This easy pumpkin soup recipe turns one can of pumpkin into a creamy, velvety bowl that tastes like it simmered all afternoon. It’s lighter than most, thanks to coconut milk instead of heavy cream, and the whole thing happens in one pot!
More creamy blended soups:
Before You Get Started
- Shake the coconut milk can. The fat separates and settles at the top of the can. Shake it hard before opening so you get the creamy fat in your soup, not just thin coconut water.
- Use full-fat coconut milk. Lite coconut milk works, but the soup loses the body that makes it taste rich. Full-fat is what gives you a velvety finish with no cream at all.
- Simmer until the cauliflower is soft. Undercooked florets never blend smooth and leave the soup grainy. Poke one with a fork before you blend, and it should fall apart with no resistance.
How to Make Pumpkin Soup
This is a one-pot recipe from start to finish, and most of the 45 minutes is hands-off simmering time. It’s also a genuinely healthy pumpkin soup, since the creamy texture comes from blended vegetables and a splash of coconut milk rather than heavy cream. Here’s how it comes together:
Step 1: Soften the Onion
Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat, add the diced onion, and cook until it’s soft and translucent.
This takes about 7 to 10 minutes, and it’s worth the time. Rushing this step leaves you with the bite of a raw onion in a soup that’s supposed to be smooth.
Step 2: Add the Garlic and Ginger
Stir in the minced garlic and ground ginger and cook for about a minute, just until you can smell them. Any longer and the garlic starts to brown, which can quickly turn bitter once it’s blended into the soup.
Step 3: Simmer the Cauliflower and Pumpkin
Add the cauliflower florets, broth, and canned pumpkin.
Turn the heat to high, bring it to a boil, then cover the pot and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, until the cauliflower is completely tender.
The cauliflower helps make it creamy. It cooks down until it’s completely tender, then blends into the pumpkin and disappears, doing the job a cup of heavy cream usually does.
Have extra canned pumpkin?
Put it to work and make some Easy One-Bowl Pumpkin Bread while the soup simmers.
Step 4: Stir In the Coconut Milk and Season
Stir in the coconut milk, maple syrup, salt, and cayenne. Any chunks of fat in the coconut milk will melt right into the hot soup for a perfectly smooth, creamy consistency.
Step 5: Puree Until Smooth
Remove the pot from the heat and use an immersion blender to puree the soup right in the pot. Keep the blade fully submerged so it doesn’t spray, and keep going until there’s no texture left at all.
No immersion blender? Transfer the soup to a countertop blender and work in batches, filling the jar no more than halfway. Hot soup expands and can pop the lid off, so vent the lid and hold a folded towel over the top.
Taste it here and adjust, since this is your last chance to fix the seasoning for the whole batch.
Ways to Change It Up
This soup is easy to adapt, and here are some ideas:
- Make it non-vegan: Use chicken broth in place of the vegetable broth and an equal amount of heavy cream in place of the coconut milk. You’ll lose the faint coconut note and gain a more classic, dairy-rich flavor.
- Go richer with the coconut milk: Readers have used the entire can instead of a half cup and loved the results. It’s less light that way, but it’s excellent!
- Sweeten it up: One tablespoon of maple syrup keeps the soup savory. Use two for a sweeter bowl, or swap in brown sugar.
- Lean into fall spice or heat: A pinch of cinnamon or nutmeg takes it toward pumpkin pie territory. More cayenne sends it the other direction.
- Swap the cauliflower for carrots: A reader made it this way and reported a sweeter, deeper color with the same creamy texture. Use about the same volume and simmer until they’re fork-tender.
- Garnish it: Sliced green onions or chives, a swirl of coconut milk, croutons, toasted pumpkin seeds, or a spoonful of sour cream if you’re not keeping it vegan.
What to Serve With Pumpkin Soup
A bowl of pureed soup is light on its own, so it’s worth pairing with something of substance for dunking. Warm bread is our favorite! A slice of crusty bread or a wedge of cornbread turns this into an actual dinner rather than a first course, and the soup is thick enough to hold up to it.
