Fall (autumn) is pumpkin season and there’s nothing better than a delicious, warming pumpkin soup. My pumpkin soup recipe comes with a Middle Eastern twist. Creamy soup topped with crispy pita chips with a homemade Za’atar spice blend. The bread chips give the soup a special crunch and round off the flavors perfectly. This pumpkin soup is perfect for cozy autumn days and makes a wonderful starter or main course for family or guests.
Contents
Ingredients
All you need is a handful of simple ingredients:
Pumpkin soup:
- Pumpkin: Hokkaido pumpkin or butternut squash are two popular types of pumpkin for soup. Both work well for this soup.
- Potatoes: Potatoes for a creamy texture.
- Onion: A regular yellow onion is the base of the soup, though it’s optional.
- Ginger: Ginger adds a pleasant flavor.
- Butter (or olive oil): To sauté onion and ginger.
- Vegetable stock: A broth cube (vegetable stock or chicken stock), dissolved in water. Adds to the flavor of the soup.
- Seasonings: Salt and pepper to taste. Turmeric for some color. Optionally, some cayenne pepper or chili powder for some heat.
Za’atar bread chips:
- Lebanese bread is the preferred choice (other types of white bread work as well)
- Za’atar spice blend, either store-bought or homemade (check out my Za’atar blend recipe).
- Olive oil for brushing (to make the za’atar stick onto the bread)
Note: Quantities can be found in the recipe card at the end of this recipe and can be adjusted according to the amount of servings you’d like to make.
How to Make Pumpkin Soup (Step-by-Step Recipe)
Ready to get cooking? Let’s get started! You’ll find the detailed step-by-step instructions below. For a shorter version (to print out), simply scroll down to the recipe card.
Step 1: Prepare the pumpkin
Let’s start by preparing our pumpkin. I’m using a Hokkaido pumpkin here, which doesn’t need to be peeled. Give it a good wash, as the peel is edible. Cut off the stem, then slice the pumpkin in half. Scoop out the seeds with a spoon. Place it on a cutting board in front of you, trim off the blossom end, and cut pumpkin into chunks. Be sure to use a sharp chef’s knife for this as the raw pumpkin is quite hard.
Step 2: Prepare the vegetables
Next, let’s prepare the rest of our vegetables. Peel the potatoes and cut them into chunks as well. The potatoes give the soup more body and creaminess. For even more flavor and a higher vegetable content, you could also add carrots (for a subtle sweetness and color) or celery (for a savory, hearty flavor).
Finely chop the onion. By the way, the onion isn’t absolutely necessary, but it does provide a rounded, savory base and extra depth of flavor to the soup.
Then peel and finely chop a piece of fresh ginger. You don’t need to crush the ginger in a mortar, as it will be blended with the soup later.
Step 3: Sauté vegetables
Now let’s head over to the stove. Heat some butter (or olive oil if you prefer) in a large pot over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, add the chopped onion and sauté for about 2 to 3 minutes until translucent. Once it smells nice and sweet, add the ginger and turmeric and sauté for another 20-30 seconds, just enough to bring out the aroma.
Step 4: Cook soup
Add in your pumpkin and potato chunks and sauté everything together for a short moment (1-2 minutes). This will help develop a beautiful aroma.
Pour in the vegetable stock or water. The liquid should cover the vegetables. I use around 1 liter / 4 US cups of liquids for a 900 g / 2 lbs pumpkin. You can always add more water later if you prefer a more runny consistency.
Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer over medium heat for about 20 minutes until pumpkin and potatoes are fork-tender. The pumpkin is ready when it’s tender and can easily be pierced with a fork.
Step 5: Blend
Blend the soup in the pot with an immersion blender until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Optionally, stir in a splash of cream or coconut milk for extra creaminess and flavor.
Step 6: Make pita crisps
Now, let’s prepare the second component of this recipe, our za’atar bread chips. I’ll be using Lebanese flatbread for this, but you could use pita or any other type of white bread. If you’re using Lebanese bread, note that it consists of two layers that can be separated, similar to pita bread. The inside is softer and more absorbent, so it holds the oil-herb mixture better, which is why I like to open it up. This works best when the bread is fresh. If it’s not, warm it in the microwave for about 10 seconds to soften it enough to tear open.
For the bread chips, cut the flatbread into bite-sized pieces (about 2×2 cm / ¾×¾ inch). Place in a bowl, add olive oil and Za’atar and mix well with your hands. Be sure the bread is evenly coated with a thin layer of oil and herbs.
