Instant Pot Pumpkin Soup

Instant Pot Pumpkin Soup is a creamy soup that's full of your favorite autumnal flavors- nutmeg, ginger, and pumpkin. Top with toasted pepitas and red pepper flakes for a slightly spicy and crunchy kick.

It's a little sweet and perfectly savory, a delicious soup made for the chilly evenings of Fall. It makes a wonderful and impressive addition to your Thanksgiving or holiday dinner table.

And make sure to check out these favorite pumpkin recipes next!

More Pumpkin Recipes You'll Love

• Instant Pot Pumpkin Pasta
• Chocolate Pumpkin Bread
• Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins
• Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal with Walnuts
• Bread Machine Pumpkin Bread
• Pumpkin Cornbread with Sugared Walnut Topping

Equipment

This pressure cooker pumpkin soup recipe ideally uses the Instant Pot Duo Crisp + Air Fryer. But no worries if you don't have one- I give alternatives below.

You'll need:

• Instant Pot: 6, 8 or 10 quart pressure cooker
• Air fryer lid: alternatively us a stand alone air fryer or oven
• Immersion blender: for blending the soup

If you don't want to roast your own pumpkin prior to making the soup, you can use homemade or canned pumpkin puree (see below for ingredient lists and substitutions). I make homemade pumpkin puree in both my Instant Pot and in my air fryer all October long, so feel free to do this ahead of time and use the puree in place of the fresh pumpkin here!

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Fresh pie (sugar) pumpkin: substitute with homemade or canned pumpkin puree. One cup or puree is equivalent to 1 pound of pumpkin, so as written this recipe would use 5 cups of pumpkin puree. You can also use butternut squash or a combination of both.
• Coconut milk: substitute with heavy cream or evaporated milk, but keep in mind that coconut milk enhances the flavor and you'll lose that when substituting.
• Vegetable broth: use chicken broth if you're not concerned about keeping it vegan or vegetarian.
• Pepper: I suggest using freshly ground black peppercorns, but ground pepper will be fine if that's what you have.
• Pepitas: roast your own or use store bought roasted pepitas. This is an optional garnish. Substitute with toasted pumpkin seeds.
• Basil: a fresh herb makes a great garnish, but this is also optional. Parsley and mint are other good choices.
• Red pepper flakes: another optional garnish, but they really add a nice spice and counter the sweetness of the roasted pumpkin.

Step-By-Step Directions

Follow these steps to make Instant Pot pumpkin soup:

Step 1: Cut the pumpkins in half and scoop out the seeds (reserve for making roasted pumpkin seeds). Discard the stem and cut the pumpkin into large chunks. Put into the air fryer basket and spray generously with olive oil, tossing to coat all pumpkin chunks.

Step 2: Insert the basket into the inner pot. Cover with the air fryer lid and set to air fry at 400°F for 18 minutes. When finished, transfer the pumpkin to a cutting board. Peel the skin off carefully with tongs and cut the pumpkin pieces into small cubes. Discard skin or reserve to make pumpkin chips.

*If you don't have an air fryer lid, use a stand alone air fryer or traditional oven. The oven will take longer than the air fryer, about 30-40 minutes. You can also pressure cook the pumpkin in the Instant Pot. This will take slightly longer too, about 35 minutes. Alternatively, use premade pumpkin puree.

Step 3: Remove the air fryer basket from the inner pot, leaving any fallen pumpkin pieces inside. Set the Instant Pot to saute on high for 5 minutes. Add olive oil and chopped onion, stirring frequently. Add the minced garlic during the last minute.

Step 4: Then turn off saute and add vegetable broth. Delgaze thoroughly with a wooden spoon.

Step 5: Add the cubed pumpkin, nutmeg, ginger, salt, and pepper. Do not stir after this point. Close the lid and seal. Set to pressure cook/manual on high for 5 minutes.

Step 6: Complete a controlled quick release when finished. Remove the lid and stir in the coconut milk. The pumpkin will still be chunky at this point. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup until creamy. If it's too thick, add more coconut milk ½ cup at a time.

Now taste and season with additional salt and pepper if desired. Serve garnished with fresh basil and topped with red pepper flakes and toasted pepitas.

What Should I Serve With Pumpkin Soup?

Pumpkin soup makes a wonderful addition to your holiday menu as an appetizer or first course. As a dinner otherwise, serve with:

• Homemade bread, like garlic bread, cheese bread, or Italian bread.
• Delicious autumn salads, such as Spaghetti Squash Salad, Persimmon and Beetroot Dressing Salad, or this vegan Butternut Squash and Cranberries Salad.
• Simple vegetables, like crispy asparagus or salt and pepper green beans.

Enjoy!