Storage
To store: Let the soup cool, then refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
To freeze: Cool the soup completely to room temperature, seal it in an airtight container, and freeze for up to 3 months. This soup freezes beautifully, so a double batch is never a bad idea.
To reheat: Thaw overnight in the refrigerator if frozen. Warm the soup in a saucepan over low heat, stirring now and then, just until it reaches the temperature you want. Avoid a hard boil, which can cause the coconut milk to separate.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use fresh pumpkin instead of canned pumpkin?
Yes. You’ll need about 1.75 cups of roasted pumpkin puree to replace one 15-ounce can. Halve a sugar pumpkin, scoop out the seeds, and roast it cut side down at 400°F until a knife slides in easily, then scoop the flesh away from the skin and puree it. There’s no need to peel it before roasting. Fresh puree usually holds more water than canned, so start with slightly less broth.
Can I use almond milk instead of coconut milk?
You can, but the result is different. Coconut milk is much thicker and richer, so almond milk gives you a thinner soup with less body and none of the creamy mouthfeel. If you need a dairy-free option other than coconut, cashew cream is a closer match.
My pumpkin soup is too thin. How do I fix it?
Simmer it uncovered for a few minutes to let some liquid cook off, which concentrates the flavor at the same time. If it’s too thick instead, stir in broth a splash at a time until it loosens up. Both adjustments are easier after blending, so wait until the soup is smooth before deciding.
More Fall Soups and Chilis
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Easy Pumpkin Soup
Ingredients
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic (about 3 large cloves)
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 head cauliflower, florets diced (about 5 cups of florets total)
- 4 cups vegetable broth or chicken broth
- 1 (15 ounce) can unsweetened pumpkin puree (about 1.75 cups total)
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup or brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or more to taste
- Pinch of cayenne, or more to taste
- ½ cup full-fat canned coconut milk (or substitute with heavy cream)
- Optional garnish: toasted and salted pumpkin seeds, sliced green onions, chives, or sour cream
Instructions
- Sauté the onion: Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft and translucent, about 7 to 10 minutes.
- Add the aromatics: Stir in the garlic and ginger and cook for about 1 minute, just until fragrant.
- Simmer the soup: Add the cauliflower, broth, and pumpkin. Turn the heat to high and bring to a boil, then cover. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, for 20 to 30 minutes, until the cauliflower is completely tender.
- Make it creamy: Stir in the coconut milk, maple syrup, salt, and cayenne.
- Puree until smooth: Remove the pot from the heat and puree the soup with an immersion blender. To use a countertop blender instead, work in batches, filling the jar no more than halfway and venting the lid. Be careful with the hot soup.
- Finish and serve: Taste and adjust the seasoning before serving. Garnish with optional toppings.
Notes
- Shake the can and go full-fat. The fat separates and settles, so shake hard before opening to get it into the soup rather than just the thin water underneath. Lite coconut milk works but makes a noticeably thinner soup.
- Blend only once the cauliflower is tender. Florets that still have bite will leave the soup grainy no matter how long you blend.
- To use fresh pumpkin, substitute about 1.75 cups of roasted pumpkin puree for the can. Use a sugar or pie pumpkin, not a carving pumpkin, and reduce the broth slightly since fresh puree holds more water.
- For a non-vegan version, use chicken broth in place of vegetable broth and heavy cream in place of coconut milk.
- To adjust the sweetness, use 2 tablespoons of maple syrup or brown sugar instead of 1. A pinch of cinnamon leans fall-spiced, and extra cayenne adds heat.
- To swap the cauliflower, use about the same volume of diced carrots and simmer until fork-tender. The soup turns sweeter and deeper in color.
- Storage: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days, or cool completely and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat gently over low heat. Avoid boiling, which can cause the coconut milk to separate.
Nutrition
Originally published in September, 2015, this post was updated in October, 2026.
Blair, I love this soup! I could eat soup every single day, even when it’s 100 degree outside, as I just love it so much. I made a pumpkin version last year, but I will have to try yours out! I love how easy this is to make!
I’m the same way, Gayle. LOVE soup. I also love that I can eat a lot of this and it’s filling but healthy!
Love this soup so was yummy ,thanks
Thank you, Margaret!
