Instant Pot Pumpkin Soup

The Instant Pot Pumpkin Soup That Saved My Fall Dinner Party (And My Sanity)

Okay, so I messed this up twice before getting it right. But now? This instant pot pumpkin soup is literally the thing everyone asks me to make when the weather gets cold. And I’m not even exaggerating—my sister texted me last week asking if I could “bring that pumpkin thing” to Thanksgiving.

Look, I’m gonna be honest with you. I used to think making soup from scratch was this whole complicated ordeal that required fancy equipment and culinary school training. Turns out, I was very wrong. This easy pumpkin soup recipe changed everything for me, and it’s so simple that I actually feel a little silly about how intimidated I was before.

How I Discovered This Recipe (It Involves a Kitchen Disaster)

Last October—no wait, it was September because my neighbor still had their Halloween decorations in storage—I had people coming over for dinner. Planned this whole elaborate menu, felt very chef-like, super confident. Then my oven broke. Just completely died three hours before guests arrived.

Cue panic mode.

I had fresh pumpkin sitting on my counter (bought it at the farmer’s market thinking I’d roast it for some fancy side dish), an Instant Pot I’d used maybe twice since buying it, and zero backup plans. So I did what any desperate person does: frantically Googled “quick pumpkin soup instant pot” and started throwing ingredients together.

The first attempt? Disaster. Complete disaster. I forgot to seal the valve properly and ended up with pumpkin-scented steam coating my entire kitchen. My dog thought it was fascinating. I did not.

But the second try? Magic happened.

Why This Creamy Pumpkin Soup Works (Even When You’re Stressed)

Here’s the thing about using an Instant Pot for soup—it’s basically impossible to mess up once you know the basics. The pressure cooking does something magical to the pumpkin that makes it incredibly creamy without needing tons of heavy cream. I mean, I still add coconut milk because I’m not a monster and it tastes amazing, but you could probably skip it if you wanted.

This best pumpkin soup recipe has become my go-to for several reasons:

• Takes literally 30 minutes from start to finish (including pressure buildup time)
• Uses ingredients I actually have in my kitchen
• Tastes like I spent hours roasting and stirring things
• My 8-year-old nephew eats it without complaining (this alone is a miracle)

And the smell? Oh man. Your house will smell like fall threw up in the best possible way. Cinnamon, nutmeg, roasted pumpkin—it’s basically autumn in soup form.

What You’ll Need (Shopping List for Real People)

Okay, ingredients time. I’m obsessed with garlic, so I use way more than normal people probably should. Feel free to adjust based on your own garlic tolerance levels.

For the soup base:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil (or butter if you’re feeling fancy)
• 1 medium onion, chopped (yellow or white, doesn’t really matter)
• 4 cloves garlic, minced (or 6 if you’re like me)
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated (don’t skip this—trust me)
• 3 cups fresh pumpkin, cubed (or one 29-oz can of pumpkin puree if you’re short on time)
• 2 cups vegetable broth (chicken broth works too)
• 1 can (13.5 oz) coconut milk (the full-fat kind, not the watery stuff)
• 2 teaspoons curry powder (this is what makes it special)
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup (optional, but it rounds out the flavors nicely)

For topping (because presentation matters even when you’re stressed):

• Pumpkin seeds (roasted are best)
• A drizzle of coconut cream
• Fresh sage leaves if you’re feeling fancy

Good luck finding fresh pumpkin this time of year if you’re reading this in like, March. Canned works totally fine—I’ve used it plenty of times when I’m lazy or when the grocery store’s fresh pumpkin looks sad.

How to Make This Instant Pot Pumpkin Soup (Real Kitchen Talk)

Step 1: Turn your Instant Pot to sauté mode. Add the olive oil and wait until it’s shimmering. Throw in your chopped onion and cook for about 3-4 minutes until it’s soft and translucent. My timer always goes off at 3 minutes and I always ignore it and let it go longer because I like my onions really soft.

Step 2: Add the garlic and ginger. Here’s where I messed up the first time—don’t walk away from the pot at this point. Garlic burns fast, like ridiculously fast. Stir it around for maybe 30 seconds until it smells amazing.

(Learned this the hard way when my neighbor knocked on my door to borrow an egg and I came back to burned garlic. Had to start completely over. She felt terrible. I now ignore my doorbell when cooking.)

