ teaspoon salt, the remaining cinnamon, allspice, cumin, pepper, and nutmeg; cook an additional minute.
Step 8: Stir in the pumpkin, broth, and syrup
Stir in the pumpkin puree, vegetable broth, and maple syrup scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
Step 9: Stir in the coconut milk
Bring to a simmer, then stir in ¾ cup coconut milk and the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt (to taste).
Step 10: Blend the soup
Working in batches as needed, transfer the soup to a blender and blend, covering the top with a towel to prevent the pressure from building inside the blender, until smooth.
Step 11: Transfer the soup to serving bowls
Pour the soup into serving bowls.
Step 12: Add the coconut milk to a piping bag
Transfer the remaining ¼ cup of coconut milk to a piping bag.
Step 13: Pipe coconut milk swirls onto the soup
Pipe swirls of coconut milk into each bowl of soup.
Step 14: Create spiderweb designs in the swirls
Use a knife to pull from the center to the edges to create spiderweb designs.
Step 15: Garnish the soup with caramelized pepitas and serve
Garnish with pumpkin seeds and serve.
What can I serve with pumpkin soup?
Halloween Pumpkin Soup Recipe
Our silky vegan Halloween soup is just as delicious as it is festive, with a savory-sweet spice mix, crunchy caramelized pepitas, and a coconut milk spiderweb.
Ingredients
- For the caramelized pepitas
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- ½ cup shelled pumpkin seeds
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon
- For the soup
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ yellow onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ¾ teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground sweet allspice
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 (29-ounce) can pumpkin puree
- 1 (32-ounce) container vegetable broth
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 cup coconut milk, divided
Directions
- In a small saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon of maple syrup over medium heat until it begins to simmer.
- Add the pumpkin seeds and cook, stirring often, until the maple syrup begins to brown on the bottom of the pan.
- Add ¼ teaspoon salt and ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon, and continue to cook until the seeds are toasted and fragrant.
- Pour the seeds onto a plate lined with parchment or wax paper, and set it aside.
- In a Dutch oven or large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat.
- Add the onion and cook, stirring, until softened.
- Stir the garlic, ½ teaspoon salt, the remaining cinnamon, allspice, cumin, pepper, and nutmeg; cook an additional minute.
- Stir in the pumpkin puree, vegetable broth, and maple syrup scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
- Bring to a simmer, then stir in ¾ cup coconut milk and the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt (to taste).
- Working in batches as needed, transfer the soup to a blender and blend, covering the top with a towel to prevent the pressure from building inside the blender, until smooth.
- Pour the soup into serving bowls.
- Transfer the remaining ¼ cup of coconut milk to a piping bag.
- Pipe swirls of coconut milk into each bowl of soup.
- Use a knife to pull from the center to the edges to create spiderweb designs.
- Garnish with pumpkin seeds and serve.
Nutrition
| Calories per Serving | 177 |
| Total Fat | 12.0 g |
| Saturated Fat | 6.4 g |
| Trans Fat | 0.0 g |
| Cholesterol | 0.0 mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 16.5 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 3.8 g |
| Total Sugars | 8.4 g |
| Sodium | 264.4 mg |
| Protein | 4.3 g |
How do I make the most flavorful pumpkin soup?
Pumpkin is such a great ingredient because it has a mild, subtly sweet, and earthy flavor and a velvety texture, both features that translate incredibly well to soup form. To me, a good pumpkin soup is one that highlights and celebrates pumpkin's natural flavor without overpowering it, which can sometimes be easier said than done.
The first key component to consider when crafting the best possible pumpkin soup is sweetness. Pumpkin has a very subtle sweetness to it, so in this recipe, I accentuate it a little bit with maple syrup, which adds a fall-inspired dimension without making the soup overly sweet. Onion and garlic are key players in just about any soup recipe, and they really shine in this one by providing savory undertones that also help balance any sweeter elements.
Perhaps the most important factor in making delicious pumpkin soup is the choice of spices. Since pumpkin has such a mild natural flavor, warming spices really help bring that earthiness to life, and in this recipe, a mix of allspice, cumin, black pepper, nutmeg, and cinnamon does a nice job of elevating the soup while really leaning into those fall flavors. Finally, coconut milk adds a lovely and essential richness to the mix, and it keeps the recipe vegan. If you aren't concerned with it being vegan or don't care for coconut milk, then half-and-half or heavy cream would work just as well.
How far ahead can I make pumpkin soup?
There are nearly countless reasons to love soup, and yet another one to add to the list is soup's meal-prep potential. While I recommend at least enjoying a bowlful of this soup when it's nice and fresh, you can absolutely hold on to leftovers or even prep the soup Sunday night in preparation for the week. Fully make the soup as the recipe calls for, just shy of ladling it into bowls and adding the spiderweb designs. Allow it to cool before transferring to an airtight container and refrigerating it for upwards of four days.
Freezing is also a great option for storing soup in a more long-term capacity. Transfer the cooled soup to a freezer-safe container and store it in the freezer for up to two months. The night before you intend to eat the soup, transfer it to the fridge to thaw overnight. From there, gently heat the soup on the stovetop or microwave, just until warmed through. Then you can complete the soup by piping on the coconut milk, creating the spiderweb design, if desired, and garnishing with pepitas.