It is officially soup season! And if, like me, you want a taste of fall in everything you eat, my quick and easy recipe for pumpkin soup is a must-try. Sweet fresh pumpkin is the star of the show in this recipe, complemented with garlic and onion for just the right amount of savory flavor.
This creamy pumpkin soup recipe is comforting, satisfying, and nutritious and is elegant enough as the soup course for a holiday gathering while being easy enough to whip up on any busy weeknight. You can blend up the cooked gourd in a regular blender, or use an immersion blender for quicker clean up! If you’re looking for more homemade soup recipes, then try my broccoli cheese soup recipe, butternut squash soup recipe, or easy potato leek soup.
What You Need to Make this Recipe
Fresh pumpkin — I like using sugar pumpkins (also called pie pumpkins) for the best flavor, but any kind of pumpkin you enjoy eating will work in this soup. Avoid those that are watery, like jack-o-lantern pumpkins.
Aromatics — yellow onion and minced garlic add the perfect amount of savory flavor to balance the sweetness of the pumpkin.
Vegetable broth — broth adds even more flavor and also gives the soup the right consistency. You could use chicken broth or chicken stock instead if that is what you have on hand.
Heavy cream — heavy cream adds extra richness to the soup. But, for vegan pumpkin soup, use full-fat coconut milk or cashew cream, which is a creamy plant-based alternative to heavy cream.
Maple syrup — a little maple syrup brings out the pumpkin flavor even more. You can use brown sugar if you don’t have maple syrup. If you want the soup to be more savory than sweet, you can skip this.
How to Make Pumpkin Soup
1. Cut the pumpkin in half and scrape out the seeds and membrane using a spoon. Discard. Peel the skin off with a vegetable peeler.
2. Cut the pumpkin flesh into 1-inch pieces. Try to cut the pieces as uniformly as possible so they cook evenly.
3. Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a large Dutch oven or large pot. Add the chopped onion and minced garlic. Cook for about 6 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onion is tender and starts browning.
4. To the pot, add the chopped pumpkin.
5. Then add the vegetable broth, salt, and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil, before reducing the heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the pumpkin is very tender. This will take about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat.
6. Carefully transfer the pumpkin mixture to a blender with the centerpiece of the top removed, and puree until smooth. You could also use an immersion blender for this step. Pour the blended soup back into the pot if you used a regular blender.
7. Stir in the heavy cream and maple syrup.
8. Ladle the soup into serving bowls. Swirl a little more heavy cream on top. If you like, sprinkle a little ground black pepper. Enjoy!
Pro Tips for Making This Recipe
- Cook the onions until they’re lightly browned. Cooking the onion to a tender and lightly brown stage adds additional depth of flavor and sweetness.
- Peel the pumpkin. Pumpkin skin is tough and rubbery and will not blend well. Your pumpkin purée won’t be completely smooth if the gourd is unpeeled. I find it easiest to cut the whole pumpkin in half, seed, and then peel it.
- Cut the pumpkin uniformly. This will help them cook evenly. Also, look for small pumpkins (about 6 to 8 inches in diameter, not to be confused with the tiny decorating ones), as they tend to be sweeter and less stringy.
- Avoid any blender mishaps. If using a regular blender instead of an immersion blender or stick blender, make sure to have a way for the steam to escape and avoid filling the blender all the way. Holding a dish towel over the blender lid will help eliminate any splatters.
- Control the consistency of the soup. If the soup looks too thick, thin it out by adding more vegetable broth. If it’s too thin (which is unlikely to happen), let it simmer longer to reduce.
- Spice it up. Try adding in cayenne pepper, curry powder, or your favorite spice blend to mix up the flavor. Even a little bit of pumpkin pie spice is a nice addition!
Frequently Asked Questions
Any pumpkin you enjoy eating will work in this recipe. You could also swap out the pumpkin for butternut squash, kabocha squash, or roasted acorn squash. Steer clear of carving pumpkins! They’re stringy and quite watery.
A swirl of heavy cream and a sprinkle of ground black pepper make for a beautiful presentation and add more flavor. But you could also top your easy pumpkin soup with croutons or roasted pumpkin seeds. Serve this creamy soup with your favorite artisan bread.
Once the pumpkin soup has cooled completely, transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days. Reheat it in a saucepan on the stove. You may need to add more broth or a little water while it is reheating to thin it out.
There are two easy ways to freeze pumpkin soup. You can either freeze all the leftovers in a freezer-safe container or divide leftovers into single servings and freeze them separately in freezer bags. I prefer to freeze single servings, so I only need to thaw as much as I want to eat. Either way, this soup will freeze well for up to 3 months. Thaw the soup overnight in the refrigerator, and reheat it in the microwave or on the stove.
If you love this recipe try these out!
If you’ve tried this pumpkin soup recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
Pumpkin Soup
Equipment
- Large pot or Dutch oven
- Blender or immersion blender
Ingredients
- 1 (2½ pound) sugar pie pumpkin (or any kind) (1.2kg)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion chopped
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 4 cups vegetable broth (960ml)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ cup heavy cream (120mL), plus more for serving
- ¼ cup maple syrup (60mL)
Instructions
- Cut the pumpkin in half. Using a spoon, scrape out the seeds and membrane and discard. Using a vegetable peeler, peel the skin from the pumpkin. Cut the pumpkin flesh into 1-inch pieces.
- In a large Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently until the onion is tender and begins to lightly brown, about 6 minutes.
- Add the chopped pumpkin, broth, salt, and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the pumpkin is very tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat.
- Carefully transfer the pumpkin mixture to a blender with the centerpiece of the top removed, or use an immersion blender, and puree until smooth. Pour the soup back into the pot, if necessary. Stir in the cream and maple syrup.
- Ladle the soup into serving bowls. Swirl cream on top of each serving and sprinkle with ground black pepper, if desired.
Notes
- Cook the onions until they’re lightly browned. Cooking the onion to a tender and lightly brown stage adds additional depth of flavor and sweetness.
- Peel the pumpkin. Pumpkin skin is tough and rubbery and will not blend well. Your pumpkin purée won’t be completely smooth if the gourd is unpeeled. I find it easiest to cut the whole pumpkin in half, seed, and then peel it.
- Cut the pumpkin uniformly. This will help them cook evenly. Also, look for small pumpkins (about 6 to 8 inches in diameter, not to be confused with the tiny decorating ones), as they tend to be sweeter and less stringy.
- Avoid any blender mishaps. If using a regular blender instead of an immersion blender or stick blender, make sure to have a way for the steam to escape and avoid filling the blender all the way. Holding a dish towel over the blender lid will help eliminate any splatters.
- Control the consistency of the soup. If the soup looks too thick, thin it out by adding more vegetable broth. If it’s too thin (which is unlikely to happen), let it simmer longer to reduce.
- Spice it up. Try adding in cayenne pepper, curry powder, or your favorite spice blend to mix up the flavor. Even a little bit of pumpkin pie spice is a nice addition!
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