This Easy Instant Pot Pumpkin Soup is smooth, silky, tasty, and super satisfying! Easy to make and ready in less than 25 minutes. The recipe includes step-by-step photos and lots of tips.
Instant Pot Pumpkin Soup Recipe Highlights
This Instant Pot Pumpkin Soup is insanely delicious! It’s perfect if you are looking for a vegetarian meal or just something light and easy.
My mom used to make it all the time – don’t miss her secret to making the most flavorful pumpkin soup ever! – so this soup has old-time memories.
When you make this pumpkin soup recipe, it will become your favorite. It’s smooth, silky, tasty, and super satisfying. You can’t beat that, especially when it’s ready in minutes.
Ingredients You’ll Need, Substitutions & Notes
- Pumpkin or butternut squash: Use any type of edible pumpkin you want OR butternut squash. I do not recommend using the Halloween carving pumpkins – the ones you use to make Jack-O-Lanterns. While they are edible, they are not that tasty!
- Veggies: You will need onion, garlic, and my secret ingredient, leeks.
- Water and/or vegetable broth: You can use just water, just broth, or, my favorite way, a combination of both. If using broth, I recommend using the lo-sodium version.
- Heavy Cream: The cream will add a layer of richness, but it is truly still delicious even made without. When I don’t have heavy cream, I often make it with just milk and two tablespoons of butter to add a rich finish.
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Overview: How To Make Pumpkin Soup in The Instant Pot
- Place the pumpkin, onion, garlic, leeks, water, and broth in the pot.
- Pressure cook for 5 minutes.
- Do quick release on the instant pot.
- Blend until smooth, and enjoy!
Recipe Tips
Boost the Flavor. A sprinkle of curry powder, fresh minced ginger, turmeric, coriander, cayenne pepper, or paprika would add a fun boost of flavor to the soup.
Blending. You must make sure that the soup is cooled slightly before blending it. Otherwise, you will end up with a soup explosion.
Silky Soup. I recommend using a blender instead of an immersion hand blender for a smooth and silky texture.
How To Roast Pumpkin Seeds
Add salt, pepper, and a little bit of olive oil to the shelled, raw pumpkin seeds. Spread in a single layer on an aluminum foil-lined or parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bake at 350° F for 15-20 minutes, or until toasted. Cool completely in the pan
My Favorite Soup Dunkers
A creamy soup needs bread for dunking, right? These are my favorites!
Storing & Freezing Instructions
STORE: This soup can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The soup should be completely cool before you transfer it to the refrigerator.
FREEZE: Freeze in a zip-top bag or a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Soups that contain a cream or milk base can sometimes separate when freezing, so if that happens, add a little bit of fresh cream when reheating.
Frequently Asked Questions
Once your Instant Pot’s cooking time is over, it will beep and start counting up on the keep warm mode. If the recipe requests a quick release, press “Cancel” immediately after the pot beeps. Then CAREFULLY turn the vent valve to “Venting” to release the pressure. Then remove the lid.
You can blend pumpkin soup with an immersion blender or a regular blender. For chunky texture: use an immersion blender, or stand blender, to puree the soup until you reach the desired texture. For smooth and silky texture: let the soup cool down a little. Transfer the soup to a blender and blend until smooth.
Yes, use full-fat coconut milk in place of heavy cream.
Add salt, pepper, and a little bit of olive oil to the shelled, raw pumpkin seeds. Spread them in a single layer on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet. Bake at 350º F (180º C) for 15-20 minutes, or until toasted. Cool completely in the pan.
Yes, you do. The skin is too tough and won’t puree, so you’ll end up with unwanted hard pieces of skin in the soup.
More Soup Recipes You’ll Love!
- Easy Instant Pot Broccoli Cheddar Soup
- Pressure Cooker Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup [Video]
- Instant Pot Smoky Cheese and Potato Soup
- Slow Cooker Creamy Corn Soup
- Mushroom Soup with Roasted Garlic and Marrow Bones
- Easy Instant Pot Beet and Leek Soup
Recipe Card 📖
Easy Instant Pot Pumpkin Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 lb (1.4 kg) pumpkin or butternut squash, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1 medium onion, quartered
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled
- 1 cup leeks, sliced
- 1 1/2 cups (360 ml) water
- 2 cups (480 ml) vegetable broth (low-sodium preferred)
- 3/4 cup (180 ml) heavy cream
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Roasted pumpkin seeds to serve (optional)
Instructions
- Place the pumpkin, onion, garlic, leeks, water, and broth in the pot.
- Close lid and Select "Pressure Cook" mode adjust to 5 minutes. When cooking is complete press “Cancel” and carefully turn the vent to “Venting” to release the pressure. Then remove the lid.
Blend
- For chunky texture: use an immersion blender or a stand blender to puree the soup until you reach the desired texture. For smooth and silky texture: Let the soup cool down a little. Transfer the soup to a blender and blend until smooth. Return to the instant pot.
- Taste and season by adding salt and pepper if necessary. Stir through heavy cream (do not boil the soup after adding the cream).
- Ladle soup into bowls, drizzle with a bit of cream, and sprinkle with pepper and roasted pumpkin seed, if desired. Serve with crusty bread or crackers.
- Boost the Flavor. A sprinkle of curry powder, fresh minced ginger, turmeric, coriander, cayenne pepper, or paprika would add a fun boost of flavor to the soup.
- Blending. You must make sure that the soup is cooled slightly before blending it. Otherwise, you will end up with a soup explosion.
- Silky Soup. I recommend using a blender instead of an immersion hand blender for a smooth and silky texture.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published on October 2019. The recipe remains the same, but more notes, tips, photos, and information have been added to the post in September 2022 to make it as helpful as possible!
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