Our savory pumpkin soup recipe offers hints of ginger, fennel, and smoky chipotle chile to complement the subtle sweetness of fresh pumpkin.
You’ll love every creamy spoonful with salty crunch of cotija cheese and toasted pepitas we sprinkle on top too!
Melt away the chill of changing seasons or indulge in a resolution to eat right with a silky, delicious pumpkin soup. This nutrient-packed soup boasts vitamin C, manganese, magnesium, potassium, and vitamin A—taking better care of yourself never tasted so good!
Making soup with fresh pumpkin is easier than you think! Especially if you wait to peel the pumpkin after it’s baked.
What kind of pumpkin is best for making soup?
The best pumpkin for making soup is the smaller variety called pie pumpkins or sugar pumpkins. They are smaller (roughly 2 pounds), a little sweeter, and less fibrous for easier cooking and mashing.
Since sugar pumpkins belong to the winter squash family, like butternut, acorn squash, and kabocha, you can feel to prepare them in similar ways.
You absolutely can use pumpkin flesh from larger pumpkins, but you’ll find it necessary to adjust the cooking time as well as substitute some of the pumpkin in the recipe with butternut squash for the best flavor.
The smaller pumpkins are also easier to cut up! Here’s a little tutorial if you need one: Cutting a sugar pumpkin
Can I substitute canned pumpkin for fresh when making soup?
Yes, you can substitute 2-3 cups of canned pumpkin for the fresh pumpkin in this soup. However, roasting the fresh pumpkin deepens the flavor as it caramelizes the sugars as it browns. For me, this makes for tastier soup.
- 1 pound fresh pumpkin = about 1 cup cooked, mashed pumpkin
- One 15-ounce can pumpkin = 1 3/4 cups mashed pumpkin
TIP: When replacing fresh pumpkin with canned, concentrate the pumpkin flavor by cooking it in a saucepan over medium heat for 5 to 6 minutes to evaporate some of the liquid, as we do in our Pumpkin Spice Muffin Recipe.
Fresh and creative toppings make the BEST pumpkin soup.
The beauty of pureed soups is the way the flavors are completely incorporated so every spoonful is blissfully delicious. However, the texture can become a little monotonous by the time you finish the bowl so we highly recommend experimenting with toppings.
Suggested toppings for pumpkin soup:
- Crumbled bacon or pancetta
- Feta cheese
- Grated parmesan or parmesan crisps
- Blue cheese and toasted walnuts
- Fresh herbs like chives, cilantro, thyme, or basil
- Pinenuts and brown butter sage leaves
- Toasted hazelnuts and fresh kale or rainbow chard
- Sunflower seeds
- Croutons and roasted garlic
- Basil pesto
- Fresh diced chile peppers and crispy fried onions
- Seaweed crisps and sesame seeds
- Sour cream and pomegranate
- Cran-apple relish and heavy cream
Recipe Variations
- Substitute 2-3 cups of canned pumpkin for the fresh pumpkin (see recipe note for best tips)
- Substitute butternut squash for the pumpkin
- Make it dairy-free with coconut or almond milk and dairy-free cheese
- Substitute ancho chile powder for the chipotle powder for less spicy heat
More Savory Soups You’ll Love
- Butternut Squash Bisque
- Creamy Roasted Cauliflower & Potato Leek Soup [Vegetarian]
- Creamy Mushroom Soup
- Vegetable Coconut Thai Curry Recipe with Jasmine Rice
- Corn & Green Chile Chowder
More Pumpkin Recipes
- Pumpkin Dream Pie
- Pumpkin Spice Tea Cake
- Sprouted Wheat Pumpkin Pie Spice Muffins
- Ginger-Pumpkin Pie Spice Granola Bites
Savory Pumpkin Soup
Ingredients
- 2.5 lb pie pumpkin , also called sugar pumpkin
- 2 tablespoons olive oil for brushing on pumpkin
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup chopped leeks or sweet onion, white part only only of leeks
- 1 large carrot , peeled, chopped
- 2 ribs celery , chopped
- 1 cup chopped fennel bulb or honeycrisp apple
- 2 cloves garlic , minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger , peeled and minced
- 1 tablespoon honey to balance the spice
- 1 teaspoon salt to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon chipotle chile powder (optional), or cayenne for a real kick
- 4 cups chicken stock , plus more for thinning if desired
- 1/3 cup heavy cream , or coconut milk
For Garnish:
- 1/2 cup crumbled cotija cheese for feta cheese
- 1/2 cup toasted pepitas
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 400°F.
