Creamy and delicious, this Harissa Pumpkin Soup is made with Leftover Pumpkin Guts and 8 other easy-to-find ingredients. It is an easy and dairy-free bowl of wholesome comfort.

This recipe is for you if you want to use the pumpkin guts you scraped out of your pumpkin when you carved it.

This is a surprisingly hearty vegetarian soup that is absolutely delicious and so easy to make.

Last year, my boyfriend and I carved out a huge pumpkin and we had a mound of pumpkin guts and seeds! I wanted to do something with the pumpkin guts and pumpkin seeds instead of discarding them. So, I roasted the seeds, because we love to snack on roast pumpkin seeds.

And, used some of the pumpkin guts to make a pumpkin pie and the rest to make this harissa pumpkin soup.

Well, this year, I had a smaller mound of pumpkin guts and decided to make that easy soup again and share it here.

What can you do with leftover pumpkin guts?

If you happen to have a pile of pumpkin guts and stumble on here in your quest to find something to use those pumpkin guts in, I hope you find this recipe for harissa pumpkin soup easy and tasty.

After carving a pumpkin, that stringy, goopy, orange pulp is packed full of beta-carotene, vitamins, fiber, and minerals, and blends up beautifully into everything from soup to a base for pumpkin pie to pumpkin hummus.

What are the ingredients needed to make this harissa pumpkin soup?

You will need the following ingredients to make this recipe:

1. Pumpkin Guts
2. Olive oil
3. Onion
4. Garlic
5. Dry Harissa
6. Ground coriander
7. Ground turmeric
8. Coconut Milk
9. Salt and black pepper

Adaptations & Variations

Pumpkin Guts: This recipe makes use of the innards, or guts, of an uncooked/raw pumpkin.
However, this harissa pumpkin soup recipe can also be made with canned 100% pure pumpkin puree or freshly baked pumpkin as well as any other type of squash like butternut squash or acorn squash.

Olive oil: In this case, any oil can be used to saute the onion and garlic.

Onion: I used fresh onion for this. However, you can also use the peeled and chopped pumpkin sold in the produce section of most grocery stores. Onion caramelized just a tad bit adds so much aroma and taste to this soup. However, onion powder just doesn’t add the same flavor as sauteed onion, and I would suggest refraining from using it as a substitute.

Garlic: Just as with the fresh onion, fresh garlic is a must in this recipe. If you happen to have some oven-roasted garlic, that would also work.

Spices: For this soup, I used a combination of dry harissa, coriander, and inflammation-fighting turmeric. If you do not have coriander, it can be replaced with cumin. And, if you do not have coriander or turmeric, they can both be replaced with some curry powder. Or, the coriander and turmeric could be left out and a teaspoon or two of dry harissa could be used instead. If you have harissa paste on hand, it could be used instead of the dry harissa.

Coconut milk: I am lactose intolerant so I used full-fat coconut milk to keep this soup dairy-free and super creamy. I have tried almond milk when making this soup and it works well too. However, if you do not have any issues with lactose, you could also use cow’s milk.

OPTIONAL broth: This is a thick and creamy soup. To thin it out a bit, add in a cup or two of vegetable broth. If you are not wanting to keep this a vegetarian soup, then chicken stock or chicken soup could be added in instead.

How to make this soup?

Prepping:

If you do not calculate the time it takes to scrape out the pumpkin guts into the prep time, the prep time for this soup takes about 5 minutes. It involves peeling and chopping the onion and garlic. The prep time would be even less if you buy and use the store-bought, peeled, and chopped onion and garlic.

Instructions:

Once all the ingredients are gathered and prepped, add the oil to a large pot. Then add in the onion and garlic and saute these for about 10 minutes over medium-high heat, stirring often so they do not burn.

Then, add in the pumpkin guts, harissa, coriander, turmeric, and coconut milk and mix well. Cover the mixture and let simmer for about 20 minutes. Then, turn the stove off and remove the pot from the hot stove.

Add the contents to a blender and blend until this harissa pumpkin soup is the smoothness you like. If you have an immersion blender, then use it to blend this mixture into a smooth and creamy soup. Season this harissa pumpkin soup with salt and pepper to taste. I do not like to specify the amount of salt and pepper to use as I find that each of our tastes differ when it comes to this.

The total time to make this soup is around 30 to 35 minutes.

This is a thick soup. If you prefer this soup to be a bit thinner, you can add a cup or two of vegetable broth to it before letting all the ingredients simmer together.

How to serve this harissa pumpkin soup?

This soup can be served with sliced jalapenos, pepitas, and some chopped fresh cilantro or parsley. You could also add in chopped avocado and/or tortillas as well.

How to store leftovers of this soup?

Leftovers of this soup can be stored in an airtight container, in the refrigerator for up to a week. You can heat up an individual portion of this soup in the microwave, in a microwave-safe bowl. Or, you can heat a large portion up in a large pot over the stove.

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Thanks so much for stopping by. If you make this recipe, please let me know in the comments below what you think of it, or tag your creation on social media with @savoryspin or #savoryspin. For more fusion, spice-filled, recipe ideas, please subscribe and follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and/or Pinterest!