Easy Carrot Pumpkin Soup with Star Anise and Ginger
As the temperatures drop, there’s nothing more comforting than a warm, flavorful bowl of creamy soup. This Easy Carrot Pumpkin Soup with Star Anise and Ginger is the perfect way to embrace the cozy vibes of fall and winter. Bursting with the natural sweetness of carrots and pumpkin, this recipe gets an aromatic twist from star anise and a subtle warmth from fresh ginger that take it to a whole new level. It’s not only easy to make in 30 minutes but also packed with nutrients and flavor. Whether you’re looking for a quick weeknight dinner or an elegant starter for a holiday meal, this soup will quickly become a go-to favorite.
Anyone that knows me well, knows how much I love to teach cooking fundamentals.
One of my favorite places to start is homemade soups. Full of simple ingredients and a basic cooking process, you can own meal prep by mastering this basic technique. I’ve outlined below a basic formula below for making quick soups on the stovetop – I hope it helps to set you up for success this soup season!
Want some more incredibly comforting soup recipes to try? You’ve got to check out this Curried Parsnip Soup with Brown Butter Drizzle and Potato and Mushroom Soup – it’s so creamy, rich, satisfying, and dairy-free! And don’t forget about this incredibly creamy Carrot and Red Lentil Soup with Garlicky Croutons.
Why I love this recipe:
Recipe Ingredients
You’ll need the following ingredients to make this pumpkin carrot soup recipe:
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
The ingredients to make this easy carrot pumpkin soup are easy to find and readily available at most any grocery store. If you’re able, I would highly recommend grabbing anything you can at your local farmer’s market for maximum flavor.
Here are a few ingredient notes:
Carrots: The understated star of this soup, sweet carrots provide the bulk and the base. Seek out the freshest carrots you can find for the best flavor.
Pumpkin: To make this doable on a weeknight, I have forgone the fresh pumpkin in favor of canned pumpkin. Use a high-quality organic canned pumpkin if you are able, and if you prefer to substitute fresh pumpkin, you certainly can do so. Be sure to dice it into similar-sized pieces as your carrots, so that the cooking time is the same. You can also substitute butternut squash in a pinch.
Ginger: To dial up the warmth and heat in this recipe, I’m using both fresh ginger and dried ground ginger. If you can, use both, but if you have to choose only one, then definitely go for the fresh ginger!
Star anise: A dried fruit from a shrub native to southeast Asia, this spice features prominently in Asian cooking and has a lovely sweet licorice-like flavor to it. In this soup, it adds a subtle sweetness and warmth a little different than cinnamon. You can find it at spice shops, Asian markets, and most grocery stores, and of course online. If, however, you are unable to locate it, feel free to substitute a cinnamon stick in its place.
Cardamom: The seed of a plant native to India, cardamom has a distinct flavor that is floral, citrusy, and almost eucalyptus-y all at the same time! If you don’t have it or can’t find it, you could substitute a little allspice or just omit it altogther.
Stock: I used chicken stock in this soup, but you can easily substitute vegetable broth or stock if you prefer.
Creme fraiche: Creme fraiche is kind of like a cross between sour cream and cream cheese. It’s a French style cultured cream that is creamier in texture than sour cream and just a little bit tart and readily available at most grocery stores. If you don’t have any, you can easily substitute sour cream, heavy cream, or coconut milk. If you use coconut milk, I would add it to the pot of soup after it is blended.
Pepitas: These pumpkin seeds are from certain varieties of pumpkins (oilseed or Styrian pumpkin), have a thin green skin, don’t have to be hulled, and have a crunchy nutty flavor. You can use them to make the cheese crisps to eat with this soup or you can just sprinkle them on the soup before serving. They are easily found in grocery stores, but if you can’t find them, you could substitute sunflower seeds.
The Technique: A Formula for Basic Stovetop Soup Making
- Cook the aromatics. Every soup will start with cooking some combination of onions, carrots, celery, and garlic. There are two options for how you cook the aromatics: (1) ‘sweat’ them – cook them gently (medium-low heat) in fat (oil, butter, ghee, etc.) so that they do not take on any color or (2) ‘sauté’ – cook them over higher heat in fat (oil, butter, ghee, etc.) so that they take on color and develop a caramelized flavor.
- Add any flavorings and spices. This is the step where you start to develop the personality of the soup by adding various flavorings and spices. These could include things like tomato paste, wine, miso, spices, herbs, etc. Get creative!
- Add the star ingredient(s). Next, comes the main ingredient. For example, broccoli in a broccoli soup or tomatoes in tomato soup or carrots as in this carrot pumpkin soup. Add this ingredient and let it cook for a few minutes before proceeding to the next step.
- Cover with liquid. Liquid can range from water to chicken stock to vegetable stock to mushroom stock, and anything in between. Whatever you choose to use, always cover the main ingredient by at least a 1/2 inch. You can always add more liquid later to adjust the consistency. The more flavorful the liquid, the better!
- Blend. For a smooth, luxurious soup, blend it really well. A high-speed blender is best, but you can also opt for the ease of an immersion blender or even a food processor. Whichever you use, blend it longer than you think you need to to an extra smooth and creamy finish.
- Adjust any seasoning and add any finishers. After you blend the soup, return it to low heat and taste it. Does it need more salt? A little pepper? Adjust these as necessary and then consider how you want to finish the soup. This could include a squeeze of citrus, some citrus zest, a splash of vinegar, something creamy like heavy cream or coconut milk, a drizzle of olive oil, a dollop of creme fraiche, sunflower seeds, torn and toasted bread, chili flakes fresh herbs. I could go on and on – you get the idea. Have fun with it!
Always remember to season with salt at each stage, tasting as you go!
