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Cozy up with a bowl of creamy pumpkin soup this season! This quick and satisfying homemade pumpkin soup recipe is full of flavor and perfect for chilly evenings. It’s also an excellent starter for Holiday meals! Take it up a notch and serve it with cheddar bay biscuits, or grab some crusty skillet bread for dipping!
Once the leaves start changing and the cozy sweaters come out, nothing beats a bowlful of homemade Pumpkin Soup. This quick recipe makes the BEST rich, silky, savory pumpkin soup in just 30 minutes. Add a drizzle of heavy cream and some basil or parsley for garnish, and you have a wholesome dinner, lunch, or easy holiday starter. Whether you’re snuggling up on a chilly evening or serving a festive meal, this Pumpkin Soup will be the star of the show. And don’t forget to serve it with crusty bread for dunking.
Why I Love This Pumpkin Soup Recipe
- Healthier. I make this pumpkin soup with real pumpkin puree, diced veggies, a few herbs and spices, and a touch of cream. You can count the ingredients on two hands. This lighter homemade version is way better than the canned stuff from the store.
- Creamy. Sure, we add some cream to the creaminess, but most of this soup’s creaminess comes from the pumpkin puree. The texture is velvety smooth, and the flavors are warm and cozy.
- Pumpkin flavor. The pumpkin really shines in this pumpkin soup recipe, as it should. The recipe keeps the seasonings simple, and the flavors are irresistible, especially if you’re a pumpkin lover.
- Easy to make. This quick pumpkin soup is make-ahead friendly and tastes even better the next day. The recipe can also be made dairy-free or vegan with a few simple tweaks.
Recipe Ingredients
- Butter: For sauteing the veggies. You can use olive oil if you prefer.
- Onion and Garlic: Must-have aromatics that form the flavor base of the soup. I use a yellow onion and fresh garlic.
- Carrot: Carrots contain sugar, and adding thinly sliced carrot to this pumpkin soup helps sweeten it a bit and gives it some extra texture.
- Salt and Black Pepper: To season and enhance all the flavors of the pumpkin soup.
- Pumpkin: I love organic pumpkin puree, but any canned pumpkin will do the trick. Make sure you’re using 100% pure pumpkin puree and NOT pumpkin pie filling. If you have the time, you can also make your own pumpkin puree from scratch – follow my recipe for slow cooker pumpkin puree.
- Chicken Stock: I use the Organic Chicken Stock from Pacific Foods. You can swap low-sodium chicken stock for vegetable stock or chicken broth if needed.
- Spices: I sprinkle in a pinch or two of dried thyme, paprika, and rosemary to round out the flavors of the soup.
- Heavy Cream: Just a little, because I can’t resist the richness it brings to pumpkin soup. If you’re making this recipe dairy-free, use your preferred non-dairy milk instead.
How to Make Pumpkin Soup
This pumpkin soup recipe is SO EASY! It takes just 30 minutes from start to finish on the stovetop. I highly recommend making a double batch and freezing the rest (you can thank me later). Here’s how to make it:
- Saute the veggies. First, saute the onion, garlic, and sliced carrots with a bit of butter, salt, and pepper until the veggies are tender.
- Combine the ingredients. Stir in the pumpkin puree, followed by the chicken stock. Season with thyme and garlic powder, and bring the pot to a boil.
- Cook. Lower the heat and let the soup simmer for 15 minutes.
- Finish and serve. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the heavy cream, and your pumpkin soup is ready to serve.
Recipe Tips & Variations
- Use the right kind of pumpkin. It’s worth repeating: Pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie filling are not the same. Look for cans labeled 100% pure pumpkin. Canned pie filling contains extra spices, sweeteners, and additives and definitely won’t work in soup.
- Take the soup off the heat before adding heavy cream. It also helps to let the cream come to room temperature before you add it to the pumpkin soup. Cold cream in simmering hot soup is more likely to curdle and split.
- Make a creamier pumpkin soup. I use an immersion blender to blend the soup before adding the heavy cream.
- Dairy-free. Saute the veggies in olive oil instead of butter and swap heavy cream for coconut milk or your preferred non-dairy milk or cream.
- Vegan. Follow the above suggestions to replace the dairy, and use vegetable stock instead of chicken stock.
- Spices. If you really want to amp up the fall vibes in this homemade pumpkin soup recipe, sprinkle in ½ teaspoon of cinnamon, nutmeg, or pumpkin pie spice.
- Curried. Add a pinch of curry powder for curried pumpkin soup. And if you love the flavor of curry in soups, definitely try my curried butternut squash soup.
