This thick and creamy Pumpkin Soup is easy to make. Pumpkin puree, caramelized onions, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger give this soup the ultimate fall flavor experience!
Pumpkin Soup
It doesn’t get much cozier than pumpkin soup! Warm and full of amazing fall flavors like ginger and nutmeg, this velvety smooth soup will surely get you in the autumnal mood! A lot of recipes call for prepping an entire pumpkin. I’m talking about cutting it open, scraping out the seeds and pulp, chopping it up. And that is just too much work! We like to keep things nice and simple around here so this version of pumpkin soup uses canned pumpkin puree. No flavors sacrificed either! Just make sure you get pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling or you’ll have a very different dish! The bulk of the flavor comes from the amazing caramelized onions and all those spices. This truly hits the spot on a rainy fall day!
Check out some other savory pumpkin recipes like this silky smooth Amazing Pumpkin Hummus or some Slow Cooker Pumpkin Chili!
What are the best onions for caramelizing?
Yellow onions are generally the preferred type when caramelizing. Their natural sweetness enhances as you slow cook them. Something sweet like a vidalia onion would be great too! They also have a good balance of sweet and savory flavors and will turn a gorgeous golden brown when caramelized.
How To Make Pumpkin Soup
- Melt. Start by melting the butter in a large pan or dutch oven. Add the onions and stir. Cook for about 15 minutes until the onion is caramelized and golden brown in color.
- Stir. Sprinkle in the minced garlic along with the salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. Stir for 1 minute to allow the flavors to marry.
- Add. Add ¼ of the chicken broth and stir. Be sure to scrape off any of the brown bits on the bottom of the pan. That’s where all the flavor lives!
- Simmer. Pour in the rest of the chicken broth and water. Add the canned pumpkin and stir to combine. The soup won’t be smooth yet and that’s okay! Simmer for 30 minutes.
- Blend. Use a handheld immersion blender if you have one to blend the soup right in the pot. If you’re using a regular blender, puree the soup in batches (only fill the blender about halfway each time) until everything is smooth.
- Stir. Stir in the heavy cream and add any extra seasonings you like.
- Serve. Serve with extra crusty bread for the best combo. Enjoy!
Storing Pumpkin Soup
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can also freeze this soup for up to 3 months. Just thaw and reheat as normal.
If your soup happens to be too thick upon reheating you can add a tiny bit of water to thin things out a bit.
Ingredients Notes for Pumpkin Soup
- Butter – I like to use salted butter in a recipe like this to add just a little extra flavor overall.
- Yellow Onions – These are really the star of the show when it comes to flavor! I don’t recommend using any other type of onion – they won’t be as sweet.
- Garlic – 2 cloves will do, but you can always add more. The onions and garlic really give this soup an amazing savory flavor.
- Spices – Salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, and ground ginger. A dash of turmeric might be good too!
- Pumpkin Puree – Any brand will work just make sure you don’t get pumpkin pie filling! Pumpkin pie filling has sugar and extra spices in it and will not make a savory soup. The consistency will also be off.
- Chicken Stock – Chicken broth can be substituted. Vegetable broth will work as well if you want a vegetarian friendly option. You may want to use less water if you use vegetable broth.
- Water – I use this along with the chicken stock so that the chicken flavors don’t overwhelm the pumpkin.
- Heavy Cream – Half and half will work in a pinch but you may need to let the soup simmer longer in order to thicken to the right consistency.
Enjoy!
~Nichole
Easy Pumpkin Soup
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons Butter
- 2 Large Yellow Onions Sliced
- 2 Cloves Garlic Minced
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
- 1 Teaspoon Cinnamon
- 1/2 Teaspoon Nutmeg
- 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Ginger
- 2 15 Ounce Cans Pumpkin Puree
- 2 Cups Chicken Stock
- 2 Cups Water
- 1/2 Cup Heavy Cream
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat.
- Add the sliced onions to the pan and cook stirring occasionally until caramelized, about 15 minutes.
- Add the garlic, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger to the onions and stir constantly for one minute.
- Add 1/4 Cup of the chicken stock and use a wooden spoon to scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Add the remaining chicken broth, water, and pumpkin puree and stir to combine.
- Turn heat to low and simmer the soup for 20 minutes.
- Turn the stove off and use a handheld immersion blender to puree the soup. Alternately, use a regular blender and puree the soup in 2-3 batches.
- Stir the heavy cream into the soup, serve immediately with warm bread if desired.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I liked it!
I made some alterations though:
I followed some of the advice in the comments, adding a teaspoon of paprika, and doubling the seasonings. I also added fresh grated ginger.
I’m a bariatric patient and I need lots of protein so I added tofu at the same time as the pumpkin puree. I recommend this for folks who need protein because it didn’t detract from the taste and probably helped give the soup a thick consistency.
I totally agree with people who say that spices should be doubled– especially salt.
You also will have a better soup if you caramelize the onions for a very long time. I ended up doing more like 30 minutes.
I made it by the book and then adjusted. I found the original recipe a bit bland for my tastes, so I ended up doubling spices and adding paprika and brown sugar. Even after that, there was something off about it.
So I said “screw it,” melted in half a stick of butter and more cream, and served it with toasted nuts. It was good but not amazing. I’m not sure that pumpkin and onion together was the right call.
I used this recipe as a reference for making my own. I used fresh ginger, and measured that to taste. I also added in red lentils and toasted pumpkin seeds for protein. Turned out delicious!
I’m making this tomorrow, sounds delicious and I can’t wait but the macros are way off from what I’m calculating.
Amazing!! So cozy to start off fall right. I added a couple TBSP of brown sugar and it set it off. Thanks for the great recipe!
Can you use fresh ginger?
Very good.
I will definitely make again.
I enjoyed, but next time I think I will put less ginger in. The taste over powered it a little too much for me.
I’ve made this recipe like five times in the last couple months because it’s so simple and easy to obtain ingredients for. The only thing I do different is double the spices, because I feel like it’s a little too bland otherwise. It works great with plant-based butter and heavy cream too if you want to make it vegan/dairy-free!
This soup is awesome!
The only thing I did differently,
I used whole milk in place of heavy cream.
I made with artisan crusty bread and spinach salad.
Paired with a dry chenin blanc.
This was simple and fast to make. Genius, using canned pumkin puree! Taste the same as boiled fresh pumkin without all the work.
Thank you
I will make this again.
I recommend this recipe.