Creamy and rich, this Pumpkin Soup recipe is comforting and also good for you! It has just enough spice to warm you from the inside.
I know most people associate pumpkin with dessert, but it’s actually a savory squash that is great in savory recipes! If you want more savory pumpkin recipes, try this Pumpkin Chili or Pumpkin Cheddar Mac and Cheese.
I love soup. In all forms. So I’m always trying different soup recipes to keep things interesting when the weather starts cooling down. (Actually – I like soup year round!)
Like this Pumpkin Soup. I love this soup so much. It’s not overly spicy, and it’s not the kind of spicy that leaves you looking for a glass of milk. It’s a gentle spiciness that you can feel at the back of your mouth as you devour this soup.
This soup is great as a main dish, just serve it with some Cheesy Garlic Bread, or serve it as a side dish or a starter.
No matter how you serve it, it’s a low-calorie dish that is super easy and packed with flavor. All things that I love!
Ingredients
Butter: I use unsalted butter, but salted butter would work just fine here.
Onion and Garlic: Both of these are used for flavor.
Cajun Seasoning, Crushed Red Pepper, & Cayenne Pepper: This is the seasoning in your soup. It makes for a soup with a bit of a spicy kick to it.
Pumpkin Puree: I have used both homemade pumpkin puree and canned. Either will work here.
Chicken or Vegetable Broth: I like to use chicken broth because it has a bit more flavor and depth, but vegetable broth totally works as well if you are trying to keep it vegetarian.
Brown Sugar: I know this isn’t a normal soup ingredient, but it cuts through the spices a bit and helps bring out the natural sweetness in the pumpkin.
Milk: This is what makes it creamy. I use 2% because that’s what I keep on hand, but anything from skim to whole milk should work.
Heavy Cream: The cream is just for the garnish at the end. You can totally skip this, but it’s such a small amount that I love to add it to the top for a little bit of extra richness.
Pepitas: Again, totally optional. Especially because they aren’t always easy to find. But if you like a little bit of texture thrown in, the pepitas are a great addition.
How to Make Pumpkin Soup
- Start by heating the butter in a large soup pot or a Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
- When the butter is melted, add your onion and cook it until it is translucent and soft. Stir very frequently to avoid over browning or burning the onions.
- Add the garlic and cook until it is fragrant. This only takes about 30 seconds. Then stir in the cajun seasoning, red pepper and cayenne pepper.
- Add the pumpkin puree – this can be homemade or store bought. Just make sure that you are using pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling.
- Stir in the broth. Stir it all to combine.
- Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to simmer for 15 minutes.
- Transfer the soup to a blender or food processor. You’ll want to do this in batches so you don’t overfill the blender. Be careful because you are working with very hot soup.
- Cover tightly and blend until smooth. Pour back into your soup pot.
- Keeping the heat on low, stir in the brown sugar and stir until it is dissolved. Whisk in the milk.
- Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper, if desired. If it’s not spicy enough for you, you can add in more red pepper.
- Pour the soup into 4 bowls, then drizzle 1 tablespoon of cream on top of each serving. Top with pepitas, if desired.
Tips and Tricks
- To make a non-spicy version, simply leave out the Cajun seasoning, crushed red pepper, and cayenne pepper. Or start with smaller amounts if you are afraid of it being too spicy.
- This soup is a great one to make ahead of time. Just don’t top it with cream or pepitas until it is re-warmed and ready to be served.
- If you have and immersion blender, you can use that to puree the soup. If you don’t have any sort of blender or a food processor, you can mash it all together but it will not be smooth.
- Store any leftovers refrigerated for 3-4 days. I don’t usually like to freeze soups with dairy in them because they can get grainy, but if you choose to freeze it, it can be frozen for up to 3 months.
More Favorite Soup Recipes
Chicken and Gnocchi Soup
Beef Stew
Slow Cooker Cheeseburger Soup
Lasagna Soup Recipe
Butternut Squash Soup
Sweet Potato Soup
Pumpkin Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1/2 teaspoon cajun seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- Pinch of ground cayenne pepper
- 1 can 15 oz pumpkin puree
- 2 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 cup milk
- 1/4 tablespoon heavy cream
- Pepitas for serving
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a large saucepan or in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
- Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook an additional 30 seconds. Add the cajun seasoning, red pepper and cayenne pepper and cook 30 seconds more.
- Add the pumpkin puree and the chicken broth. Stir until smooth. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes.
- Transfer the soup, in batches, to a blender or food processor. Cover tightly and blend until smooth. Return the soup to the pan.
- With the heat on low, add the brown sugar and stir until dissolved. Slowly add in the milk, whisking constantly. Taste, and adjust seasonings to taste.
- Top each serving with a tablespoon of cream and pepitas, if desired.
Amber paschal says
I needed something to go with dinner even though it was a little untraditional. I made brown rice, salmon patties, and your soup. we all loved it. It’s thin and I left out the heavy cream per dish. No pepitos either – but no one cared! Stroke survivor hubby, Young adult with Asperger’s and ME, with my health issues. This is going into the file box! Thank you so much and I hope lots of people try it out!
Abby says
I've never had pumpkin soup, but I love the color!
Rosa's Yummy Yums says
A delightful soup! Spices go well with pumpkin…
Cheers,
Rosa
Karen says
Looks like the perfect fall soup! Beautiful color.