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Home Eat Dinners

Pumpkin Soup with Smoky Roasted Chickpeas

4.43 from 7 votes
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By: Sarah BondUpdated: Oct 16, 2022 24 Comments

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Pumpkin soup in a bowl with chickpeas on top

This pumpkin soup is topped with smoky roasted chickpeas and fresh thyme, making it the ultimate cozy autumn recipe for busy weeknights!

Pumpkin soup in a bowl with chickpeas on top

I’m not usually a soup person. Blame it on the impatience in having to eat it one sip at a time, or my Pavlovian association between soup and being sick. But when I saw this recipe for pumpkin soup with crispy bacon and chickpeas, I decided I could probably be a soup person.

To find an equally delicious substitute for the bacon, I drew inspiration from this killer recipe by Sarah over at Well and Full. With a careful combination of spices and sauces, she transforms coconut flakes into crispy mock bacon. So I applied all of that smoky flavor deliciousness to roasted chickpeas, one thing led to another, and this bonkers tasty, smoky, hearty, savory-yet-sweet-yet-spicy soup was born!

Pumpkin soup in a bowl with chickpeas on top

Let’s start with the chickpeas!

Toss a can of chickpeas together with olive oil, soy sauce, sriracha, maple syrup and smoked paprika. We’ll bake these until they’re a bit crispy and caramelized. Fair warning: these will become the very essence of the soup and also your life and you’ll be forced to go buy chickpeas in bulk to supply your exponentially growing appetite for these insy flavor vessels).

Chickpeas on a baking sheet

How to Make Pumpkin Soup from Scratch

The two main ingredients in this pumpkin soup are the pumpkin and the roasted red bell pepper. For quicker cooking, I prefer to use canned pumpkin and store bought roasted bell peppers, but you can also make them yourself!

To make your own pumpkin puree: Sugar pumpkins (also known as pie pumpkins) are smaller and sweeter than the traditional jack-o-lantern variety. So get two of these (plus more if you want to be adorable and serve this soup IN THE ACTUAL pumpkin), scoop out the seeds and gunk, halve them, drizzle in some oil, and roast them for about an hour. (Full guide for homemade pumpkin puree here!)

To make your own roasted red pepper: At the same time, we’re going to roast a red bell pepper. This is probably one of the best flavors known to man. Just stick it directly onto the oven rack above the pumpkin (to catch any pepper-y drips), and let it blacken.

Ingredients to make pumpkin soup in a pot

Then you’ll just get some shallots and garlic sizzling in a pot and mix in the pumpkin, roasted bell pepper, a bit of vegetable stock, and almond milk. Puree it with either an immersion blender or a countertop blender (always be careful when adding hot liquids to a countertop blender not to cover it completely – the hot air needs to be able to escape!)

Pureeing pumpkin soup with an immersion blender

Mix in a few seasonings to taste (salt + pepper + cinnamon), ladle it out, and top with the best damn roasted chickpeas you ever did taste.

Pro-tip for serving (that’s not in the photos because I discovered it later): feta cheese! A sprinkle of crumbled feta cheese brings the perfect amount of tanginess to this soup and takes it out of this world 🤯

Pumpkin soup in a bowl with chickpeas on top

P.S. Love these chickpeas? You’ll also love them on our Sauerkraut Soup!

Pumpkin soup in a bowl with chickpeas on top

Pumpkin Soup with Smoky Roasted Chickpeas

4.43 from 7 votes
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 1 hour 20 minutes
Total: 1 hour 30 minutes
Author: Sarah Bond
Calories: 249kcal
Servings: 4 servings
Print Rate
This pumpkin soup is topped with smoky roasted chickpeas and fresh thyme, making it the ultimate cozy autumn recipe for busy weeknights!