Serving Suggestions
We love pumpkin soup drizzled with cream and served with hunks of soft homemade focaccia bread or slow cooker bread for sopping up all those savory flavors. It’s a delicious lunch or light meal served on its own, but here are some more serving ideas to get inspired by:
- Toppings. Dress up your bowl of soup with tasty toppings like toasted pumpkin seeds, croutons, sesame seeds, and parmesan cheese. Microgreens and fresh herbs like basil and parsley also add a nice pop of green.
- Holidays. This creamy pumpkin soup makes an excellent starter on Thanksgiving and Christmas. Follow it up with a roast turkey feast with all the fixings: mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and gravy!
- Salad. Fall salad ideas like this roasted butternut squash salad, my broccoli apple salad, or a crunchy Brussels sprouts salad with apples and candied walnuts.
- Sandwiches. We love soup with a grilled cheese sandwich on the side. This soup also pairs perfectly with leftover turkey salad sandwiches the day after Thanksgiving!
How to Store and Reheat Leftover Soup
- Fridge. Store this pumpkin soup in airtight containers or jars and refrigerate leftovers for up to 4-5 days. Reheat the soup in the microwave or in a saucepan on the stovetop until it’s hot throughout.
- Freezer. This soup freezes well despite the dairy. Place the cooled soup into airtight, freezer-safe containers (make sure to leave a bit of extra space to account for the soup expanding as it freezes). Freeze pumpkin soup for up to 3 months, and thaw the soup in the fridge before reheating.
More Cozy Soup Recipes
- Broccoli Potato Soup
- Roasted Tomato Soup Recipe
- Creamy Carrot Soup Recipe
- Curried Butternut Squash Soup
- Slow Cooker Creamy Cauliflower Soup
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Pumpkin Soup Recipe
Cozy up with a bowl of creamy pumpkin soup this fall! This quick and satisfying homemade pumpkin soup recipe is full of flavor, and perfect for chilly evenings, and a great addition to holiday meals.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 1 large carrot, thinly sliced
- salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon sweet or smoked paprika, or to taste
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
- 15 ounces canned pumpkin puree
- 4 to 6 cups chicken stock
- ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- Prep. Melt the butter in a Dutch oven set over medium-low heat.
- Saute the aromatics. Add the diced onion and sliced carrots to the melted butter. Season with salt and pepper and cook for 4 to 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in the garlic, paprika, thyme, and rosemary, and cook for 15 seconds.
- Add the pumpkin and broth, and cook. Stir in the pumpkin puree. Add in the chicken stock and bring to a boil; lower to a simmer and continue to cook for 15 minutes. At this point, you can either blend it with an immersion blender to make it creamier or leave the soup as is.
- Finish. Remove the soup from the heat and stir in the heavy whipping cream. Taste for salt and pepper and adjust accordingly.
- Serve. Ladle the pumpkin soup into bowls and serve.
Notes
- Choose the correct pumpkin type. Pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie filling are not the same thing. Opt for cans marked 100% pure pumpkin.
- Remove soup from heat before introducing heavy cream. Letting the cream warm up a bit before adding can prevent it from curdling in hot soup.
- Make it creamy. If you prefer ultra-smooth soup, blend it using an immersion blender before mixing in the cream.
- To give your pumpkin soup a kick, consider adding chili powder or a bit of cayenne pepper. You can also stir in a splash of lime or lemon juice, which can brighten the soup and add a tangy kick.
- If you want to thin out the soup, add more chicken stock.
Nutrition
Serving: 2cups | Calories: 268kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 47mg | Sodium: 434mg | Potassium: 585mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 20046IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 64mg | Iron: 2mg
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
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I save chicken scraps and veggie scraps and make my own broth. We eat the meat,have soup, and I freeze the broth to use in recipes.
I like to make a pork loin that us cooked over chopped veggies. I pour in chicken broth from a carton and have perfect roasted vegetables every time.
I usually use carton broth for stews and soups and canned tomatoes and beans when I make chili and stews.
I make a homemade chicken pot pie where I use chicken stock in a carton. It is delicious.
i will purchase items in bulk in order to use less packaging
I make a pot roast with beef broth from a carton.
I use Kroger egg whites in cartons all the time and chicken broth in cartons in lots of my recipes for cooking.
I recently learned about pancakes that take only canned pumpkin, eggs, oil, sweetener and spices! Short ingredient list, excellent taste. I’d love to try them using the tetra pack pumpkin!
I like to make my own tomato soup using Pacific tomato soup as a base. I just throw in some noodles, veggies and tomatoes and there you go. Hearty tomato soup!
What a smart recipe! 😉 My small, smart recipe that uses ingredients in cartons is making different soup with chicken stocks from the carton. My favorite is my Coconut Thai Chicken Soup. So good and so convenience!
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