Pumpkin Soup comes together quickly with canned pumpkin and is packed with cozy fall flavors. Serve it with warm, crusty buttered bread for the ultimate meal!
If you have fresh pumpkin, I’ve included easy directions to make the soup from scratch!
author’s note
If Fall Had a Flavor, It’d Be This Soup!
I first made this Pumpkin Soup on a busy weeknight when I was craving something warm and comforting but didn’t have hours to cook.
I spotted a can of pumpkin puree in my pantry and decided to give it a try instead of roasting a fresh pumpkin. To my surprise, the soup turned out silky smooth and full of flavor, with way less effort.
My kids loved dipping big chunks of buttery bread into their bowls, and my husband asked me to make it again the very next week. Since then, it’s become one of my go-to fall dinners whenever I need something quick, cozy, and satisfying.
Ingredients
| Ingredient | Swaps & Tips |
|---|---|
| Unsalted butter | Substitute olive oil for dairy-free. |
| Sweet onions | Yellow onions work if that’s what you have. |
| Garlic cloves | Use pre-minced garlic in a pinch. |
| Pumpkin puree | Use roasted fresh pumpkin puree if you have time. |
| Fuji apple | Try Honeycrisp or Gala. |
| Chicken stock | Use vegetable stock for vegetarian soup. |
| Spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves) | Add a pinch of cayenne for heat. |
| Maple syrup | Honey works, but maple syrup adds better flavor. |
| Heavy cream | Use coconut milk for dairy-free. |
Quick Tip
To make a butternut pumpkin soup, use butternut squash (often called butternut pumpkin), or try this butternut squash soup!
How To Make Pumpkin Soup
- Sauté the base: Melt butter in a large pot. Add onions & garlic and cook until soft.
- Spice it up: Stir in cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves until fragrant.
- Build the soup: Add apple, pumpkin, stock, thyme, and syrup. Simmer for 20 minutes.
- Blend smooth: Use an immersion blender or transfer to a blender in batches.
- Finish with cream: Stir in cream (or coconut milk). Taste and adjust seasoning.
- Serve: Ladle into bowls and top with garnishes.
Quick Tip
Use a strong blender for a smooth, creamy soup. You can also use an immersion blender, but it won’t get it as smooth. When blending, start slow to avoid spills, secure the lid tightly, and be careful of steam. Blend in batches if needed. Here are some more tips and best practices for blending soup!
Storage
- Freezing: Cool pumpkin soup completely, store in labeled freezer bags, and freeze flat. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
- Fridge: Lasts 3-5 days with chicken stock, up to a week with vegetable stock.
More Soup Recipes:
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Cauliflower Soup
One Pan / One Pot
White Bean Soup
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Carrot Soup Recipe
Soups And Stews
Easy Tomato Soup Recipe
Pumpkin Soup
Video
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 pounds sweet onions peeled and coarsely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves coarsely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 large fuji apple coarsely chopped
- 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin see note 1
- 6 cups chicken stock see note 2
- 1-1/2 teaspoons fresh thyme
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- Pepitas optional
- Crusty buttered bread optional
Instructions
- Peel and coarsely chop onions to get a packed 4 cups. Coarsely chop apple to get a heaping 1 cup. Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the chopped onions and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for 10–12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft.
- Stir in cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, apple, and pumpkin. Stir, then pour in chicken stock, thyme, and maple syrup. Stir again. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes.
- Puree the soup in a blender until smooth (work in batches if needed). Return soup to the pot and stir in the cream. Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding more maple syrup or salt if needed.
- Ladle the soup into bowls. Garnish with a swirl of cream (see note 3) and pepitas. Serve with crusty buttered bread.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Variations
Switch Up Your Pumpkin Soup!
- Without cream: Taste before adding cream, you may like it without! Try half-and-half or coconut milk for a twist.
- Lighter: Skip cream or use lite coconut milk. Swap half the butter for olive oil.
- Vegan: Use coconut milk and vegetable stock.
- With bacon: Cook bacon first, use the grease to sauté onions, and top with crispy bacon.
Pumpkin Soup FAQs
Crusty bread, dinner rolls, or honey wheat bread are great for dipping. Pair with a simple salad like Italian or spinach.
Roasted, salted pepitas add crunch and flavor. You can make or buy them.
The blended pumpkin and onions naturally thicken the soup. To thicken, simmer for longer. To thin it, add more stock and adjust the seasoning.
Use quality canned pumpkin and stock. Add a sweet apple and maple syrup for balance; more syrup can add extra sweetness.
Can you use food processor instead of blender?
It won’t be as smooth, but should work okay!
Made this last night and was a HUGE success, everyone went back for more!
YUM
I am so thrilled to hear this! Thanks so much for your comment! 🙂
I made this Pumpkin Soup with a couple of changes because of what I had in my pantry. I used 2 small chopped Jonathan apples , instead of a large fuji. I used 1 can of pumpkin and 1 can of sweet potato puree. I used Chicken Better than Bouillon (4 heaping tsps) with 4 cups water instead of packaged chicken broth. Also I stirred in a whole can of evaporated milk instead of the cream, and I used 2 TBs Coconut sugar instead of the Pure Maple Syrup because I was out. Also, I stirred in 1 cup of potato flakes at the end to thicken it and to make it a little heartier. I know it can be strange to say you really liked it when I altered it quite a bit, but for me, I try to use what I have in my pantry in a pinch. The roasted pumpkin seeds on top really topped it off. Thank You for this recipe, it was my first time making or eating Pumpkin Soup and we really enjoyed it. It’s nice to be able to make a homemade soup with just basically items from your pantry that you have on hand!
Delicious! Thank you so much for sharing all this! 🙂
As your sister I have to say, this is my all time favorite soup! I genuinely don’t think it gets better! It’s the perfect combination of flavors! Trust me, give this one a try!