Ingredients

Chickpeas

  • 1 15-oz can chickpeas rinsed and drained, 425 g
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil 15 mL
  • 1 Tbsp soy sauce use tamari for a gluten-free option, 15 mL
  • 2 tsp sriracha 10 g
  • 1 tsp maple syrup 5 mL
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika

Soup

  • 1 Tbsp olive oil 15 mL
  • 2 shallots diced
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 3 15-oz cans pumpkin puree* or 2 pie pumpkins, or 6 cups puree
  • 1 roasted red bell pepper*
  • 1 ½ cup vegetable stock 350 mL
  • ½ cup plain almond milk 120 mL
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp each ground pepper, cinnamon
  • Optional garnish: thyme, feta cheese

Instructions 

  • Chickpeas: Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C). Thoroughly dry chickpeas with a paper towel, then toss together with olive oil, soy, sriracha, maple, and paprika. Spread onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes, or until golden brown and a little crispy. Let sit in the oven to stay warm while you make the soup.
  • Soup: Meanwhile, bring olive oil to medium heat. Add shallots and garlic, cooking until shallots become a bit translucent. Stir in the pumpkin, roasted bell pepper, vegetable stock, almond milk, and seasonings.
  • Puree: Before the soup gets too warm, blend until smooth. This is easiest with a handheld immersion blender, or you can transfer the soup to a countertop blender.
  • Serve: If you used a countertop blender, return soup to the pot over medium heat. Bring to a gentle simmer. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Ladle a cup of soup into a bowl and top with a handful of chickpeas. Serve warm and with love, optionally garnished with thyme and crumbled feta cheese.

Tips & Tricks

To make your own pumpkin puree: You can make this pumpkin soup with whole pumpkins! You’ll need 2 sugar (pie) pumpkins.
1. Chop the tops off the pumpkins, cut them in half lengthwise, and scoop out the seeds and stringy bits with a spoon.
2. Rub a touch of olive oil on the inside of each, just 1 Tbsp total, then place face down on a baking sheet and roast for about 1 hour at 350F (175C), until flesh is ultra fork tender.
3. Scoop or peel the innards from the skins and use in place of the pumpkin puree (guide for homemade pumpkin puree here!)
To make your own roasted red pepper: At the same time, we’re going to roast a red bell pepper. This is probably one of the best flavors known to man. Just stick it directly onto the oven rack above the pumpkin (to catch any pepper-y drips), and let it blacken.
1. Set a whole red bell pepper directly onto a rack above the pumpkin. Let this roast until it’s nearly black, turning it every 10 minutes or so.
2. Place pepper in a bowl, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and set aside for a few minutes to let the skin loosen.
3. Gently peel off the skin of the pepper, remove the seeds and stem, and chop it into chunks.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1serving Calories: 249kcal (12%) Carbohydrates: 39g (13%) Protein: 8g (16%) Fat: 8g (12%) Saturated Fat: 1.1g (7%) Cholesterol: 1mg Sodium: 863mg (38%) Potassium: 298mg (9%) Fiber: 8.3g (35%) Sugar: 12.8g (14%) Calcium: 117mg (12%) Iron: 3mg (17%)
Did You Make This?

Leave a comment below and tag @liveeatlearn on social media! I love seeing what you’ve made!

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Pumpkin Soup with Smoky Roasted Chickpeas
A photo from when I originally posted this Pumpkin Soup recipe!

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  1. Sarah | Well and Full says

    Posted on 10/22 at 8:36 am

    I love that you used the coconut bacon spices to make chickpeas!! 😀

    Reply
    • Sarah says

      Posted on 10/22 at 8:49 am

      Oh they were so tasty. Your spice combo was spot on!! I’d never tried (or heard of) tamari before, and it’s quite the game changer.

  2. Linda says

    Posted on 10/23 at 7:21 pm

    I’ve been thinking about pumpkin soup lately … so your recipe has come at an opportune moment. I can’t wait to try your roasted chickpeas too.

    On another note, you had me laughing about your 10 year old blender threatening to spill the contents with every flip of the switch. It wasn’t too long ago that I was in the same boat with a 20 year old Oster blender. Thankfully, I was able to upgrade to a VitaMix and my blender worries are over.

