So I’m freezing. And I’m also cranky because I’m freezing. I have the indoor temperature set to 66 degrees because I’m stubborn (read: cheap) like that, and I don’t want to turn it up because the sun will warm it up to about 70 by this afternoon anyway.
Meanwhile I’m wearing slippers for the first time this season, and I’m drinking hot tea to warm up because I’ve passed my coffee quota for the day.
But it’s chai tea which still has caffeine in it so now I’m freezing, cranky, and also jittery.
In addition, my 5 year old son is intent on driving me crazy today.
He just assaulted one of our cats who was sunning herself in the bedroom window (probably to get warm because I’m too stubborn to turn the heat up), and in her desperate frenzy to get away she scratched him on the stomach.
It’s not deep, but the way he’s carrying on about it you’d think his organs were spilling out all over the floor.
I cleaned it and put some antibiotic ointment on it, but now he’s demanding retribution. I’ve been informed that she should no longer live with us because she’s mean.
For about the one millionth time I try explaining that she was minding her own business and he should have left her alone in the first place, and that he’s not supposed to be picking up the cats anyway. Apparently I am now taking her side, and am therefore the worst mother in the world.
And lest you are thinking that he’s probably just cranky because he’s cold, you should know that I can barely keep this kid’s clothes on regardless of the temperature because a) he’s always hot, and b) he’s five and thinks wearing underwear is considered being “dressed.”
Our conversation this morning went like this:
Me:Â (staring incredulously) “Why did you take your PJ’s off, aren’t you cold?”
Mason:Â (running laps around the coffee table) “No, I’m fine.”
Me:Â “Don’t you want to put some clothes on?”
Mason:Â “No, not really.”
Me:Â “We have to go to the grocery store and you can’t go like that.”
Mason:Â (still running) “Are we leaving right now?”
Me:Â “No, we’re going in a little while though.”
Mason:Â “Then I don’t need to get dressed yet. Besides, running around the coffee table 50 times will keep me warm.” (keeps running)Â
It’s hard to argue with that logic – I probably wouldn’t be cold either if I ran around the coffee table 50 times…
But that’s not going to happen so I am still freezing. I’m also a little dizzy from watching him lap the living room furniture, so I turn back to my grocery list and will revisit the getting dressed battle shortly.
In desperate need of something to warm me from the inside (and it’s still too early for bourbon), I know I need some soup for lunch. I recently posted this turkey sausage, kale and pumpkin soup, which I love – but today I’m in the mood for this creamy pumpkin chipotle soup.
It’s the perfect low carb soup recipe for when you are freezing, because it warms you both with temperature and with spice. Hearty and comforting, it’s definitely what I need today.
Even better? It literally takes minutes to throw together, so you can make it anytime you’re in want of a quick, warming meal.
By far one of my favorite kitchen tools for making blended soups is an inexpensive (and pretty!) immersion blender which lets me blend low carb soups right in the pot they are cooking in without transferring it to a blender (and spilling hot soup all over the place usually!)  Less mess, less dishes and super easy = a win/win for sure!
This low carb soup also freezes well, so make a double batch and you’ll be that much closer to lunch next time you’re too stubborn to turn the heat up! Or maybe that’s just me…
Pumpkin Chipotle Soup
- Yield: 6 1x
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 cup chopped onions
- 1 clove garlic, chopped
- 1 Tbsp chipotles in adobo sauce
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1/8 tsp ground allspice
- 2 tsp granulated sugar substitute
- 2 cups pumpkin puree
- 32 oz chicken broth
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 2 tsp red wine vinegar
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan. Saute onions and garlic for 3-4 minutes until translucent. Add chipotles, coriander, cumin, allspice, and sugar substitute to the pan and cook for another 2 minutes. Add the pumpkin puree and chicken broth to the pot and simmer for about 5 minutes.
- Using an immersion blender, blend the soup in the pot until smooth (if you don’t have one, add the soup to a traditional blender, blend and return to the pot when smooth). Add the heavy cream and red wine vinegar and simmer for another five minutes or so.