- Using a sharp knife, cut the pumpkin in half from the stem to the bottom. Scoop out the seeds with a spoon (the seeds can be roasted, composted, or simply discard). Cut each pumpkin half in half again so it's in 4 pieces. Place the pieces on a rimmed baking sheet, skin side down. Brush pumpkin flesh with a little olive oil and place in the oven to cook for 30-40 minutes, until the skin is soft and the pumpkin can be pierced with a fork.
- Heat butter in a soup pot over medium heat; add the chopped leeks, celery, carrot, and fennel. Cook 8-10 minutes until vegetables are lightly browned and tender. Stir in the ginger, garlic, honey, salt, pepper, thyme, and chipotle; cook 2 minutes until well incorporated and fragrant.
- Add the chicken stock and cream to the pot and set aside until the pumpkin is ready.
- Toast the pepitas in a dry skillet over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until they begin to pop and brown. Transfer the toasted pepitas from the skillet to a plate to cool until ready to serve.
- Once the pumpkin is tender, remove from the oven and allow to cool until easy to handle. Scoop the pumpkin out of the skin onto a cutting board and coarsely chop. Add to the soup and simmer for 5-10 minutes to meld flavors.Blend the soup using an immersion blender or transfer to a blender and puree until smooth. For chunkier soup, use a potato masher to mash the pumpkin into the soup until it reaches the desired texture.
- Taste the soup and adjust seasonings by adding more honey to sweeten, salt for flavor (keeping in mind the cotija cheese will add some salt), or chipotle for added spice. Add more chicken stock to thin the soup as desired.
- Serve in warmed bowls and sprinkle with cotija cheese and toasted pepitas.
Notes
Recipe Tips & Variations
- Substitute 2-3 cups of canned pumpkin for the fresh pumpkin: Cook the canned puree in a saucepan over medium heat for 5 to 6 minutes, constantly stirring, until it begins to steam to evaporate some of the liquid. This will concentrate the flavor for a richer-tasting soup.
- Substitute butternut squash for the pumpkin
- Make it dairy-free with coconut or almond milk and dairy-free cheese
- Substitute ancho chile powder for the chipotle powder for less spicy flavor
John / Kitchen Riffs says
This looks terrific — great way to use pumpkin. Really good looking — thanks.
Frank says
And topped with bacon – YUM!
Debbie @ Easy Natural Food says
Wow, this sounds great! I love the different flavors in this soup – something to make it a little more special. Pinned it for future reference! Thanks for sharing this with Sunday Night Soup Night, look forward to seeing you again soon!
Judith says
This is my favorite soup recipe. The chopping took a while, but the ingredients created a lovely flavorful meal. it was truly worth it. Satiny smooth, deliciously mellow. This is comfort food at its finest. I chopped the fennel greens for garnish rather than adding the parsley, and it worked well.
Judy Purcell says
Judith, thanks so much for taking time to comment and let me know how you liked it. It just makes my day to know I was able to share a recipe that someone enjoyed.
Pam says
I am going to try this soup! I printed the recipe and, because of the photos and captions, etc., it came to three pages! This isn’t convenient for the cook. Is there a way I can print your recipes without the photos (besides cutting and pasting into a Word document, etc.)? Thanks.
Judy Purcell says
Pam, Thanks so much for taking the time to comment, I really do appreciate the feedback. I am in the process of updating the site, which will include an easier recipe print option. Hope to have everything updated just after the new year. Let me know how you liked the soup!
rsmacaalay says
I have some spare butternut squash which I dont know what to do with it, now after looking at your post gave me an idea, this looks really good!