Step 3: Add your curry powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Stir for another 30 seconds. This “blooming the spices” thing (yes, that’s the actual cooking term) makes everything taste so much better. It’ll smell incredible at this point.

Step 4: Dump in your pumpkin cubes (or canned pumpkin), vegetable broth, and about half the coconut milk. Give it a good stir. Don’t worry if it looks kinda weird and chunky—that’s totally normal.

Step 5: Close the lid, make SURE the valve is set to sealing (seriously, check twice), and set it to manual high pressure for 10 minutes. Then walk away. Go check your phone, fold some laundry, whatever. The Instant Pot’s got this.

Step 6: When it beeps, let it naturally release pressure for 5 minutes, then do a quick release for the rest. Be careful with the steam—it’s hot and will fog up your glasses if you wear them. Ask me how I know.

Step 7: Open the lid (the anticipation at this point is real) and use an immersion blender to blend everything until smooth. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can carefully transfer it to a regular blender in batches. Just… be really careful because hot soup + blender can equal disaster if you’re not paying attention.

Step 8: Stir in the remaining coconut milk and maple syrup. Taste it. Add salt and pepper. Taste again. Maybe add more salt. I always need more salt than I think I do.

Tips From Someone Who’s Made This Way Too Many Times

The pumpkin situation: Fresh pumpkin is great, but honestly? Canned pumpkin puree makes this even easier and tastes basically identical. I’ve done blind taste tests on my family. Nobody could tell the difference. Don’t buy pumpkin pie filling by mistake though—learned that one the hard way. It’s already got spices and sugar added and will make your vegan pumpkin soup taste like dessert (not in a good way).

Make it Thai-style: Want to make this a thai pumpkin soup? Add a tablespoon of red curry paste when you bloom the spices, skip the cinnamon and nutmeg, and finish with lime juice and fresh cilantro. It’s a completely different soup but equally amazing.

Texture preferences: My husband likes his soup really smooth, like restaurant-style smooth. I blend it for at least 2 minutes to get it silky. My mom prefers it a bit chunky, so she just mashes it with a potato masher instead of blending. Do whatever makes you happy.

The curry powder thing: I know some people are scared of curry powder in pumpkin soup, but it’s a total game-changer. It’s not spicy-hot, just adds this warm, complex flavor that makes people ask “what’s in this?” in a good way. You can skip it if you’re really opposed, but then it becomes more of a basic fall pumpkin soup recipe instead of something special.

Storage: This keeps in the fridge for about 5 days and freezes beautifully for up to 3 months. I make double batches now and freeze half in individual portions for lazy weeknight dinners.

What to Serve With This

I usually make a big pot of this on Sunday and eat it throughout the week. Here’s what I’ve learned works well:

• Crusty bread: Sourdough is my favorite, but any good bread for dipping is perfect
• Grilled cheese: My nephew refuses to eat soup without grilled cheese on the side
• Simple salad: Arugula with lemon vinaigrette cuts through the richness nicely
• On its own: Honestly it’s filling enough to eat solo with just some pumpkin seeds on top

Why This Became My Favorite Easy Pumpkin Soup Recipe

After that first successful attempt during my oven disaster dinner party, I’ve made this probably 20 times. Maybe more. I’ve stopped counting. What I love most is how forgiving it is—forgot to add the ginger once (was distracted by a phone call), still tasted great. Used butternut squash instead of pumpkin when the store was out (hello creamy butternut squash pumpkin soup), worked perfectly. Added too much curry powder because I wasn’t paying attention? Actually made it even better.

It’s become my answer to “what should I bring?” for every fall gathering. Made it for my office potluck last November and had three people ask for the recipe. Brought it to my sister’s place for a casual dinner and she literally ate four bowls.

The spiced pumpkin soup vibes are real, but it’s not fussy or pretentious. It’s just really, really good soup that happens to be ready in under 40 minutes and uses your Instant Pot so you’re not standing over a hot stove.

Final Thoughts From My Kitchen to Yours

Look, I’m not saying this will change your life. But it might change your fall dinner routine. It’s cozy, it’s delicious, it’s impressive enough to serve guests but easy enough to make on a random Tuesday when you’re tired and need something warm and comforting.

If I can make this without burning down my kitchen (after that initial learning curve), anyone can. Seriously. Try this and let me know what you think. And if you mess up the first time like I did, just try again. Second time’s the charm.

Now I’m craving this again. Thanks a lot, brain.

Happy cooking! (And remember to seal that valve!) 🎃

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