    Reply
    • Sarah says

      Posted on 10/23 at 11:14 pm

      Roasted chickpeas are a new obsession of mine 🙂 And you’re so fortunate to have upgraded! I keep putting it off, but somehow ole bessy the blender keeps on hanging in there, so who am I to throw her out just yet? Haha

  3. Sherri @ Watch Learn Eat says

    Posted on 10/23 at 8:13 pm

    You had me at chickpeas or maybe it was pumpkin…either way, this soup sounds soooo good and looks beautiful! 🙂

    Reply
    • Sarah says

      Posted on 10/23 at 11:15 pm

      Thanks Sherri!! Let me know if you try it out!

  4. Regina says

    Posted on 10/24 at 1:07 am

    This looks absolutely delicious! I am kind of a soup person, but thick and creamy ones are definitely at the top of the list!

    Reply
    • Sarah says

      Posted on 10/24 at 1:05 pm

      I’m right there with ya! I think the soup distain comes from the brothy nothing soups. I need some substance! Thanks for stopping by, Regina!

  5. Teresa says

    Posted on 10/24 at 6:34 am

    I’m not a soup person either, but I think I will make an exception for this one! Looks delicious. I love the photos!

    Reply
    • Sarah says

      Posted on 10/24 at 1:06 pm

      Thanks Teresa! I hope you’ll give it a go! 🙂

  6. Whitney says

    Posted on 10/24 at 12:24 pm

    Pumpkin soup is one of my favourite soups.. don’t like chickpeas much but you can never go wrong with some good Pumpkin soup ha 🙂

    Reply
    • Sarah says

      Posted on 10/24 at 1:08 pm

      If you’re not vegetarian you could sub the chickpeas for bacon. The sweet/saltiness from the chickpea topping just ties it all in, and I don’t want you to miss out! 🙂

  7. Victoria @ Vegelicacy says

    Posted on 10/24 at 12:47 pm

    Wow, wow, this soup looks incredibly tantilizing!

    Reply
    • Sarah says

      Posted on 10/24 at 1:11 pm

      Thanks! I hope you’ll give it a go 🙂

  8. fabiola@notjustbaked says

    Posted on 10/27 at 2:14 pm

    Roasted chickpeas are the best soup toppers! Love doing that, it makes it so much more filling and adds the perfect texture. Great recipe!

    Reply
    • Sarah says

      Posted on 10/27 at 2:27 pm

      I’m starting to learn that they’re perfect with just about everything! And soup especially because you’re right, they just give the perfect texture and heartiness and yummm! Thanks for stopping by!

  9. Olivia @ Olivia's Cuisine says

    Posted on 11/2 at 5:38 pm

    Amazing pictures! I wish I could reach through the screen and grab one of these bowls! Yum!

    Reply
    • Sarah says

      Posted on 11/2 at 7:17 pm

      Thanks Olivia!! On these days where I don’t really feel like cooking supper I wish I could too 🙂

  10. Noreen Sullivan says

    Posted on 10/2 at 5:26 pm

    Can not wait to make this soup!!! Crazy October day approaching 90 degrees in the northeast, so not today, but ASAP!!!!!

    Reply
    • Sarah says

      Posted on 10/2 at 9:54 pm

      Holy hot! Indeed, wait a few weeks to make this one 😂 Wishing cooler weather your way!

  11. GW says

    Posted on 12/9 at 4:16 am

    This soup is awesome. We made it both from canned pumpkin and from the uncut Halloween pumpkins. I think it was better from fresh pumpkin!5 stars

    Reply
    • Sarah says

      Posted on 12/9 at 4:33 pm

      So happy to hear! You could also try out butternut 😀

  12. Chelsey says

    Posted on 9/7 at 11:42 am

    Can you substitute almond milk for oat or soy milk?

    Reply
    • Sarah Bond says

      Posted on 9/9 at 5:28 pm

      Yes! Just be sure to use a variety without any flavor or sweetener 😀

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