Instant Pot Smoky Pumpkin Soup with Bacon and Pumpkin Seeds

Made in the Instant Pot, this Smoky Pumpkin Soup garnished with Bacon and Pumpkin Seeds is sure to delight. This soup has it all – smoke, intrigue, creaminess, crunch and a velvety texture. OK, I lied about the intrigue, but it is hard to believe that it all starts with a humble sugar pie pumpkin.

Add smokiness to the sugar pie pumpkin from 3 different sources – smoked bacon, smoked paprika, and liquid smoke. Potato and cream cheese give the soup its velvety texture. Finally, the bacon ribbons and roasted pumpkin seeds garnish and provide crunch.

Ingredients

Here’s the line up of ingredients that come together to make this delicious soup:

• Pumpkin – as mentioned, this recipe requires a sugar pie pumpkin – why? It is denser and sweeter than a carving pumpkin. The pumpkin is oven roasted in this recipe, but smoke it in an outdoor smoker or grill if you prefer.
• Potatoes, added for 2 reasons – to provide a smoother texture and to naturally thicken the soup.
• Chicken stock.
• Bacon, use hardwood smoked bacon.
• Cream cheese to add creaminess.
• Smoked paprika, I used a sweet smoked paprika.
• Liquid smoke, which is naturally made and completely safe to consume.
• Salt and pepper.

See recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

Oven roasted bacon is an effective way to cook bacon and catch the fat.

Wash the outside of the pumpkin. Using a sharp knife, insert the knife at the stalk end and run it down to the bottom of the pumpkin. Repeat this 3 more times, to make quarters. The knife should be cutting in the opposite direction to your fingers.

Scoop out the seeds and fibrous strands. Separate them and save only the seeds. Rinse them under cold water.

Lay the pieces of pumpkin on a baking sheet, brush or spray with oil and season with salt and pepper. Put them in the oven.

Remove the bacon from the oven when it is crispy. Using tongs, transfer the bacon to a plate with paper towels. Put the pumpkin seeds onto the baking sheet. Mix the seeds with the bacon fat and put in the oven.

Pierce the pumpkin skin with a fork to check tenderness. When tender remove from oven. Set it aside to cool. Peel potatoes and cut into small chunks. Once the pumpkin has cooled, remove the skin and cut into chunks. Add the pumpkin, potatoes, cream cheese, smoked paprika, and liquid smoke into the Instant Pot. Then add the chicken stock.

Put the glass lid on the Instant Pot and press the ‘Slow Cooker’ button, then set the time for 2 hours.

Remove pumpkin seeds from the oven once they are golden in color, after about 30-40 minutes.

Completing the Instant Pot Smokey Pumpkin Soup by adding the Bacon and Pumpkin Seeds.

Cut the bacon horizontally to make short ‘ribbons.’ Once the Instant Pot has finished, check the texture of the potatoes as these were the only raw ingredient. If they are soft, then blend the soup using a stick blender or food processor. Check the seasoning. Add more salt or pepper if desired.

Serve this Instant Pot Smoky Pumpkin Soup with Bacon and Pumpkin Seeds hot. Add something green, like parsley or chives, and a little cream, too for color contrast. Enjoy!

Flexibility with Ingredients.

This recipe offers lots of flexibility with ingredients used.

• A sugar pie pumpkin was the main ingredient in this recipe. If preferred, use another type of fresh pumpkin or even squash. The flavor profile would be similar. Using fresh pumpkin and roasting it only enhances the flavor of the soup. Substitute canned pumpkin for fresh, but you might miss out on some of the flavor gained from roasting. You will also have to buy pumpkin seeds separately.

• Use sweet potatoes instead of white potatoes.

• Use vegetable stock but not beef stock if you do not have chicken stock.

• There to be no suitable substitute for the hardwood smoked bacon in my book. This type of bacon produces smoky flavor and the roasting fat for the pumpkin seeds. Turkey bacon will not produce enough fat and it will not provide any smoky flavor.

• Substiture cream cheese with cream, crème fraîche, half and half, sour cream or yogurt.

• Liquid smoke is a key ingredient and I would not recommend swapping it out for another ingredient BUT if you had to, then maybe a shot (1 ounce) of smoky whiskey?!

Flexibility with Equipment.

• Use a food processor to blend the soup, instead of a stick blender. This is a little more laborious be the result will be the same.

• Use a traditional slow cooker instead of an Instant Pot. Refer to the equipment’s manual how to cook a vegetable based soup. Another alternative is to cook this soup on the stove top. Bring the ingredients to a boil, simmer for 1 hour, then blend.

Uses of Instant Pot Smoky Pumpkin Soup with Bacon and Pumpkin Seeds.

This is a delicious fall / autumn soup that has great versatility. When the weather turns colder and the leaves fall, this soup is perfect as a casual lunch entree or as a starter of an elegant dinner party. I recommend making this recipe for Apfelstrudel for dessert!

If you are in the mood for soup, then I recommend Split Pea and Ham Soup, and Carrot, Ginger and Coconut Soup.

Storage

Allow the Smokey Pumpkin Soup to cool and then store it in a mason jar or container with a good sealing lid in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Freeze it for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator.

A Tip From Me

Consider investing in half a dozen demitasse cups (the cups espresso is served in.) Make some Smoky Pumpkin Soup for a dinner party. Add a little more chicken stock to make it runnier and pour into the cups. Garnish with the bacon and pumpkin seeds as usual. On a fall / winter’s night, greet your guests with these little ‘shots’ of soup. What a wonderful way to be greeted!

Alternatively, for a casual get together with friends, serve ‘shots’ of soup in place of appetizers or snacks.

Equipment

This recipe uses an Instant Pot. This multi functional multi cooker should be part of your standard kitchen equipment.

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Got Questions?

I’ve got answers – hopefully!

• Is there really much of a difference using canned pumpkin instead of fresh pumpkin? Apart from conducting a side by side analysis, I cannot be completely sure that there is much of a difference. I can only surmise that the soup made from fresh pumpkin that is oven roasted is better.
• How do I make this soup vegan? Simple omit the bacon and cream cheese, and substitute chicken stock for vegetable stock. Omitting bacon reduces the smokiness, so try smoking the fresh pumpkin in a smoker if you have one, or by turning your oven into a smoker (you’ll have to Google that!). Roast the pumpkin seeds in oil instead. Use a vegan substitute of your choice instead of cream cheese.
• Is this a bisque? Technically no. A bisque is thickened with cream and this recipe uses cream cheese.
• I want to smoke a fresh pumpkin to add even more smoke flavor, how do I do this? There are so many ways to do this. First of all, I recommend using your outdoor grill and turning it into a smoker. Refer to the grill’s manual to see if that is a possibility. Second of all, turn your oven into a smoker by using a baking sheet filled with wood chips. Google has lots of ways how to do this.
• Where can I buy Liquid Smoke? Most supermarkets in the U.S. sell it. It is in the condiment isle along with ketchup and mustard. Failing that Amazon.