Contents 6
By Nikola · Precision Nutrition L1 · Sources checked 5 November 2026
A bright orange soup for grey days. Sweet pumpkin and carrot, a thumb of fresh ginger for warmth and a teaspoon of turmeric for colour and an earthy note. No cream: the pumpkin blends into a smooth, thick soup on its own, and a handful of toasted pumpkin seeds on top adds the crunch.
About 45 minutes, one pot, and it freezes well, so a double batch is never a bad idea.
Portion: about 450 ml each · Difficulty: Easy, one pot · Diet: Vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free
Pumpkin soup with ginger and turmeric
Ingredients
- About 1.1 kg pumpkin Hokkaido or butternut (900 g peeled and seeded), cut into 3 cm chunks
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 27 g
- 1 medium onion about 110 g, chopped
- 1 medium carrot about 100 g, sliced
- 2 cloves garlic 6 g, sliced
- 20 g fresh ginger a 4 cm piece, peeled and grated
- 1 tsp ground turmeric 3 g
- 900 ml water or vegetable stock 3 3/4 cups
- 1 tsp fine salt 5 g, less if you use stock
- 1 tbsp lemon juice 15 ml
- Black pepper
- To serve: 30 g pumpkin seeds about 1/4 cup
Instructions
- Warm the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot and a pinch of salt and cook for 8 minutes, stirring now and then, until the onion is soft.
- Add the garlic, ginger and turmeric and stir for 1 minute, until fragrant. Keep it moving so the turmeric does not catch on the bottom.
- Add the pumpkin, water and the rest of the salt. Bring to the boil, then cover and simmer for about 20 minutes, until the pumpkin and carrot are completely soft.
- Blend until smooth with a stick blender. Add a splash of hot water if you like it thinner.
- Stir in the lemon juice and a few turns of black pepper. Taste and adjust the salt.
- Toast the pumpkin seeds in a dry pan over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, until they start to pop. Scatter them over the bowls just before serving.
Nutrition per serving
Per serving, 1/4 of the pot with the pumpkin seeds, calculated from USDA FoodData Central for each ingredient.
| Energy | 191 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 5.3 g |
| Fat | 10.8 g |
| Carbohydrate | 22.5 g |
| Fibre | 3.1 g |
| Salt (added) | 1.25 g |
Data: USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy: Pumpkin, raw (FDC 168448); Oil, olive, salad or cooking (FDC 171413); Onions, raw (FDC 170000); Carrots, raw (FDC 170393); Garlic, raw (FDC 169230); Ginger root, raw (FDC 169231); Spices, turmeric, ground (FDC 172231); Lemon juice, raw (FDC 167747); Seeds, pumpkin and squash seed kernels, dried (FDC 170556). Black pepper and stock are not included (water assumed). Pumpkin is calculated on 900 g prepared weight with “Pumpkin, raw”; with butternut (“Squash, winter, butternut, raw”, FDC 169295) add about 43 kcal, 11.7 g carbohydrate and 3.4 g fibre per serving. Carbohydrate is USDA “by difference” and includes fibre.
Swaps and variations
- Richer: stir in 100 ml coconut milk at the end, or add a spoon of Greek yogurt to each bowl (not included in the nutrition values).
- More filling: add 100 g red lentils with the water and 200 ml extra water; they blend in completely.
- Sweet potato: replace up to half the pumpkin with sweet potato for a thicker soup.
- Spicier: a pinch of chilli flakes with the ginger, or a little more fresh ginger.
- Roasted version: roast the pumpkin at 200°C for 30 minutes first for a deeper, caramelised taste.
Storage and reheating
Keeps 4 days in the fridge and 3 months in the freezer. Reheat gently and stir; add the lemon and seeds after reheating, not before freezing. Turmeric stains plastic boxes yellow, so glass containers are easier.
Curious why turmeric and black pepper so often go together? See How to take turmeric for best absorption.
Related
- Recipes: Leek and potato soup · Minestrone with pumpkin and cabbage · Roasted pumpkin with chickpeas, tahini and pomegranate
- Encyclopedia: Pumpkin · Ginger · Turmeric · Pumpkin seeds
- Diet: Mediterranean diet · 7-day Mediterranean meal plan
FAQ
Which pumpkin is best for soup?
A dense pumpkin with sweet orange flesh, such as Hokkaido or butternut. Large carving pumpkins are watery and taste flat in soup.
Can I use fresh turmeric instead of ground?
Yes. Grate a piece about 2-3 cm long in place of the teaspoon of ground turmeric. It stains hands and boards, so wash them straight away.
Why is my soup bitter?
Usually the turmeric or garlic burned in step 2. Keep the heat at medium, stir constantly and add the pumpkin and water after about a minute.
This recipe is for information only and is not medical or dietary advice. Nutrition values are estimates calculated from standard databases and will vary with your ingredients.