- Taste, then season with salt and pepper as desired. Serve hot, garnished with sour cream (other optional garnishes shown: pepitas and cilantro).
- Category: Soups/stews
- Cuisine: Soup
Nutrition
- Calories: 138
- Fat: 12g
- Carbohydrates: 6g net
- Protein: 2g
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India says
Thank you for posting this recipe. I’ve made this twice now, and it was excellent each time. I love how quickly this goes together, and can be made from healthy and mostly shelf-stable ingredients.
★★★★★
Deborah says
Had big plans to make this soup tonight and was SO sure I had a can of chipotle peppers in adobo. Oops. No chipotles. So a did a riff on the soup with a Mediterranian twist and used Tunisian harissa and a bit of tomato paste. Otherwise kept all the spices and indredients the same. It worked beautifully. That base is such a great start for a soup. Topped my similarly to the original recipe…..used yogurt rather than sour cream, also did cilantro, and a bit of chopped pistachio nuts to finish. Really nice. Great cold weather soup and so easy. Thanks for such a good and versatile recipe.
★★★★★
Janean says
I’m already a big fan of your recipes but I absolutely LOVE this soup! I just made it for the second time and I will definitely make it again and again. It’s just so easy and delicious. I always garnish it with crumbled bacon and serve it with an herb mix salad with goat cheese and lime vinaigrette and it makes the perfect meal! Someone mentioned using coconut milk instead of heavy cream and I think I’ll try that next time. It sounds like it would go perfectly!
★★★★★
Sharie says
Can I substitute chipotle pepper powder for the chipotle in adobe?
Mellissa Sevigny says
Yes, the flavor will be a little different, but still good!
Sharon says
This recipe is EXCELLANT! Incredible layering and depth of flovers. I used coconut milk.
★★★★★
Cheryl says
I subbed in acorn squash instead of pumpkin because I had one sitting on the counter…. this was so good. I’ll make it again and again.
★★★★★
Susie says
Wow! This recipe was absolutely amazing. So delicious and creamy! I added an extra chipotle so I got a nice sweet and spicy soup.
This was definitely out of my comfort zone as far as cooking goes but I am glad that I tried it. I will definitely be making this again this fall.
★★★★★
Bleu says
This is sooooooooooooooooooooooo good. Thank you so so much!!!
Mellissa Sevigny says
So glad you enjoyed it Bleu, thanks!
Quinn Schulze says
Just googled low carb soup and stumbled across your blog. You had me laughing before I even got to the recipe. It looks like you have a lot of low carb gluten free recipes. I may have just found a go to recipe site. Can’t wait to see more. Thanks for posting.
Yvonne says
This soup was A-MAZ-ING! I love cream based soups for that comforting feeling when I’m sick. This soup had the heartiness to it without 3 cups of cream. Both I and my waistline thank you!
Lisa says
Made a batch of this tonight to freeze as I’m having knee surgery next week. Hopefully it (and your fab meatballs) will save me from the high-carb delivery food trap while i recuperate. I upped the chipotle for extra kick. Utterly Delish. Thanks for your marvelous recipes! :)
Mellissa Sevigny says
Hi Lisa, I loved this soup! Hope your surgery goes well and you’ll recover quickly!!!
Mellissa Sevigny says
I thought I replied to this but it never went through! Hope that your surgery goes smoothly and that you recover quickly Lisa!
Rivka says
Hi, can i use chipotle powder instead of chipotles? also, what can i sub instead of cream? i don’t do so well with dairy. Thank you! this looks so yummy
Emily says
im thinking of making this tomorrow – sounds like exactly what i need for a chilly day, especially since i have a touch of a cold. i know it says 6 servings, but i wondered…are they about a cup each?
