This is THE pumpkin soup recipe you will make now and forever! It’s thick, creamy, and irresistible, a classic easy pumpkin soup made with fresh pumpkin that’s fast to make, and only 189 calories per serving. Don’t forget crusty bread for dunking! (Or up the ante with crusty cheese bread).
This is a reader-favourite recipe included by popular demand in my debut cookbook “Dinner”!
Pumpkin soup
Some recipes should be kept simple as nature intended them to be, and in my opinion, Pumpkin Soup is one of those dishes. The natural flavour of pumpkin is good enough that you need very little to make a beautiful, creamy, full flavoured soup.
And while sometimes it’s nice to have a dolled up version with all the bells and whistles, 99% of the time, this simple recipe is how I make it.
It’s just a great EASY Pumpkin Soup recipe, a classic version that has everything it needs and nothing it doesn’t to be can’t-stop-eating-it delicious!
The secret ingredients to make pumpkin soup tastier is onion and garlic!
What goes in Pumpkin Soup
To make this great quick and easy pumpkin soup, you will need:
Pumpkin – Peeled and chopped into large chunks (or purchase it pre-cut). See below for the best pumpkin to use and recipe notes for canned pureed pumpkin option;
Onion and garlic – the secret ingredients that adds extra savouriness into the soup flavour!!
Stock/broth and water – for a tastier pumpkin soup, don’t skip the broth!
Milk, cream or half and half stirred through at the end. Here’s my view on cream. Does it make it better? Yes, insofar as adding richness to the soup. Is it necessary? Absolutely not. You do NOT need cream to make the soup thicker. All the thickness comes from the pumpkin itself. I usually make Pumpkin Soup with milk instead.
If you don’t have cream but want extra richness in your soup, just add a touch of butter!
Do you have to peel pumpkin for soup?
Yes, you do. The skin is too tough and won’t puree properly so you’ll end up with hard bits in the soup.
Best pumpkin for pumpkin soup
Use any type of eating pumpkin you want OR butternut squash (which is called butternut pumpkin in Australia). DO NOT use Halloween carving pumpkin used to make Jack-O-Laterns. While they are edible, they are not that tasty!
US: sugar pumpkin or butternut squash.
Australia: common ideal types include Jap/Kent, Jarradale, Queensland Blue or Butternut Pumpkin (which is called butternut squash in the US)
If you’re not a fan of chopping and peeling pumpkin, try my No-Chop Roasted Pumpkin Soup!
How to make pumpkin soup from scratch
Place peeled pumpkin, onion, garlic, broth/stock and water into a pot;
Boil rapidly for 15 minutes until pumpkin is very tender;
Use a stick blender or transfer to blender to blitz smooth; and
Adjust salt and pepper to taste, then add either milk OR cream – whichever you prefer.
The secret ingredients are the garlic and onion. It makes all the difference to add extra savouriness!
How to add flavours to pumpkin soup
While plain pumpkin soup is my favourite and the way I serve it most often, sometimes it’s nice to change things up by adding other flavours! Here are a few suggestions:
Curried pumpkin soup – stir in a touch of curry powder once you blitz it, add little by little
Thai red curry – start by sautéing 2 tbsp red curry paste in 1/2 tbsp oil over medium heat. Cook for 2 minutes until really fragrant, then proceed with recipe ie add liquids and pumpkin etc. Then instead of using cream, use coconut cream. Garnish with coriander/cilantro. SO GOOD!
Ginger– saute 1 tbsp finely chopped ginger in 1/2 tbsp oil or butter, then proceed with recipe.
Lightly Spiced – stir in 1/2 tsp each cumin, coriander and smoked paprika.
Turmeric – 1 1/2 tsp each ground turmeric, coriander and 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
Storing pumpkin soup
Pumpkin soup will keep in the fridge for 4 to 5 days, or can be frozen for 3 months – just thaw then reheat using your chosen method.
If your soup is too thick, just loosen it with a touch of water when reheating.
If it’s too thin (unlikely, but could happen!), then just simmer on the stove for a while to let it reduce – this will thicken it.
Soup Dunkers
A soup this thick and creamy demands bread for dunking! Try one of these:
4 steps. A bit of chopping, plonk it all in a pot, blitz, season then serve.
A thick and creamy pumpkin soup that’s full of flavour. Sweet pumpkin flavour, savouriness from the broth, garlic and onion.
You’ll be mopping up every last bit of this with your bread!! – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
This recipe features in my debut cookbook Dinner. The book is mostly new recipes, but this is a reader favourite included by popular demand!
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Pumpkin Soup – Classic and Easy
Ingredients
- 1.2 kg / 2.4 lb pumpkin (any type) OR butternut squash, unpeeled weight (Note 1)
- 1 onion , sliced (white, brown, yellow)
- 2 garlic cloves , peeled whole
- 3 cups vegetable or chicken broth/stock , low sodium
- 1 cup water
- Salt and pepper
Finishes:
- 1/2 – 3/4 cup cream , half and half or milk (Note 2)
Instructions
- Cut the pumpkin into 3cm / 2.25" slices. Cut the skin off and scrape seeds out (video is helpful). Cut into 4cm / 1.5" chunks.