Let’s Make This Easy Carrot Pumpkin Soup with Star Anise and Ginger Together: STEP BY STEP
Be sure to check out the full recipe and ingredient list in the recipe card below
Steps 1 & 2:
To prep the vegetables, start by peeling and slicing the carrots into 1/4-inch thick slices. Then, roughly chop the onion and garlic. And finally, peel and chop the ginger and remove the leaves from the thyme.
Steps 3 & 4:
Heat a large stock pot or Dutch oven over medium heat and add the butter. As the butter melts, let it reach the stage of browning, such that the milk solids fall to the bottom of the pan and turn brown and smell nutty. If you want to see a video of how to brown butter from start to finish, check out this video I made.
Once the butter is brown, quickly add the onion, garlic, ginger, cardamom, star anise, ground ginger, one teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon of black pepper and turn the heat up to medium-high.
Steps 5 & 6:
After the onions start to soften a little, add the carrots and let them cook for a few minutes. Then, add the stock and thyme leaves and bring it to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, reduce it to a simmer and cook until the carrots are tender.
Steps 7 & 8:
While the soup is simmering, heat a pan over medium heat. Add a few pepitas in a single layer, them top them with parmesan, and then add a few more pepitas. When the cheese starts to turn golden, flip them over and brown on the second side. Lastly, remove them from the pan to cool and set aside.
Steps 9 & 10:
Just before the carrots are completely tender, add the pumpkin and cook for a few more minutes, allowing it to absorb all of the flavors.
When the soup is done, remove it from the heat and puree it in a blender, using a stick blender, or in a food processor until completely smooth. *Please note: if you’re using a blender, only fill it 1/2 full, and be sure to remove the cap from the lid and place a kitchen towel over the opening. This allows steam to escape so that the blender doesn’t explode.
Natalie’s Expert Tips
- Don’t skip the step of browning the butter! This is the first layer of flavor created for this soup and it adds so much depth and complexity.
- Make sure you cut your vegetables the same size so that they will cook evenly.
- If you can, use a high-speed blender to blend this soup for the most luxurious texture. If you don’t have a high-speed blender, then use a regular blender, an immersion blender, or a food processor, and blend it for an extra long time.
Serving Suggestions
- A great way to serve this soup is simply with crusty bread and a simple green salad for a perfect meal.
- Serve it with a grilled cheese sandwich to make it extra filling.
- An appetizer to this Pork Tenderloin, this crazy-good Skillet Chicken with Mushrooms, or this completely indulgent Ribeye Steak with Pears and Blue Cheese!
Storage & Reheating
STORAGE: Store this soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
REHEATING: To reheat on the stovetop, place the soup in a saucepan and heat over medium-low heat until warmed through. You can also reheat it in the microwave in 30 second intervals until it is warmed through.
FREEZING: This soup freezes well in an airtight container for up to 6 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
Frequently Asked Questions About Carrot Pumpkin Soup
I hope you love this delicious Pumpkin Carrot Soup! If you make it, be sure to leave a rating so I know how you liked it!
Recipe Card
Easy Carrot Pumpkin Soup with Star Anise and Ginger
Ingredients
- 5 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 large yellow onion (large dice)
- 4 cloves garlic (rough chop)
- 1 1/2 inch knob of ginger (peeled and rough chop)
- 6 cardamom pods
- 3 whole star anise pods
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 2 lbs carrots (peeled and 1/4-inch slice)
- 6 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth (or stock)
- 4-5 fresh thyme sprigs (leaves removed)
- 1 15 oz can of pumpkin puree
- 1/4 cup creme fraiche
Optional garnish
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese (grated)
- 1/4 cup pepitas
Instructions
- Begin by prepping the vegetables. Cut the onion into a large dice, roughly chop the garlic cloves, peel and roughly chop the ginger, and peel and slice the carrots.
- Heat a large pot (stock pot or Dutch oven) over medium heat. Add the butter and cook it until it turns brown and smells delicious and nutty.
- Add the onion, garlic, ginger, cardamom, star anise, ground ginger, one teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon of black pepper and turn the heat up to medium-high. Stir everything around and cook for a couple of minutes until everything becomes fragrant.
- Add the carrots and the remaining teaspoon of salt and let them cook for 3 or 4 minutes.
- Next, add the stock and thyme leaves and bring to boil. Once the soup has reached a boil, reduce to a simmer and let cook until carrots are completely tender when pierced with the tip of a knife – about 15 minutes.
- When the carrots start to become soft, add the pumpkin puree, to allow it to cook with the carrots and absorb all of the flavors.
- While the soup is simmering, make the pepita crisps by heating a non-stick pan over medium low heat. Add small round piles of pepitas in a single layer. Cover them with grated parmesan, and top with more pepitas. Cook until golden and then flip to repeat on the other side. Remove to a plate and set aside.
- When the carrots are done, turn off the heat and puree the soup either in a blender or using an immersion blender. *Note: if you are using a blender, do not fill it more than ⅔ full and always remove the top of the lid and cover with a kitchen towel when blending – this is so that steam can escape and the blender doesn’t explode!
- Return the soup to the pot and taste it for seasoning. Adjust with salt, if necessary.
- To serve, ladle into bowls, add a dollop of creme fraiche and any remaining thyme leaves and serve with pepita crisps. ENJOY!
Notes
- Make sure you cut your vegetables the same size so that they will cook evenly.
- If you can, use a high-speed blender to blend this soup for the most luxurious texture. If you don’t have a high-speed blender, then use a regular blender, an immersion blender, or a food processor, and blend it for an extra long time.
Nutrition
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Nice to meet you!
I’m Natalie and I love to create seasonal and interesting elevated food for busy everyday real life! Dinner doesn’t have to be boring and I’m here to help. This is where busy meets delicious!
