Pumpkin carrot soup that’s sweet, spicy, and creamy. A base of onion, garlic, carrots, and pumpkins are soupified with veggie stock and coconut milk and amped up with warming curry spices. A great starter or light meal for a cold day.
Preheat a large soup pot to medium-low heat and then add the olive oil.
Add the chopped yellow onions, stirring to coat in the olive oil. Let cook over medium-low heat until the onions have softened and are translucent, about 10 minutes. Be sure to stir occasionally and adjust the heat down if necessary to avoid the onions browning.
Add the minced garlic to the onions, and stir to incorporate. Let cook until fragrant, about 30-60 seconds.
Add the curry powder, ginger paste, ground turmeric, cumin, coriander, and salt to the pot. Stir to coat the onions and garlic in the spices. Continue to stir and let the spices toast and become fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.
Add the chopped carrots and pumpkin puree to the pot, stirring to incorporate.
Gently pour in the vegetable stock and stir to incorporate everything together. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat and let simmer until the carrots are fork tender, 15-20 minutes.
While the curry pumpkin carrot soup is simmering, prepare the caramelized maple pumpkin seeds by adding ½ cup of raw pumpkin seeds to a small frying pan. Turn the heat of the pan onto medium-low heat.
Occasionally tossing the seeds in the pan, let toast slightly, about 3-4 minutes.
Add the unsalted butter, maple syrup, salt, and cayenne pepper to the frying pan. Stir to coat the pumpkin seeds in the syrup and butter as it melts.
Let simmer at a low heat, until the butter begins to brown and the syrup begins to reduce.
Use a silicone spatula to transfer the seeds to a small tray lined with wax paper and let cool. Set aside until you’re ready to plate.
Once the carrots are fork tender, carefully transfer the soup into a blender. Blend on medium until the soup is very smooth, about 2 minutes, leaving a gap in your lid to let steam escape and a towel to hold the lid in place to protect your hands from the heat. Alternatively, you can blend the soup in the pot with an immersion blender if you have one.
Transfer the soup back into the soup pot and pour in the coconut milk. Stir to incorporate and place the pot over medium low heat. Warm through until the soup is warmed to your liking - I recommend about 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning and spice level as needed.
Divide the soup into 4 bowls for a main course or 6 as a starter. Top with a drizzle of olive oil, a crack of fresh black pepper, and a few of the caramelized maple pumpkin seeds. Enjoy!