Creamy Pumpkin Soup with Crispy Chickpeas

This wholesome Creamy Pumpkin Soup is warm, cozy & tastes of the season! It’s filled with pumpkin puree, red lentils & topped with crispy chickpeas for protein.

If you’ve never tried pumpkin soup, this is your sign. To me, pumpkin soup tastes very similar to butternut squash soup, but a tad bit sweeter. Nevertheless, this Creamy Pumpkin Soup is delicious and the ultimate cozy fall meal. I made this soup on the first day of fall, it was raining all day so it felt very on trend to make a soup. What better way to celebrate the autumnal season than with the notorious fruit (yup, I thought pumpkin was a vegetable too until I just googled it and learned that it’s a fruit) of the season!

For ease and convenience, this soup is made with canned pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling). I added red lentils for a boost of plant-based protein, and top it with crispy chickpeas for a delightful crunch (and extra protein). The combination of flavors is sweet, warming and delicious. This soup is completely vegan and gluten free.

Creamy Pumpkin Soup with Crispy Chickpeas – Ingredients

• Olive Oil

• Yellow Onion

• Garlic

• Pumpkin Puree – from a can. Yup, easy as can be! Pumpkin is loaded with antioxidants and a great source of Vitamins A and C.

• Red Lentils – to add plant-based protein.

• Vegetable Broth

• Coconut Milk – canned. This makes the soup extra creamy.

• Seasonings – salt, black pepper, ground ginger and ground nutmeg.

• Chickpeas – canned. Also known as garbanzo beans. We’re going to air fry these with a little olive oil, salt, black pepper and smoked paprika to garnish the soup. They also add extra plant-based protein!

• Parsley / Pepitas – for garnish (optional).

How To Make Creamy Pumpkin Soup with Crispy Chickpeas

1. Sauté olive oil, onions, and garlic to a large pot or dutch oven and place over medium heat. Sauté for about 15 minutes, using water to deglaze the pan as necessary. We want the onions to start to caramelize and turn brown. Pour in the pumpkin puree, vegetable broth, coconut milk, red lentils, salt, black pepper, ground ginger and ground nutmeg to the pot.

2. Bring the soup to a boil, then and simmer over medium-low heat for 25-30 minutes.

3. Prepare the crispy chickpeas by adding the chickpeas, olive oil, salt, black pepper and smoked paprika to a bowl and mixing until the chickpeas are evenly coated. Place them in an air fryer at 400F and cook for 20 minutes, shaking/tossing every 5 minutes or so.

4. Transfer the soup to a blender and blend until creamy – about 1-2 minutes. Taste the soup and adjust for seasonings. This soup is a bit on the thick side, so if you like it thinner, add vegetable broth 1/2 cup at a time.

5. Garnish the soup with crispy chickpeas, fresh parsley, and toasted pepitas, or other toppings of choice.

To make this soup I use my Le Creuset Dutch Oven. It is by far my most used kitchen item. It hardly ever burns, it cooks everything extremely evenly, and you can really tell the difference when cooking with it as opposed to cooking with other pots. Highly recommend!

To sum it up – this soup is wholesome, comforting and tastes like the autumn season. It’s a healthy and nutritious option to stay warm during the chilly autumn days. Enjoy a comforting and flavorful meal with this wonderful and nutritious recipe!

More Cozy Soup Recipes

• Vegan Butternut Squash Soup

• Chickpea Noodle Soup

• Vegan Butternut Squash, Lentil and Kale Soup

Creamy Pumpkin Soup with Crispy Chickpeas

This wholesome Creamy Pumpkin Soup is warm, cozy & tastes of the season! It's filled with pumpkin puree, red lentils & topped with crispy chickpeas for protein.

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour

Servings: 4 servings

Author: Megan

Equipment

1 Dutch Oven

1 blender

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Ingredients

Pumpkin Soup

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 yellow onion diced
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1 15 oz can pumpkin purée
• 3 cups vegetable broth
• 1 15 oz can coconut milk
• 1/2 cup red lentils rinsed and drained
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• crispy chickpeas recipe below, for garnish
• fresh parsley for garnish
• toasted pepitas for garnish

Crispy Chickpeas

• 1 15 oz can chickpeas rinsed and drained
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika

Instructions

• Add olive oil, onions, and garlic to a dutch oven or a large pot and place over medium heat. Sauté for about 15 minutes, using water to deglaze the pan as necessary. We want the onions to start to caramelize and turn brown.
• Add the pumpkin puree, vegetable broth, coconut milk, red lentils, salt, black pepper, ground ginger and ground nutmeg to the pot. Cover, bring to a boil, then remove cover and simmer over medium-low heat for 25-30 minutes.
• In the meantime, prepare the crispy chickpeas by adding the chickpeas, olive oil, salt, black pepper and smoked paprika to a bowl and mixing until the chickpeas are evenly coated. Place them in an air fryer at 400F and cook for 20 minutes, shaking/tossing every 5 minutes or so.
• Remove the soup from the stove and transfer the soup to a blender and blend until creamy – about 1-2 minutes.
• Taste the soup and adjust for seasonings. This soup is a bit on the thick side, so if you like it thinner, add vegetable broth 1/2 cup at a time (you may need to add up to 1 cup of extra vegetable broth, depending how thick/thin you like it).
• Garnish the soup with crispy chickpeas, fresh parsley, and toasted pepitas, or other toppings of choice.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 200kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Sodium: 1435mg | Potassium: 279mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 549IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 26mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so it should only be used as an approximation.