Mellissa Sevigny says
I would say it’s a bit more than a cup per serving – 1 1/4 cup maybe? Hope you made it and enjoyed it! And that you’re feeling better! :)
Spiegs says
Made this for my parents tonight and it was absolutely fabulous! I did substitute fat-free half & half for the heavy cream (because otherwise I had all the ingredients) and everyone loved it! Mom thought it was too spicy, but I loved it and am counting down to lunch tomorrow when I get to eat it again. I will definitely be adding this to my regular fall recipe shuffle. And my diabetic father was over the moon about it being low carb. Thanks so much!
Mellissa Sevigny says
Hooray! Glad it was a hit with the family! If you aren’t strictly counting carbs, using other forms of dairy (or even fake dairy like almond milk) will help keep the calories down so it’s not a bad thing! Thanks for the comment!
NaturallyMarissa says
Melissa, thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe. I enjoyed a bowl of this soup this evening and it is amazing. I’m grateful I found your website, such recipes make healthy living so much easier! For the recipe, I didn’t have chipotle in sauce so I just substituted 1 Tbs of an adobe spice blend and full fat coconut milk for the heavy cream. Thanks again and keep up the good work! :)
Mellissa Sevigny says
Thanks Marissa, your version sounds delicious too! I love the flavors in Adobo seasoning but I haven’t used it in years! Your comment reminded me that I should pick some up next time I’m out shopping! :) So glad you liked it and thanks for taking the time to comment!
ArielDVM14 says
I made this tonight for dinner and it is soooo good! And so easy! (and it would’ve been even easier if I owned an immersion blender). I ended up using half-and-half instead of heavy cream because it’s what I had in the house, so I’m sure my soup wasn’t quite as delicious and creamy as yours, but it was good enough for me! Thanks again for the recipe :)
Mellissa Sevigny says
Glad you liked this soup Ariel – it really IS easy! My immersion blender broke and I hate having to transfer everything back into my blender – I really need to bite the bullet and buy a new one! It makes so many recipes easier!
Eric says
I, too, keep my house at 65, although I like to say that I am “thrifty”, and not, as my brother insists, cheap. This soup sounds great. I love vinegar in soups; it adds an acidic note that is wonderful for offsetting other flavors. Perhaps you have solved the starter course dilemma for my Thanksgiving…
Mellissa Sevigny says
Thrifty – I like it! :) This would make a great starter course Eric, the spicy component especially will wake up the palate! Enjoy!
Patty says
What a miserable part of a cold day…too late for coffee and too early for bourbon! LOL
And how many napkins do you have? It matches the soup, which sounds delicious, perfectly!!
Mellissa Sevigny says
So true Patty, ha ha!! Um….I have a LOT of napkins – it’s a sickness really. But I justify it by saying it’s for blog props. The good thing is that other than a few full sets I already had, I only buy one or two per pattern now, since that’s all I need for most photos. I got these at World Market last month and I LOVE the colors! They had a lot of great ones to choose from for fall so if you have one in your area you should definitely check it out! :)
Sonia! The Healthy Foodie says
What a great post Mellissa. Such a cute story too! I enjoyed reading every single word of it. I’m just so grateful that my kids are all grown up now. :)
As for that soup, it looks fabulous. Since I too have been freezing lately (gosh I hate winter!) this might very well be just what I need to make me feel better. Comfort food at its best. Of course, I would have to do without the cream, but I’m thinking coconut cream would work fine! Oh, LOVE how you garnished your soup, by the way. It’s just soooo pretty, I’d have a hard time diggin’ in…
Mellissa Sevigny says
Thanks so much Sonia! Your food styling is always so awesome that I really appreciate the compliment! I think coconut cream would work perfectly in this soup and would add another layer of flavor – I may try that myself next time! :)
Matt Sevigny says
Great post…funny because it’s all true! I love the soup pic too..my new favorite!
Mellissa Sevigny says
Thanks Hon! Never a dull moment around here, as you well know! :)
Anonymous says
I like the bourbon
andrea says
Your 5yo & my 8yo would be best pals. I’ll bring the bourbon. ;)
Mellissa Sevigny says
Ha ha Andrea! You’re on! :)