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Warm and cozy, every bite of this Creamy Pumpkin Soup tastes like a bountiful fall harvest! Thanks to apples, apple cider, onions, garlic, ginger and fresh or canned pumpkin puree, each bowl boasts a blend of sweet and savory autumn flavors. Serve the easy pumpkin soup as a starter for Thanksgiving dinner, or offer it as a weeknight supper alongside a loaf of crusty bread.
Pumpkin Soup with Canned Pumpkin
Roasted pumpkin soup is a delicious way to take advantage of fresh sugar pumpkins when they’re readily available during the cool weather months. But don’t despair! If you don’t want to mess with roasting your own pumpkins, this creamy pumpkin soup recipe is absolutely delicious with canned pumpkin puree! In fact, I typically use the canned pumpkin for ease, but I’ve included instructions for roasting fresh pumpkin as well. Either way, the finished product will be cozy, comforting, and perfect for fall!
Ingredients
This is a quick overview of the simple ingredients that you’ll need for this easy pumpkin soup recipe. As always, specific measurements and complete cooking instructions are included in the printable recipe box at the bottom of the post.
- Butter: to sauté the onions, apples and garlic. You can substitute with olive oil for a vegan option.
- Vidalia onions: I love the sweet flavor of Vidalia onions, but you can use yellow, white, or other sweet onions instead.
- Apples: add a touch of fall sweetness to the soup. I use a combination of Honey Crisp and Pink Lady apples, but any variety will work.
- Garlic: for savory flavor.
- Ginger: use fresh ginger if available, or substitute with ground ginger when necessary. It’s the perfect flavor companion for the apples and pumpkins.
- Pumpkin puree: canned pumpkin puree is a great shortcut, but you can roast fresh sugar pumpkins and make your own puree if desired.
- Apple cider: for a hint of sweetness that highlights the natural flavors of the apples, onions and pumpkins.
- Chicken broth: the liquid base of the soup. You can use vegetable broth, if desired.
- Heavy cream: a little bit of cream at the end gives the soup a smooth, velvety texture. You can use full-fat coconut milk instead.
- Salt and pepper: to enhance the other flavors in the dish.
How to Make Pumpkin Soup
Truly, the best pumpkin soup recipe you’ll ever taste! Best of all, with help from canned pumpkin, a pot of the homemade comfort food is ready in less than an hour.
- Sauté the onions, apples, garlic and ginger in butter until soft.
- Add the pumpkin, cider, and 2 cups of the broth.
- Boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes.
- Puree the soup with an immersion blender, regular blender, or food processor. Add extra broth, if necessary, to thin.
- Stir in cream.
- Taste and season with salt and pepper.
- Ladle into bowls and garnish with your favorite toppings.
How to Garnish Pumpkin Soup
In spite of its vibrant orange color, the creamy pumpkin soup is rather plain-looking on its own. You’ll definitely want to dress up the bowls with a little garnish for extra flavor and texture right before serving. Here are some easy ideas for the perfect finishing touch:
- A drizzle of heavy cream
- A dollop of sour cream
- Minced fresh herbs, such as parsley, chives, thyme or sage
- Toasted pumpkin seeds (also called “pepitas”)
- Chopped, toasted nuts (such as almonds, pecans, hazelnuts or walnuts)
- Crispy bacon
- Freshly-grated Parmesan cheese or crumbled feta, goat, or blue cheese
- Croutons
What to Serve with Creamy Pumpkin Soup
Pair the soup with any of these easy sides for the perfect fall supper:
- Homemade Crescent Rolls or Soft Dinner Rolls
- Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits, Aunt Bee’s 3-Ingredient Buttermilk Biscuits, Southern Buttermilk Biscuits, Cheese Biscuits or Drop Biscuits
- Cranberry Muffins
- Skillet Cornbread, Old-Fashioned Corn Sticks, Honey Cornbread or Corn Muffins
- Pumpkin Bread or Pumpkin Muffins
- Wedge Salad, Classic Caesar Salad, House Salad with Candied Pecans, or a Green Salad with Red Wine Vinaigrette
- Country Ham Biscuits
- Easy French Baguette or No-Knead Dutch Oven Bread
Roast Pumpkin Soup
Roast pumpkin soup has so much flavor, since the roasting process brings out the natural sweetness in the squash. If you have some extra time, and if you’ve got fresh pumpkin available, roasting is definitely a great option!
The Best Pumpkin for Soup
Sugar pumpkins (also called “pie pumpkins”) are the best pumpkins to use for soup. These pumpkins are smaller than the big carving pumpkins that you see on Halloween, and they’re packed full of flesh (which makes them great for cooking).
If using store-bought canned pumpkin puree, Libby’s brand is my top choice. You’ll need a total of 5 ¼ cups of pumpkin puree for this recipe, which is equivalent to 3 (15-ounce) cans or 2-3 fresh pumpkins (depending on their size).
How to Prepare Pumpkin for Soup
If starting with fresh, whole pumpkins, you’ll need to roast and puree them before adding the pumpkin to the soup. To do so, cut them in half, scoop out the seeds, rub the flesh with olive oil, and place them cut-side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Roast in a 425°F oven until very tender, about 30-35 minutes. When cool enough to handle, peel off the skin and mash or puree.
Storage
Store the soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. It’s a great make-ahead option for busy weeks.
To Reheat: Place the soup in a pot and warm over a low flame, just until heated through. Be careful not to let the soup boil.
How to Freeze
It’s best to freeze cream-based soups before adding the cream. Otherwise, you risk the creamy base separating when thawed (which results in an undesirable texture).
If you’d like to prepare this pumpkin soup in advance to store in the freezer, just follow the recipe, but leave out the cream. Cool in freezer-safe containers, leaving an inch of headspace. When ready to thaw, place the soup in a pot over low heat. When liquefied and simmering, stir in the cream, being careful not to let it boil.
