Name: Creamy Pumpkin Soup with Chickpeas & Spicy Mushrooms
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 4 cups cooked chickpeas (or 2 cans of store-bought chickpeas); 1 butternut squash baked & peeled (or 2 cans of butternut squash puree); 1 tsp sea salt; 2 bouillon cubes; 1 1/2 yellow onion; 3 cloves garlic; 1/2 tsp thyme; 1 tsp sage (fresh or dried chopped); 1 tsp mustard; ground pepper to taste; 1 tbsp olive oil; 200 g mushrooms cut to quarters; 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper; 1/4 tsp salt; 1/2 tsp smoked paprika; 1/4 ground black pepper; 1 tbsp pumpkin seeds; extra coarse-ground mustard to taste

Creamy Pumpkin Soup with Chickpeas & Spicy Mushrooms Overview

Soups, especially creamy ones, have been having a reputation of the perfect comforting meal for cold days. This Creamy Pumpkin Soup with Chickpeas & Spicy Mushrooms is exceptionally satisfying, thanks to the combination of filling chickpeas, sweet pumpkin, woodsy sage, and spicy thyme. The depth of flavors in this meal is just incredible, and every spoonful of this soup has been a sheer pleasure to indulge in.

Soups have never been just appetizers in my eyes. I love to get a generous portion of a steamy portion of creamy pumpkin soup served as a main dish. Therefore, making it filling and richly flavorful becomes a priority. Adding legumes and/or potatoes into a recipe then helps to increase calories and to fill up for a longer time.

I first discovered the chickpea-pumpkin combo in Baked Pumpkin Hummus, and that extraordinary meeting of flavors came to my mind when I was about to make a creamy pumpkin soup this autumn again. Why not make it with chickpeas this time? As you may find out at the end of your cooking process, this works out very well.

So to start with, get your cooked chickpeas and pumpkin/butternut squash into a large pot. Add the rest of the ingredients and cook them until soft. Then blend into a smooth texture and serve this creamy pumpkin soup topped with sautéed mushrooms and roasted pumpkin seeds.

This soup makes a great appetizer as well as the main dish, especially served with some whole-grain bread on the side and extra greens. Even on its own, it is an excellent source of nutritious energy: it is high in protein, fiber, and calcium.

Creamy Pumpkin Soup with Chickpeas & Spicy Mushrooms

This Creamy Pumpkin Soup with Chickpeas is an exceptionally satisfying & richly flavorful meal. It would make a perfectly comforting dish for colder days.

Prep Time10

Cook Time35

Total Time45

Course: Appetizer, Main Course, Soup

Cuisine: Asian, Indian

Keyword: Gluten free, Nut free, Vegan

Servings: 6

Calories: 277kcal

Cost: $5 USD

Equipment

Large pot
Blender

Ingredients

For Soup

4 cups cooked chickpeas or 2 cans of store-bought chickpeas
1 butternut squash baked & peeled or 2 cans of butternut squash puree
1 tsp sea salt
2 bouillon cubes
1 1/2 yellow onion
3 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp thyme
1 tsp sage fresh or dried chopped
1 tsp mustard
ground pepper to taste

For topping

1 tbsp olive oil
200 g mushrooms cut to quarters
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 ground black pepper
1 tbsp pumpkin seeds
extra coarse-ground mustard to taste

Instructions

Into a large soup pot pour cooked chickpeas (or drained and rinsed ones from the can).
Add the rest of soup ingredients except salt and pepper, cover with water and cook over medium heat for about 20 mins, until all ingredients soften.
Take off the heat and blend with a hand blender until creamy consistency. (Alternatively, place into the blender that can mix hot liquids).
Add salt and pepper, mix the soup and add more water if more liquid consistency desired.
In a separate pan, roast pumpkin seeds for couple of minutes and set aside in a small bowl.
Saute the mushrooms with olive oil, salt and spices until slightly golden.
Serve the soup warm with some of the sauteed mushrooms, roasted pumpkin seeds and mustard.