Is it too late in the year to talk about pumpkin soup?
I love pumpkin soup so much because you can add all the orange vegetables to it, and nobody will notice. Also, it gets all creamy and dreamy without you actually having to add anything that’s creamy and dreamy!
I mostly make pumpkin soup without cream, because it really doesn’t need it. It has so much flavor and silkiness all by itself already. Even my husband has to admit how good this is, and that means a lot coming from him, talking about pumpkin soup.
Recipe tips
- Pick a delicious pumpkin. I used a really fun one (I mean, fun as far as pumpkin goes… I’m not that crazy.): A Blue Ballet one. OK, that’s a winter squash. Guilty. You can definitely use a winter squash like Kabocha or Hubbard for this soup if sugar pumpkin in savory dishes makes you feel weird and you’d rather have it in some pumpkin bread.
- No color, no flavor: Give the ingredients time to roast before adding the stock. That way you get those deep, golden flavors which really make this soup worthwhile.
- Season to taste. I wrote down my suggested seasonings, and while they are amazing, it’s no dealbreaker if you hate ginger and really want to leave it out. I mean, I’ll be sad. But I’ll understand.
- Be careful when you blend it. I have burned myself more than once with hot soup, and it’s not fun. Place a clean dishtowel over the soup if you’re blending it with a stick blender. I you’re using a regular blender, read up on what your manufacturer has to say about hot liquids, before you splatter hot soup all over your sweet face and the just-cleaned kitchen.
Step by step photos
All good things start with butter (shhhh… you didn’t hear it from me), so melt some in your largest Dutch oven.
Once the butter is melted and bubbly, let’s add all those beautiful vegetables.
Sure, you could do just pumpkin. But it would be awfully lonely in there. So it gets some company in the name of onion, sweet potato and carrot.
Now let’s get these roasted.
Don’t be afraid of adding a little color. It’s where the flavor magic happens! Accio flavor.
Once the veggies are all starting to roast, add some salt and spices.
I do ground nutmeg, cumin, ginger and black pepper. You can add cayenne for some heat, but my kids are very vengeful when it comes to spicy food and I value no more than the necessary havoc around mealtimes.
Look, now comes our secret ingredient.
Don’t tell anyone. I add brown sugar to my pumpkin soup.
Why? I like the taste of it.
It’s not like the pumpkin needs more sweetness. But for some reason, that spoon full of brown sugar really adds something to the soup. So, in it goes.
Now comes the hard part… Resisting to stir all the time.
I know it’s hard. Bear with me. Roast those veggies without stirring all the time.
It will be fine.
I know I’m stirring in the photo.
Stop it. Hands away.
Now in goes the liquid!
Yes, that’s water. No, it doesn’t taste bland.
Chicken stock is pretty amazing, too.
But chances are, I forget to defrost any chicken stock. So it’s nice to have a recipe that works perfectly fine for the more meal prep challenged among us.
I’m well aware of the alleged person who got furious because there was a “legit leaf” in her bowl at Chipotle.
Do not worry. That leaf is legit and it’s called bay.
Friend, meet bay. Bay, meet friend.
Great. Now let’s add some bay leaf to our soup for more incredible flavor.
Now it’s time to simmer this magic pot of soup.
15 minutes will do, so enough time for the dishes and a little dance.
As if I’m the only person singing and dancing over a sink of dirty dishes.
Now all that’s left to do is blending…
… until the soup is nice and smooth.
Now is the point where you’ll need to try the soup and decide if you want to add cream or not.
It’s absolutely up to you. IF you add cream, warm the soup gently for 2-3 minutes with the cream stirred in, but don’t boil it.
Either way, serve the soup hot and steamy from the pot.
With some crusty bread on the side. That’s a cliché, but also a must.
More hearty soups
PS If you try this recipe, please leave a review in the comment section and add a star rating in the recipe card – I appreciate your feedback! Follow along on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram.
