Pumpkin Soup

4.6
(652)

This pumpkin soup is deliciously creamy and smooth. Tender onions and garlic give it depth of flavor, and it's lovely seasoned with fresh herbs and spices. It's served at our family's Thanksgiving dinner every year.

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close up view of Pumpkin Soup garnished with fresh herbs in a bowl
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Prep Time:
15 mins
Cook Time:
55 mins
Total Time:
1 hr 10 mins
Servings:
6

Welcome fall with this smooth, creamy, and delicious pumpkin soup recipe.

Pumpkin Soup Ingredients

These are the simple ingredients you’ll need to make this pumpkin soup recipe: 

  • Stock: Use store-bought or homemade chicken stock
  • Pumpkin puree: Use store-bought or homemade pumpkin puree
  • Onion and garlic: An onion and a clove of garlic lend bold flavor. 
  • Seasonings: The pumpkin soup is seasoned with salt, peppercorns, and spices.
  • Whipping cream: Whipping cream creates a smooth, luxurious texture. 
  • Fresh herbs: Flavor the soup with fresh thyme and use fresh parsley as a garnish. 

How to Make Pumpkin Soup

You’ll find the full, step-by-step recipe below – but here’s a brief overview of what you can expect when you make homemade pumpkin soup: 

  1. Boil the stock, pumpkin, onion, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper. 
  2. Reduce the heat and simmer. 
  3. Blend in batches, return to the pot, then stir in the cream. 
  4. Garnish with fresh parsley.  

Test Kitchen Tips

This top-rated user recipe was tested in our test kitchen. Here are some tips from our culinary experts: 

  • “If you're using canned or frozen pumpkin puree, it’s important to cook it for about 5 minutes to remove any tin or freezer flavors,” says recipe tester Amanda Stanfield. “This will add depth to the soup and round out the pumpkin's sweet nuttiness.”
  • For more robust flavors, make your own pumpkin puree: Place freshly chopped pumpkin on a parchment paper line baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees F until fork tender and roasted. Remove from the oven and carefully work in batches to blend the roasted pumpkin with water until a smooth puree forms.

How to Serve Pumpkin Soup

For a complete autumnal meal, serve the pumpkin soup with Crusty Dutch Oven Bread and a Cranberry Spinach Salad. It’s also fun to garnish each each bowl with toppings, such as toasted nuts, roasted chickpeas, chopped bacon, or freshly grated cheese. 

How to Store Pumpkin Soup

Store your leftover pumpkin soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days. Reheat thoroughly on the stove or in the microwave. 

Can You Freeze Pumpkin Soup? 

You can freeze the pumpkin soup for up to three months. Consider freezing it in batches, so you’ll only have to thaw what you’ll need. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then reheat on the stove before serving. 

Allrecipes Community Tips and Praise

“This is our go-to pumpkin soup recipe,” says Allrecipes reviewer WoodenSpoon. “Once I made it with a small, really hot pepper and that was scrumptious! This is the only soup I’ve made for a group of 10, and everyone ate it - most got second helpings too!”

“Creamy, delicious, and very easy to make,” raves gvmo94. “I used canned pumpkin purée and am looking forward to trying with fresh pumpkin.”

“I made this for a party and served it in a hollowed out pumpkin,” according to samg1022. “It was a huge hit.”

Editorial contributions by Corey Williams

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Ingredients

Original recipe (1X) yields 6 servings

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

  • 2 cups chopped yellow onion

  • 10 whole black peppercorns

  • 4 cloves garlic, minced

  • 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

  • 3 cups pumpkin puree

  • 4 cups chicken stock

  • 3 tablespoons maple syrup (Optional)

  • ¾ teaspoon kosher salt

  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg (Optional)

  • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon (Optional)

  • ½ cup heavy whipping cream

  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Directions

  1. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is browned and softened, about 10 minutes. Add peppercorns, garlic, and thyme, and cook, stirring often, until fragrant and slightly browned, about 2 minutes.

  2. Stir in pumpkin puree; cook, stirring occasionally, until puree turns a few shades darker, about 5 minutes. Stir in chicken stock, maple syrup, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Bring to a simmer over medium-low. Simmer, uncovered, and stirring occasionally, until slightly reduced and flavors meld, about 30 minutes.

    Overhead of pumpkin puree and other seasonings and spices cooking in a sauce pot.

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  3. Transfer soup to a blender in batches; secure lid on blender and remove center piece to allow steam to escape. Place a clean towel over opening; blend until smooth, about 30 seconds per batch. Return soup to the pot and stir in heavy cream. Cook over medium until heated through, about 4 minutes.

  4. Return soup to the pot and stir in heavy cream. Cook over medium until heated through, about 4 minutes.

    Overhead of pumpkin puree cooking in a sauce pot with heavy cream being stirred in.

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  5. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with fresh parsley.

    close up view of Pumpkin Soup garnished with fresh herbs in a bowl

    DOTDASH MEREDITH FOOD STUDIOS 

From the Editor

This recipe was tested in our test kitchen in November 2023 and updated to sauté the onions and garlic before adding stock and pumpkin puree.

1,526 home cooks made it!

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

223 Calories
12g Fat
25g Carbs
7g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 6
Calories 223
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 12g 15%
Saturated Fat 6g 28%
Cholesterol 27mg 9%
Sodium 401mg 17%
Total Carbohydrate 25g 9%
Dietary Fiber 5g 17%
Total Sugars 11g
Protein 7g 14%
Vitamin C 12mg 13%
Calcium 73mg 6%
Iron 2mg 13%
Potassium 580mg 12%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.

(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.