Heat a flat skillet over medium heat (no extra oil needed). Add the bread pieces and toast them very briefly, for about 30–60 seconds on each side, until golden brown and crispy. If you use a thicker type of bread, you need to toast them a little longer to get the desired crispiness. Remove from the pan and let cool slightly to crisp up.
The pita bread chips can be prepped while the soup cooks, as they take less than 5 minutes to put together.
Step 7: Garnish and serve
To serve, pour the soup into bowls. Sprinkle the pita chips on top of the warm soup. If you didn’t add cream or coconut milk, you could drizzle some fresh orange or lemon for a slightly citrusy flavor. Garnish with finely chopped coriander or parsley.
Serving Suggestions
Pumpkin soup makes a wonderful starter, but can also be served as a main course. It pairs beautifully with the crunchy Za’atar pita chips on top, but you can also serve it with a dollop of plain yogurt, a swirl of coconut milk or cream, or a sprinkle of toasted seeds or nuts for extra texture.
Make Ahead & Storage
The soup can be prepared 2-3 days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge. It even tastes better the next day! It reheats well on the stovetop over low heat (add a splash of water or stock if it thickens). The Za’atar pita chips are best eaten fresh, but you can toast them a few hours ahead and store them at room temperature in an airtight container to keep them crisp.
Kitty’s Tips & Tricks
What’s Za’atar?
Za’atar is a spice blend from the Levant that’s often used as a topping for dips, salads, meat and vegetables, or simply enjoyed with bread and olive oil. The exact recipe varies from region to region and family to family, but the core ingredients are dried thyme, sumac and toasted sesame seeds. It tastes earthy, slightly nutty and citrusy-fresh, which pairs perfectly with this pumpkin soup. You can find the ready-made blend in any Middle Eastern grocery store, but it’s also very easy to make yourself. Check out my Za’atar recipe.
Middle Eastern Soups
Here are some of the most popular soups that you should check out.
- Arabic lentil soup (Shorbat Addas)
- Middle Eastern inspired cauliflower soup
- Corn soup
Feel free to take a look at my recipe collection of Middle Eastern soups.
Learn Middle Eastern Cooking
Are you a new to Middle Eastern cuisine? Then this Middle Eastern cookbook is what you need! In addition to a varied choice of recipes, the cookbook offers plenty of insights on ingredients, cooking techniques and Middle Eastern food culture.
Pumpkin Soup with Zaatar Bread Chips
Ingredients
Pumpkin Soup
- 1 Hokkaido pumpkin 1 small pumkin = about 900 g / 2.2 lbs
- 2 potatoes
- 1 onion small, yellow
- 1 piece fresh ginger
- 2 Tbsp butter or olive oil
- 1 vegetable stock cube
- 2 tsp salt to taste
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp turmeric
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper optional
- 1 liter (4 cups) water adjust for desired consistency
- Fresh coriander for garnish optional
Zaatar Bread Chips
- 1 Lebanese flatbread see notes
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp Za’atar see notes
Instructions
- Prepare the pumpkin: Wash the Hokkaido pumpkin, cut off the stem, then cut it in half. Scoop out the seeds with a spoon and cut the pumpkin into chunks.
- Prepare the vegetables: Peel the potatoes and cut them into chunks. Finely chop the onion. Peel and finely chop the ginger.
- Heat butter (or olive oil) in a large pot. Add the onion and sauté for 2–3 minutes until translucent. Add the ginger and turmeric and roast briefly (about 30 seconds).
- Add the pumpkin and potatoes and sauté briefly. Pour in the vegetable stock or water (the liquid should be about 1 cm or ½ inch above the vegetables). Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer over medium heat for about 20 minutes until pumpkin and potatoes are soft.
- Blend the soup in the pot with an immersion blender until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. If desired, stir in a splash of cream, coconut milk or orange for extra flavor.
- For the pita chips, cut the flatbread into bite-sized pieces (about 2 x 2 cm / ¾ x ¾ inch). Place in a bowl, add olive oil and Za’atar and mix well with your hands. Heat a flat skillet (no extra oil needed). Add the bread pieces and toast for 30–60 seconds per side over medium heat until golden brown. Remove from the pan and let cool slightly to crisp up.
- To serve, pour the soup into bowls. Sprinkle the pita chips on top of the warm soup. Garnish with finely chopped coriander or parsley if desired.
Notes
- Lebanese bread is a thin flatbread, similar to pita bread. If you can’t find that, you could use any other type of white bread, too.
- Za’atar is a Middle Eastern spice blend that you can find at any Middle Eastern store, online, or simply make your own using my Za’atar recipe.
Nutrition information is only a rough estimate and may vary depending on factors such as the cooking method, exact weight, type, and brand of ingredients used.
