Moroccan pumpkin soup combines warm Moroccan spices with the smoothness of a classic pumpkin soup. It's made with a few simple ingredients but contains no cream. The best part is that it comes together in one pot. You can make easily scale this pumpkin soup recipe and freeze it away. To make it more filling, you can cook white quinoa and add it to the blended soup. If you're looking for more pumpkin soup recipes without cream, you may like this Hokkaido pumpkin soup.
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Why you'll love this soup
- This soup is really easy to make and extremely flavorful.
- The recipe is very versatile. You can use any type of squash you like, such as Hokkaido pumpkin, butternut squash or delicata squash.
- It's nutritious and extra filling, especially if you add in some cooked quinoa.
- This pumpkin soup recipe is made without cream and is thereby dairy free and vegan-friendly.
Key ingredients and substitutions
Pumpkin: You can use about 3,6 lbs (1,5 kg) of fresh pumpkin. We like to buy a slice or a quarter of pumpkin at the grocery store to avoid making too much soup. You could however also use another, smaller type of squash, such as Hokkaido pumpkin or butternut squash.
Carrots: Carrots are very present in Moroccan cuisine and pair really well with pumpkin in this soup. You could however replace them with more pumpkin if necessary.
Moroccan spices: Morocco is well-known for its variety of spices, including ginger, cumin, cinnamon, turmeric, paprika and many more. Ras El Hanout is a famous Morrocan spice blend that you can use in this soup. We love to add some extra cinnamon, cumin and turmeric to have that perfect balance between spicy and sweet but this is totally optional
Vegetable broth: We like to use bouillon powder. For this specific soup recipe, you could even use water as the spices already make the soup extremely flavorful.
Elo's tips
- Fry the spices with the onion and garlic. Frying the spices helps release their aromas and will make the soup even more flavorful.
- Chop the vegetables into relatively small pieces as small chunks will cook much quicker.
- Make sure the pumpkin is perfectly tender. This will allow you to get a perfectly smooth soup after blending.
- Adapt the thickness of your soup. Depending on the amount of squash and broth you use, your soup will be a little thicker or thinner. If you like thin and runny soups, simply add a little more vegetable broth (or water) until you reach your preferred consistency. Add a little bit of liquid at a time and stirr well before adding more.
Step-by-step with pictures
Wash and chop the vegetables. Mince the onion and crush the garlic cloves. Peel the carrots and pumpkin. Chop the vegetables into pieces (the smaller they are, the quicker they will cook). No need to be precise here as everything will be blended once it's cooked.
Sauté the onion. Heat a Dutch oven or deep pot with your preferred cooking oil. Once hot, add the onion and sauté until translucent. This should take 2 to 3 minutes.
Fry the Moroccan spices. When the onions are soft, add the garlic, Ras El Hanout and other Moroccan spices (if using) to the pot. Stir continuously to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
Sauté the pumpkin and cover with broth. Finally, add in the pumpkin and carrots and sauté until lightly colored. Pour in the crushed tomatoes and cover the vegetables with vegetable broth.
Simmer the soup over medium heat for 30 minutes. Check if the pumpkin pieces are soft with a fork.
Blend the Moroccan pumpkin until smooth. Use an immersion blender for a silky smooth result. No need to add cream or butter, the soup is already super creamy. Enjoy as-is or add some quinoa for an even more filling meal.
Optionally, add in cooked quinoa. Start by rinsing the quinoa under cold water. Cook it in a separate pot while the soup is simmering. Mix it in the soup once it's blended.
Storage and reheating tips
Pumpkin soup will keep in the fridge for 4 to 5 days if stored in an air-tight container. Make sure it doesn't look or smell weird when taking it out of the refrigerator.
You can freeze pumpkin soup for up to 3 months. Freeze big batches or individual servings in air-tight containers or zip bags. Make sure to write the date on the containers/bags.
In general, food should only be reheated once. If you made a big batch of soup, reheat a single bowl at a time and freeze leftovers.
No, any type of soup should not be left out for more than 2 hours according to the USDA. Once it's cooled down, transfer the soup into air-tight containers and keep them in the fridge or in the freezer.
Frequently asked questions
Moroccan seasoning, also known as Ras El Hanout is commonly made of cumin, paprika, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. The blend of spices and the quantity of each individual spice will vary depending on the manufacturer.
Pumpkin soup is a weight-loss-friendly food. It's high in fiber and will keep you full for a long period of time. Add in some quinoa for a protein boost.
If you have some leftover pumpkin, cut it into small pieces and pack them into zip bags. You can store these in the freezer for several months. You could also make pumpkin puree from scratch and use it to make this creamy pumpkin puree pasta or these tomato pumpkin sauce gnocchi.
The recipe
Moroccan Pumpkin Soup (Without Cream) With Quinoa
Ingredients
- 1 onion
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 3,6 lbs (1,5 kg) pumpkin fresh or frozen
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or preferred cooking oil
- 14 oz (400 g) canned crushed tomatoes
- 3 cups (700 ml) vegetable broth or water
- ⅓ cup (60 g) quinoa optional
Moroccan spices
- ¾ teaspoon Moroccan spice blend (Ras El Hanout)
- ¾ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon cumin optional
- ¼ teaspoon tumeric optional
Instructions
- Mince the onion. Crush the garlic cloves with the flat side of your knife.
- Peel the pumpkn and cut it into pieces. The smaller the pieces the quicker they will cook.
- Heat a large pot or Dutch oven with olive oil. When hot, sauté the onion over medium-high heat until soft.
- Add in the garlic cloves and Moroccan spices (Ras El Hanout, cinnamon, cumin and turmeric). Stir until the spices are fragrant.
- Add the pumpkin to the pot. Sauté for 5 minutes over medium-high heat while stirring frequently to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
- Pour in the vegetable broth (or water) and the crushed tomatoes. Cover with a lid and simmer for 30 minutes or until the pumpkin is soft.
- In the meantime, rinse the quinoa under cold water. Cook it in a separate pot according to package directions.
- Blend the soup with an immersion blender until perfectly smooth. Add more vegetable broth (or water) if you prefer a thinner consistency. Finally, add in the cooked quinoa and give it a good stir.
Notes
- You can use any type of squash to make this Moroccan pumpkin soup (e.g., Hokkaido pumpkin, butternut squash, Delicata squash).
- You can use water instead of vegetable broth as the spices already make the soup extremely flavorful.
- Make the soup a little thinner by adding more vegetable broth (or water) once it's blended. Add a little bit of liquid at a time and stir well before adding more.
- Storage tips: this pumpkin soup will keep in the fridge for 4 to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months if stored in an air-tight container.
Nutrition
Equipment
- Cutting board
- Sharp knife and vegetable peeler
- Scale or measuring cups
- Large pot
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