Pumpkin Soup

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.

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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

1. Start by heating the butter in a large soup pot or a Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. Stir in the broth. Stir it all to combine.
6. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to simmer for 15 minutes.
7. 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.
8. Cover tightly and blend until smooth. Pour back into your soup pot.
9. Keeping the heat on low, stir in the brown sugar and stir until it is dissolved. Whisk in the milk.
10. 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.
11. 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

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Pumpkin Soup

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• Author: Deborah Harroun
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 30 mins
• Total Time: 45 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings 1x
• Category: Soup
• Method: Stove Top
• Cuisine: American

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Description

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.

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Scale 1x2x3x

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

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Instructions

1. Melt the butter in a large saucepan or in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. Transfer the soup, in batches, to a blender or food processor. Cover tightly and blend until smooth. Return the soup to the pan.
5. 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.
6. Top each serving with a tablespoon of cream and pepitas, if desired.

Recipe Notes:

Nutrition information provided as an estimate only. Various brands and products can change the counts. Any nutritional information should only be used as a general guideline. Nutritional information does not include pepitas.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1/4 of recipe
• Calories: 168
• Sugar: 12 g
• Sodium: 93 mg
• Fat: 7 g
• Saturated Fat: 5 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 1 g
• Trans Fat: 0 g
• Carbohydrates: 16 g
• Fiber: 1 g
• Protein: 6 g
• Cholesterol: 28 mg

Keywords: pumpkin soup recipe, pumpkin soup, spicy pumpkin soup