The Easiest Creamy Pumpkin Soup
This creamy pumpkin soup recipe is savory and quick to make! A healthy pumpkin soup recipe that is keto-friendly and easily adapted to be vegetarian or vegan.
I love to make this simple pumpkin soup because it’s SUCH an easy recipe! It calls for minimal ingredients, including canned pumpkin. A soup this simple and filled with pumpkin flavor is guaranteed to become your new favorite fall soup.
This easy pumpkin soup has such wonderful fall flavor and is beyond easy to make! I use canned pumpkin instead of going through the trouble of roasting fresh pumpkin and scooping all of the pumpkin flesh, which saves a LOT of time.
In addition to being simple and tasty, this soup is versatile as heck! It’s savory and hearty enough to be a main dish. It makes a beautiful appetizer. And it’s the perfect side dish for an autumn main course like these Cider Braised Chicken Thighs, or for lunch paired with Chicken Salad Croissant Sandwiches!
Most creamy soups call for heavy cream or milk. But it’s totally possible to convert this soup into a delicious vegan pumpkin soup recipe! To make this pumpkin soup vegan, you’ll need veggie broth and dairy substitutes. Read on for more details.
Another bonus for this recipe is there’s no blender or immersion blender needed! Since we use pumpkin puree rather than chunks, you’ll be able to create the pumpkin mixture just by stirring.
Also, I decided to top this yummy soup with roasted pumpkin seeds, but you have a lot of options for toppings! I have a full list of suggestions below.
Recipe Adaptation Ideas
This is my favorite pumpkin soup recipe because it’s just so easy to adapt! Here are a few things I have tried:
- Vegetarian: To make creamy vegetarian pumpkin soup, substitute the chicken broth for vegetable broth.
- Vegan: To make creamy vegan pumpkin soup, substitute the chicken broth for vegetable broth, and heavy cream for unsweetened coconut cream or full-fat coconut milk. You can also use other non-dairy alternatives like cashew cream (unsweetened, unflavored).
- For a thinner soup, use milk instead of heavy cream. For a vegan option, use oat milk, soy milk or your favorite non-dairy milk, as long as it’s unsweetened and unflavored.
- Fresh Pumpkin: If you’d like to use fresh pumpkin, you will need to buy about one pound (16 ounces) of pie pumpkin, roast it and make your own pumpkin puree. Check out this easy guide to roasted pumpkin.
- Other Vegetables: Substitute mashed sweet potato or pureed butternut squash for any amount of the pumpkin purée.
- Slow Cooker: This soup can be made in the slow cooker by adding all of the ingredients except the heavy cream to a slow cooker. Cook on low for 4-5 hours and allow to cool slightly before adding the heavy cream. Your house will smell amazing!
- Additional Seasonings: If you’d like to experiment with additional seasonings, I recommend a pinch of smoked paprika, cumin or coriander. To add extra heat, a dash of hot sauce or pinch of cayenne pepper.
- Curried: Add a hefty pinch of your favorite curry powder.
- Spiced: Add seasonal spices with a pinch each of nutmeg, ground cloves or cinnamon.
If you have pumpkin puree left after making this soup recipe, I recommend making Pumpkin Mousse, Pumpkin Cake, Pumpkin Pasta Sauce or Baked Pumpkin Spice Donuts!
What To Serve with Cream of Pumpkin Soup
This pumpkin soup recipe is the perfect main dish, but it can be a little tricky to figure out what to serve with it! I recommend:
- Easy Cranberry Harvest Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette: This is the perfect fall salad!
- Julie’s Italian House Salad: This is a simple, acidic salad rich with Parmesan cheese and artichokes.
- A loaf of crusty bread or this easy The Best Air Fryer Garlic Bread (Texas Toast Style).
For an appetizer, consider making this Easy Pumpkin Hummus!
For dessert, double up on the pumpkin love by making Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting, Pumpkin Skillet Cake or this beautiful Pumpkin Cupcake Recipe!
How to Garnish Pumpkin Soup
I think the best way to serve this soup is with fresh herbs and roasted pumpkin seeds (pepitas) on top of the soup. Here’s a full list of garnish possibilities!
- Pumpkin seeds
- Fresh herbs like fresh parsley, rosemary or thyme
- A little olive oil (just a splash)
- A splash of heavy cream or coconut cream
- Crumbled bacon
- Parmesan cheese or nutritional yeast
- A drizzle of maple syrup
Storing Leftover Pumpkin Soup
Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 4 months.
Heat leftovers gently with low heat in a pot on the stove to prevent the heavy cream in the soup from curdling.
I hope that you’ll give this recipe a try, I truly think you’ll agree it’s the very best pumpkin soup! If you do give it a try, let me know how it went in the comments below.
The Easiest Creamy Pumpkin Soup
Ingredients
- 15 ounces pumpkin puree, canned
- 4 cups chicken broth, low sodium
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- ⅛ teaspoon ginger
- ½ cup heavy cream
Optional garnish:
- finely chopped herbs, red pepper flakes, salted pepitas, fresh thyme, fresh parsley, optional, for garnish
Instructions
- Heat a large saucepan or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add pumpkin puree, chicken broth and spices. Whisk vigorously and allow to heat until it just starts to boil.
- Reduce the heat to low and allow to simmer for 15 minutes. Stir occasionally.
- Remove the pan from heat, then whisk in the heavy cream. Taste, and add additional salt and pepper if necessary.
- Pour into bowls and sprinkle with your chosen garnish. Serve warm.
Notes
Good