- Place the pumpkin, onion, garlic, broth and water in a pot – liquid won't quite cover all the pumpkin. Bring to a boil, uncovered, then reduce heat and let simmer rapidly until pumpkin is tender (check with butter knife) – about 10 minutes.
- Remove from heat and use a stick blender to blend until smooth (Note 3 for blender).
- Season to taste with salt and pepper, stir through cream (never boil soup after adding cream, cream will split).
- Ladle soup into bowls, drizzle over a bit of cream, sprinkle with pepper and parsley if desired. Serve with crusty bread!
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
* Originally published June 2014, photos replaced in 2018, brand new improved video added in September 2019, minor housekeeping 2020 (no change to recipe).
MORE SOUP RECIPES TO WARM YOUR SOUL
Life of Dozer
Gazing out over his kingdom…..
this is my first time ever making or eating pumpkin soup and I loved it! I did add a little bit of cinnamon and Nutmeg and a touch of brown sugar to mine just to give it some of those fall semester. I didn’t add too much. So yummy!
That’s terrific to hear Carrie! Glad you enjoyed this! N x
I really like this soup! I also added sage. I wanted a little more sweetness so I added carrots and roasted the veggies at 450 degrees for 25 minutes. I also made a brown butter and fried the sage leaves and added that to the pot. It was awesome!
That’s terrific to hear Kevyn! Glad you enjoyed this! N x
Hi nagi how long will this keep in my fridge? Thankyou!
Gosh – I’d keep it even for 5 days! 🙂
My version calls for butternut squash- but any version of this veggie works
quite well. I like to roast the onions and garlic for about 15 minutes at 450F/230C
and then add the cubed squash/pumpkin for another 15 minutes. Sage works well
with this soup as does schichimi togarashi (Japanese hot pepper spice blend).
The carmelization of the veggies is worth the extra time!
I agree caramelisation adds great flavour! Did you see the roasted pumpkin soup? 🙂 N x
What kind of pumpkin is used in the video?
Kent or Jap pumpkin 🙂 But ANY is fine, I use all types!
Have you tried this with kabocha squash? It’s my newest obsession 🙂
I added too much pepper how can I fix the problem
Hi! Would canned coconut milk work in this recipe instead of cream? Thanks!
Oooh yes!
Hi. If using puree you reference 2-1/2 cans. What size cans?
Please advise
Thank you !
Hi Lisa! The standard sizes 14 oz 🙂
Wait… It says 2 1/2 CUPS of canned pumpkin purée in your notes. Did you mean 2 1/2 CANS (14oz each)?
2 1/2 cups or cans?
Thank you! 🙂
CANS! Thanks so much for picking that up Mandi, fixed! N x
What is the broth that is mentioned in the recipe?
I am making this soup; instead of using a chicken or veggie broth, I sorted the seeds out from the pulp, and threw all the pulpy parts in a pot with some water, peppercorns, bay leaf. I figure why waste that extra pumpkin flavor? Used that pumpkin-pulp liquid (strained, of course) as my broth and tossed in some chicken bouillion and a little extra water. I am very happy with the result. I opted for a bunch of fresh grated ginger in there as well, and am going to add some amba at the end to make a bright, tangy Indian/Middle Eastern pumpkin soup. Also, the nice part of this recipe being done on the stovetop, is that it left my oven free for roasting the seeds while it was simmering. Thanks for your recipe!
Chicken or vege stock
Hi Nagi, I lived over in Australia for almost 2 years. I used to make this soup all the time. I really, really liked everything about it, quick, easy, tasty. I have a question about the pumpkin. What is the name of the pumpkin you made the soup with. Is it a Japanese pumpkin? Are they green with yellow spots? Here in Canada, I have looked everywhere for the type of common pumpkin in Australia that I used to use to make this soup. I have not been lucky in finding that particular pumpkin. In Canada we have orange pumpkins, and I’m sure that is not the kind to make soup with. They have an entirely different taste. I lived mainly on the gold coast and the outback. Could you post a picture of the type of pumpkin and the actual name? I would appreciate it! Lena
Hi Nagi. Made your chicken soup last night, and made this tonight. Once again DELICIOUS. Thank you😊
That’s terrific! So pleased you enjoyed this Lynne – N x
How much canned pumpkin puree can I use instead of fresh pumpkin ?
Canned purée pumpkin is not the same
The Recipe Notes say 2 1/2 cups. I would suggest cooking it in some butter for a few minutes before adding the rest of the ingredients, to eliminate the raw, “canned” flavour from the puree.
Delicious and so easy, this will be a regular for us this winter
Simply delicious. Wonderfully Devine. I just made it. Thanks so much for sharing. Peiris
can I use Philadelphia
You sure can if you want! 🙂
Made a double batch of this and it is delicious!!!
Great recipe nice flavour and easy to make.
I’m glad you enjoyed this Jake! Thank you for letting me know 🙂 N x
I’ve never had pumpkin soup, we love soup and I especially love the simple,easy recipes. Will be trying this when pumpkins are available.
Kia Ora,
This recipe seems too super simple: I had doubts!! but this soup tastes Fabulous.
Thank You Nagi.
That’s great to hear Kelly!! Thanks for letting me know you enjoyed it! N x
This a lovely blog ! Absolutely adore it !
Thank you for the compliment! 🙂 N xx