Easy 30-Minute Pumpkin Soup Recipe 🎃🙌 Silky smooth, rich pumpkin flavor, and accidentally healthy! Amazing depth of flavor for a FAST and EASY soup that’s hearty and comforting without being heavy!
Easy Pumpkin Soup Recipe
- Admittedly, this basic pumpkin soup was never supposed to be a blog recipe. I made it for dinner for myself one night, because I had a craving for pumpkin. However, it turned out so well that I’ve made it over and over, but I waited to share the recipe until it was more seasonally appropriate. I realize not everyone loves pumpkin quite as much as I do!
- The soup is easy, ready in 30 minutes, is silky smooth, has rich pumpkin flavor, and amazing depth of flavor for being ready so quickly. It’s also healthy, naturally gluten-free and vegan (omit the cream drizzle at the end or use dairy-free milk), but you’d never know it because. Unbelievably delicious, it’s filling and satisfying without being heavy. Hello Meatless Monday!
- Because I like my vegan pumpkin soup on the sweeter side, but not as sweet as say sweet potato soup, I incorporate carrots. As they cook down with sweet Vidalia onions and lightly caramelize, they provide the natural sweetness I love. I also added a touch of maple syrup and honey but add them to taste, or omit.
- It’s not a fussy soup at all, and you can tweak things at the end to taste. Hearty, cozy, warming, and perfect for chillier weather!
Ingredients in Pumpkin Soup
- Olive oil, sweet Vidalia onion, carrots, and garlic: These simple vegetables create the savory base for this accidentally vegan pumpkin soup. Vidalia onion adds a little natural sweetness, but another onion can be used if needed.
- Pumpkin puree: Use pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. The only ingredient should be pumpkin. Homemade pumpkin puree can also be used if canned pumpkin is hard to find; make it with a small baking pumpkin, then roast and scoop out the flesh.
- Ground ginger, cinnamon, bay leaves, water or stock, maple syrup, and honey: These add warm, cozy flavor to the soup. Water works, but stock will add more depth. Maple syrup and honey are optional, but they can lightly enhance the natural sweetness of the pumpkin and carrots.
- Heavy cream or half and half: Optional for a richer, creamier soup. Omit it to keep the recipe vegetarian or vegan, or use a dairy-free option instead.
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
How to Make This Creamy Pumpkin Soup Recipe
- Cook the onions and carrots in oil in a large Dutch oven or pot over medium-high heat until they soften and lightly caramelize. Then, add the garlic followed by pumpkin puree, salt, pepper, ginger, cinnamon, and water.
- Boil for a few minutes. Then, transfer the mixture to the canister of a high-speed blender. Cover, and blend on high power until smooth. Alternatively, you can use an immersion blender to blend until smooth.
- Transfer the smooth mixture back into the stockpot, add the bay leaves, and cook over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes.
- Adjust the seasonings to taste, and simmer over medium heat to let the flavors meld.
- To serve, remove the bay leaves, divide the soup into bowls, and garnish with cream and / or roasted pumpkin seeds and fresh herbs such as fresh thyme and sage. Enjoy warm!
What to Serve with Pumpkin Soup
Easy 30-Minute Pumpkin Soup Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium sweet vidalia onion, diced small
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced into thin rounds
- 2 to 3 cloves garlic, finely minced or pressed
- one 15-ounce can pumpkin puree
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste at the end
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ¾ teaspoon cinnamon
- 3 to 4 cups water or vegetable stock, or as necessary (I use water)
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup, optional and to taste
- 2 tablespoons honey, optional and to taste
- cream or half-and-half, optional for drizzling
- toasted pumpkin seeds, optional for garnishing
Instructions
- To a large Dutch oven or stockpot, add the oil, onions, carrots, and cook over medium-high heat for about 7 to 8 minutes, or until vegetables have softened and are lightly caramelized; stir intermittently.
- Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute, or until fragrant.
- Add the pumpkin puree, salt, pepper, ginger, cinnamon, 3 cups of water/stock for thicker soup or 4 cups for a thinner soup (I recommend starting with 3 cups, you can always add more later), stir to combine, bring to a boil, and allow mixture to cook for about 3 to 4 minutes; stir intermittently.
- Transfer about half the mixture to the canister of a high-speed blender, cover, and blend on high power until smooth. Caution – Stop every 10 to 15 seconds to let the steam out. If you don’t know if your blender is capable of blending hot liquids, I recommend waiting until the mixture has cooled down a bit.
- Pour the smooth mixture that’s in the blender into a large bowl and repeat with the remaining chunky mixture that’s in the stockpot.
- Transfer the smooth mixtures back into stockpot, add the bay leaves, and cook over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes; stir intermittently.
- Taste the soup and optionally add maple syrup and/or honey, add more salt or pepper, more water/stock, more ginger, cinnamon, etc. Add everything to taste, as necessary.
- Remove bay leaves, ladle soup into bowls, optionally drizzle with cream or half-and-half, optionally garnish with pumpkin seeds, and serve immediately.
Notes
Make Your Own Pumpkin Puree
Pumpkin puree can be nearly impossible to find during the holidays, but it’s fairly easy to make homemade pumpkin puree with a small baking pumpkin! To do so: 1. Rinse and dry the pumpkin. Then, cut the stem off, and slice the pumpkin in half. 2. Scoop out the seeds and stringy pumpkin flesh. Sprinkle both halves with salt, and place them cut side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. 3. Bake at 400°F until the pumpkin is fork-tender, allow it to cool, and scoop out the flesh with a spoon. Voilà – You have pumpkin puree!Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Recipe FAQs
If you like a thicker soup, I’d recommend using 3 cups of liquid. You can always add more as the soup cooks to achieve your desired texture.
Yes, if you prefer a thinner soup, add 4 cups of liquid instead of 3.
Yes, without blending the texture will remain chunky, and the flavors won’t blend together well.
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great
If i only need to serve one person, what would the ingrediants be?
You’d want to halve the recipe maybe then and you will have some leftover still but not as much.
I made this soup today and it was wonderful! Next time I will be doubling the recipe!
Thanks for the five star review and glad this was wonderful and next time you’ll double it!
I made this soup today and it was wonderful! Next time I will be doubling the recipe!
Is this reminiscent of Panera’s autumn squash soup? That’s my favorite menu item!
I’ve never actually had that soup! But this is the best pumpkin soup I’ve ever had. Now I kind of want to try theirs! LMK if you make this and give me your comparison!
We always need a great pumpkin soup recipe and yours sounds absolutely delicious. Thanks for the inspiration :)
Thank you so much!
I also love everything pumpkin! How many servings does the recipe make?
I wrote on the recipe 2 to 4. It really depends on your appetite and if you’re serving it as a main or an appetizer/side.
I think this could easily be my favorite fall soup!
It’s definitely mine!
This looks and sounds delicious! I like a little sweetness in a soup when it’s made from squash so some honey sounds perfect (so do toasted pumpkin seeds). I must give it a try this weekend!
I wish I had toasted pumpkin seeds on hand when I photographed this because yes they would be great. As is the touch of honey. LMK if you try this one! I loved it and have made it many times since originally making it way back in the spring/summer!
Delicious soup!! I really love the onion and carrot in this (I got them fairly well caramelized because I had the time). Pumpkin seeds and a drizzle of cream is perfect. I will be making this again!
Glad you’ll make them again and glad you had the time to caramelized the veggies nicely before adding them. I bet your soup had awesome flavor! I have ended up making this soup many times as well!