Printable recipe
Easy Pumpkin Soup
Recipe details
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 medium onion roughly diced
- 1 carrot peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 small sweet potato peeled and roughly chopped
- 2 pounds pumpkin peeled and deseeded, roughly chopped
- 5 cups water OR chicken stock
- ½ tablespoon brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg or less if you’re not a huge fan
- Salt + pepper to taste
- 1 bay leaf
- Cream to taste (optional)
Instructions
- Sauté the vegetables:Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, sweet potato and pumpkin and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Season the soup:Season with brown sugar, nutmeg, cumin, ginger, salt and pepper. Roast the vegetables for another 3-4 minutes, stirring from time to time, until they are starting to soften and brown.
- Cook the soup:Pour the chicken stock over the vegetables. Add the bay leaf and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes.
- Blend the soup:Take the pot off the heat and blend the soup until smooth. I like to use a stick blender when I'm short on time, but you can use a regular blender according to your manufacturer's instructions for hot liquids.
- Finish the soup:Add the soup back over medium heat and heat through. Stir in cream to thin to your desired consistency, if desired. Warm for 2-3 minutes, then serve hot.
Nutrition
More recipe information
P.S: If you didn’t use your entire pumpkin, you might want to chop up the rest, throw it on a sheet pan and roast it until soft. Then blend it and make these muffins – you won’t regret it.
Lyvin Arrá Estocada says
good
Doris says
Delicious easy tasty great with a grilled cheese. My family absolutely loves it. I make it every year. This is the best recipe ever.
elaine says
Can you use pumpkin puree
Nora says
Hey Elaine! For the Easy Pumpkin Soup recipe, it’s best to use fresh pumpkin, as it provides a rich, natural flavor and texture. However, if you’re short on time or prefer convenience, you can try substituting with a large can of pumpkin puree. Just make sure to use plain pumpkin puree without added spices or sweeteners. Keep in mind that the soup’s texture might be slightly different, but it should still be delicious. You might also need to adjust the amount of liquid to achieve your desired consistency. Enjoy your cooking!
Brenda says
Love this soup! Great on a cold day or even a warm one. Adding the 35% cream really elevates it.
Helena says
Love my soups especially for winter and this is one my husband and I love! 😋 I add minced garlic and a little curry powder and serve with garlic bread. Yum, thanks for an easy recipe 😊
Jenn says
Turned out really good! I did not have sweet potatoes or brown sugar and used fresh ginger and a a bit of garlic as well as sweet paprika (next time I might add some celery!). So hearty and yummy!! I added yogurt, a bit of feta(crumbled), homemade crutons and thinly cut crispy bacon as toppings. Loved it. Im the future I will get even more created with this delicious recipe!
John Griffin says
Excellent. Have made it twice. First with chicken stock and butter. Second with vegetable stock and a neutral oil for a vegan version. Both were perfect for a cold winter night.
Kitty says
bought a pie-pumkin and as it turns out I’m the only one in my family that likes pumkin pie. so I found this recipe and it was AWESOME. very much a fall/winter soup. i used i whole pie pumpkin, chicken broth, 1/4ish of an onion, half a sweet potato and 3 handfuls of baby carrots. I’m not a fan of cumin as it’s overpowering but with a little less it was just right for me. I was also skeptical about the nutmeg but the soup was PERFECT. 💕 thank you for the recipe.
Nora says
So glad you liked the soup, Kitty!
Kathleen says
Delicious! Great recipe as is! However, while visiting a friend in Germany, she said she adds Mango for that touch of sweet. I did and the soup was delicious! Served with a side salad and crusty bread for the perfect Fall meal!
Nora says
Kathleen – mango! That’s such an interesting ingredient for pumpkin soup. My mom used to add orange juice to her pumpkin soup sometimes (I did not care for that, haha) – but mango sounds so intriguing. Thanks for sharing!
Mary Midkiff says
a perfect balance, very impressed and it’s super easy. ty.
Mary Lipsey says
Great soup- made a lot