Recipe Variations
- Vegan: to make the soup vegan, use olive oil instead of butter, vegetable broth instead of chicken broth, and full-fat coconut milk instead of heavy cream.
- Spicy: add a dash of cayenne or garnish with crushed red pepper flakes.
- Curry: adds great flavor and spice to the soup. Start with a small amount, taste as you go, and add more if necessary.
- Herbs: fresh herbs add nice dimension to the soup. Try sage, thyme, rosemary, parsley or chives.
- Spices: warm spices like cinnamon and nutmeg are also a great addition to the cozy soup.
- Smaller batch: this yields a large pot of soup (about 12 cups)! If you’re cooking for a small family, you can cut all of the ingredients in half.
Tips for the Best Creamy Pumpkin Soup Recipe
- Use Libby’s canned pumpkin puree for a delicious and easy pumpkin soup. Just make sure that you’re buying the pure pumpkin (rather than pumpkin pie filling, which looks very similar on the shelf).
- For even more flavor, roast fresh pumpkin and make your own puree at home. You’ll need 2-3 fresh sugar pumpkins to yield about 5 cups of puree for this recipe (it will depend on the size of your pumpkins).
- Use heavy cream or full-fat coconut milk for the best flavor and texture. Lower fat varieties will have a thinner, more watery consistency.
- The total amount of salt necessary will depend on how salty your broth is. Make sure that you taste and season as you go. The soup needs a good amount of salt to balance the sweetness in the apples, pumpkin and cider, so don’t skimp!
- Garnish with plenty of tasty toppings for extra flavor and texture. Herbs, nuts, seeds, cheese, sour cream, croutons, and bacon are all delicious options.
More Pumpkin Recipes to Enjoy this Season
- Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Applesauce Pumpkin Muffins
- Pumpkin Chiffon Pie
- Oatmeal Pumpkin Cookies
- Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
- Pumpkin Dip
- The Best Pumpkin Bread
- Easy Pumpkin Cake
Creamy Pumpkin Soup
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons salted butter
- 2 large Vidalia onions (or 3 small onions), chopped
- 4 apples (any variety), peeled, cored and chopped (I use a combination of Pink Lady and Honey Crisp apples)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
- 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger (or ½ teaspoon ground ginger), or more to taste
- 3 (15-ounce) cans pumpkin puree (or about 5 ¼ cups of fresh pumpkin puree from 2-3 fresh sugar pumpkins)
- 1 cup apple cider
- 2-3 cups vegetable broth or chicken broth
- 1-2 cups heavy cream or full-fat coconut milk, at room temperature
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Optional garnish: toasted pumpkin seeds, chopped nuts, chopped fresh herbs, an extra drizzle of cream, dollop of sour cream, crispy bacon, croutons, cheese
Instructions
- Melt butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onions and apples; cook until soft, about 7-8 minutes. Stir in the garlic and ginger; cook until fragrant, about 1 more minute.
- Add the pumpkin, apple cider, and 2 cups of broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat.
- Puree soup with an immersion blender or puree in batches in a regular blender or food processor, adding extra broth (if necessary) until the soup reaches the desired consistency. Stir in 1-2 cups of cream, depending on how creamy and rich you like your soup. Taste and season with plenty of salt and pepper. The total amount of salt necessary will depend on how salty your broth is (or isn’t), but be sure to taste and season as you go, because too little salt will leave you with a flat-tasting soup.
- Ladle into bowls and garnish with optional toppings.
Notes
- How to Roast Fresh Pumpkins: If you want to roast your own pumpkins to make pumpkin puree for this recipe, start with 2-3 medium sugar pumpkins. Cut them in half, scoop out the seeds, and rub the flesh with olive oil. Place them cut-side down on a rimmed baking sheet that’s lined with parchment. Roast in a 425°F oven until very tender, about 30-35 minutes. When cool enough to handle, peel off the skin and mash or puree.
- Use Libby’s canned pumpkin puree for a delicious and easy pumpkin soup. Just make sure that you’re buying the pure pumpkin (rather than pumpkin pie filling, which looks very similar on the shelf).
- Use heavy cream or full-fat coconut milk for the best flavor and texture. Lower fat varieties will have a thinner, more watery consistency.
- The total amount of salt necessary will depend on how salty your broth is. Make sure that you taste and season as you go. The soup needs a good amount of salt to balance the sweetness in the apples, pumpkin and cider, so don’t skimp!
- Garnish with plenty of tasty toppings for extra flavor and texture. Herbs, nuts, seeds, cheese, sour cream, croutons, and bacon are all delicious options.
Would apple juice work instead of the cider? I sometimes see drink boxes or little cans of apple juice while the only way to buy cider is a big bottle. I shouldn’t drink too much juice so the cider would be apt to spoil. If I can’t find either juice or cider in small containers, what would you recommend as a replacement liquid? I like the idea of using curry powder for seasoning. How much would I start with? A tablespoon full?
Hi, Marion! Yes, apple juice is fine as a substitute. If you can’t find a small can of juice, you could use extra broth. You just might want to add a little bit of brown sugar for that hint of sweetness.
I would start small with the curry powder, since it can have an overpowering taste. Maybe 1/2 teaspoon to begin with, and then add more if you want.
Thanks!
Made this for the 2nd time this fall pumpkin season! I added dash of nutmeg this time, but as is other wise… daughter/husband/granddaughter (11 months old) over for the day… served with a grilled cheese sandwich after a sunset walk along the lake on a chilly fall Maine night… so nice!!… maybe some snow here tonight! Fall colors about done… but nice as always.
That sounds like a wonderful evening! Thank you for including our recipe. We’re so glad it was a hit!