I love this soup SO much!! It looks simply delicious, and the perfect soup to enjoy for dinner as the nights start cooling off!
Thanks, Anna! It’s a keeper!
i would definitely have this soup plain or doctored up. Whatever way, it looks amazing! Pinning
Thanks, Lindsay! xoxo
Yummy yummy! I love the addition of cauliflower to this pumpkin soup! And those big crunchy croutons on top. SWOON!
Thanks, Chrissa! I love how flavorful and filling the soup is while still being healthy! And YES to croutons. 🙂
Yummy! This soup looks so comforting, Blair! 🙂 Perfect for fall! Love your food photography!
Thanks so much, Sina!! 🙂
Pumpkin soup is the best, can’t wait to try your recipe!
Thanks for the reminder — I need to make another batch soon! 🙂
Love a good hearty bowl of pumpkin soup. This looks so yummy!!!
Thank you! 🙂
hi` im interested in using this recipe but I was wondering if i can sub the coconut milk for almond milk?
Hi, Sophia! Yes — you can definitely sub with almond milk; however, the soup will have a very different texture (and flavor). The coconut milk is typically much thicker and richer than almond milk, so the soup won’t have the same thick texture, mouthfeel or creamy taste at the end. It will just be different. 🙂
Fabulous recipe!! I find I am making it every other week… I would make it every week but I’m already addicted to it as it is!!! I initially didn’t follow the recipe and used the whole can of coconut milk… lordy…now that’s just how it has to be!
Yum! 🙂
What a nice soup! I use to make one that is very similar, but without cream. I wanna try this, with all the seeds as well!
Thanks
No cauliflower, but I had some carrots which seemed to fit. Delicious, great color, sweet taste with no sugar or syrup. Complex taste with a nice smooth finish. A keeper to repeat.
Thanks, Bob! I love the idea of adding the carrots instead of the cauliflower. I bet that naturally sweet taste was perfect with the pumpkin. Thanks for taking the time to leave a note!
So Yummy ! Healthy and Delicious !
I used 3 c of Pumpkin Puree to make it a bit less Cauliflower tasting & 1 full can of Coconut Milk & No Salt
There was a lot left so I did freeze it …
We just had the rest of it and it was just as flavourful after being defrosted & reheated in a pot
Wonderful! Thank you, Catharine!
Hi there just wondering if yiy cab use honey and almond milk as substitutes?
Hi, Alexis! The honey should be a fine substitute. The almond milk will technically “work,” but it will have a much thinner, less-creamy taste and consistency. If you don’t mind that, then go for it. 🙂
I made this recipe a month or two back and it was wonderful! I froze some and it was amazing reheated (and was really good with a small side of cornbread.)
I was wondering if you had ever added flaxseed to it? Curious to try this but wasn’t sure how much to add.
Thanks for the delish soup… planning on making again this week!
We’re so happy you enjoyed this recipe! It’s one of our favorites. We haven’t tried adding flaxseed. If you do, we wouldn’t recommend using more than 1 tablespoon. Please let us know how it goes if you give it a try!
I made this soup yesterday. Can’t recall if the recipe has chilli, but I added two birds eye for a bit of bite!
Heel yoghurt works instead of coconut cream too. Once the soup had boiled and pumpkin and cauliflower had softened, I turned the heat off and let it sit for three and a half hours before I whazzed it in the blender.
Amazing g recipe, thank you
Hi Ric,
Thank you so much for the feedback. We’re glad you enjoyed the recipe!
I’m definetly going to make this! I love the idea of adding cauliflower to make it creamier and healthier! Gonna be a keeper, l’m sure! Thnx for sharing!
Awesome; hope you enjoy it!!
Really enjoyed making this for a cosy autumn family supper in Chilwell, Nottinghamshire, England last night we paired it with a fresh crusty loaf and lots of butter. Canned pumpkin is hard to come by over here so we have to Amazon it, it’s expensive (about £3.50/$4.70 for a small can) but it’s worth it for a taste of our former USA home! Thanks for the recipe
Hi, Amy! I’m so glad that you were able to enjoy it (even across the pond!). Thank you for your note!