Creamy Pumpkin Soup
The natural sweetness of the pumpkin shines through this thick and creamy soup. Made with simple ingredients, my version calls for caramelizing the veggies first(on the stovetop) to intensify the flavors, a perfect cozy pumpkin soup that tastes nourishing and tastes delicious.
I am all in for cheesy, creamy loaded soups, but sometimes the soul needs something that’s simple, nourishing, and homely. Pumpkin as a vegetable might look sad and underwhelming but when paired with the right flavors and cooked well, it might as well surprise you. With just onion, garlic, few herbs, carrot, and seasonal fresh pumpkin, this soup is proof that 100% vegetable soups can also taste amazing.
Fall or not, everyone loves this soup at home. Fresh seasonal pumpkin is always my first choice, but when convenience and shortcuts takes priority, you can use canned pumpkin as well. I will share a few tips to get the best out of canned pumpkin.
My simple pumpkin soup
The easiest way would be to dump all the ingredients and boil the veggies and puree. But trust me caramelizing Pumpkin in butter brings a world of difference. Caramelization in pumpkin intensifies the sweetness and flavour. Using butter instead of oil adds richness.
I have used carrots, that gives body to the soup. Onion and garlic as aromatics adds just the right amount of savouriness.
Ingredients You Need for the Soup.
This recipe calls for a handful of ingredients which you might already have in the pantry. There is a little bit of cutting and chopping involved though. But hey, what’s cooking without any chopping.
- Pumpkin: The hero of the soup. Try to use a ripe, good-quality Pumpkin. Peel and roughly chop the pumpkin.
- Onion and Garlic: These are the only aromatics we use in this recipe.
- Carrot: Carrot gives body and texture to the soup. Don’t worry you are not going to taste carrot, it blends well with Pumpkin.
- Butter: Sauteing anything in butter only makes it better. I wouldn’t recommend substituting butter with oil unless you have any dietary restrictions.
- Fresh Herb: I usually throw in any fresh herb that I have on hand. Thyme, parsley, Rosemary anything would work here.
Step by Step – How to make it
Cutting pumpkin is something I don’t look look forward to. Use a sharp knife to make the prep easier. Cut into 1.5 – 2inch cubes helps them to cook faster.
Use a heavy bottom pot or a dutch oven. Saute Onion and garlic in butter until aromatic. Then add pumpkin and carrot. Stir fry on medium-high heat once to coat the veggies with the fat. Continue cooking on medium-high heat and stir it every 2 minutes to prevent it from burning at the bottom( thus a heavy bottom pot/ dutch oven).
After 6-7 minutes of stirfrying on high heat, you should see small brown spots on the pumpkin. At this stage pumpkin would also become tender and almost cooked.
Last step is to cook it in stock until the pumpkin and carrot is completely softened. It should take somewhere around 8-10 minutes. Add warm stock to quicken the cooking process. Also add herb and seasoning.
Once all the veggies are cooked, use an immersion blender and blend it until smooth. (don’t forget to take out the bay leaf before blending)
Stir in the cream(if using) and take off the flame.
Possible flavour variations
This Thai version with red curry paste and other refreshing Thai flavors is equally good. You can add some curry powder or Miso paste to the soup.
Can we make it vegan?
Butter and cream adds richness to the soup, however you can substitute them and make it vegan. Use only oil instead of butter. Coconut milk works well with rest of the flavors.
Want to make soup but with canned pumpkin puree?
Canned pumpkin is bland on its own. But It makes prep work a whole lot easier. Look for brands, that has 100% pumpkin puree without any flavouring or additives.
After sauteeing onion and garlic. Saute carrot on high heat until its slightly caramelized. Then add pumpkin puree and saute on medium heat until it has thicken further and brown a little bit. Keep scraping the bottom of the pan while reducing the puree. Then add stock, seasoning and let the mixture cook for 5-6 minutes. Blend it smooth.
Adding toppings to the soup
While serving, add a swril of cream on top and freshly cracked pepper. Some chopped parsley or micro greens on top. Toasted pumpkin seed gives a nice crunch. A good drizzle of chilli oil will add a kick to the soup.
Enjoy the soup with some crusty bread or this easy no-knead focaccia. My little one loves it with cheesy garlic bread.
Storing leftovers
Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. It thickens upon cooling. To reheat, put in the microwave and warm. Before storing in the refrigerator, make sure it is cooled down completely
To freezing – if you are planning to freeze and make it in bulk, then I would suggest skip adding the cream. Portion it into 1-2 servings and freeze it up to 3 months. To reheat, thaw it overnight and then warm in the microwave. Add a swril of cream on top and your favorite toppings.
More pumpkin recipes to try this fall
More nutritious soup recipes are in store for you…
Pumpkin Soup
Ingredients
- 1 kg Fresh Pumpkin (2 pounds) ripe and sweet
- 2 medium Carrots Chopped
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 1 teaspoon Oil
- 1 medium Onion Chopped
- 1 tablespoon Garlic Minced
- 4 cups Stock Vegetable or Chicken
- 2 sprigs Thyme (ref note 1)
- ½ cup Cream
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Start with skinning and deseeding pumpkin. Roughly chop it to small cubes.
- In a heavy bottom pan, melt butter and oil. When hot add sliced onion and minced garlic.
- When the onion has softened and garlic is aromatic, add chopped carrot and pumpkin.
- Roast vegetables for about 10-15 minutes, stirring in between.
- When you see small brown spots appearing on the pumpkin, Stir in the stock.
- Season with thyme, salt and pepper.
- Cover and cook until the veggies are cooked through and tender. Switch off the flame. Remove the sprig of thyme.
- Using a hand blender, blend until it is smooth.
- Put back the flame and let it cook for a couple of minutes.
- Stir in cream and switch off the flame.
Video
Notes
- If you don’t have fresh thyme, add 1/4 teaspoon of dried thyme. You can also add a sprig of rosemary.
- Adding warm stock (in step 5) to cooked vegetables will quicken the cooking process.
Nutrition
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What kind of pumpkin do I use? Just like anything or like a specific type of pumpkin ?
I prefer butternut squash but any type of eating pumpkin would work.
Super yummy! Making this so many times.
Just did this recipe with my Thanksgiving pumpkin, which I had saved and cut it all up and froze it in Ziploc bags. I simply let it thawed out or sometimes if in a hurry I boiled it from frozen state with a bit of water. For the soup I simply fried the rest of the veggies, starting with my onions and garlic, then the rest of the veggies, which I added one large stick of celery including the leafy part, and one medium potato cut in cubes. Once all is softened I added chicken stock to cover and my pumpkin which was already soft to the mixture. Bring it all to a boil for about 10 to 15 minutes until all vegetables are tender. Then puree with a hand blender and then add about 1/2 cup of heavy cream.. Delicious soup on a cold day a few days before XMAS . Since it was close to XMAS I added a pinch of nutmeg to the recipe.
I’m trying it right now. Another option if I don’t have rosemary or thy me??
Hi Claudia, You can use Parsley or Sage instead.
Literally delicious. So thick and creamy. Definitely worth making! I
I’m going to try this recipe. Question, am I roasting the vegetables on the stove? It seems like you let it cook inside the pot; I don’t need to roast in the oven, correct? Thanks. I’m not an experienced cook.
Yes, sauté on medium-high heat until you see small brown spots. This step is to caramelise the veggies, which enhances flavour. Hope it is clear now. Looking forward for your review.
You can roast them in the oven yes, to be honest I just sautéed the onion and garlic in the butter and then added the carrots, pumpkin, and broth and let them boil until tender. Once tender I blended and then added the cream. It was delicious !
You, could.
But why should you make making soup more complicated?
Just cooked it for dinner and it is AMAZING. And it made so much soup that it’ll last me for days!!!
Thanks Kelsey. Glad you loved it.