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A bowl of pumpkin soup with a drizzle of cream, pepper, and herb garnish.
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Pumpkin Soup

Creamy pumpkin soup is a delicious fall dish, easy to whip up and loaded with sweet-and-savory flavor. Enjoy it by itself or with some crusty bread for dunking.
Course Soup
Cuisine American
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 6 servings
Calories 198kcal
Author John Kanell

Equipment

  • Large pot or Dutch oven
  • Blender or immersion blender

Ingredients

  • 1 (2½ pound) sugar pie pumpkin (or any kind) (1.2kg)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 large yellow onion chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves minced
  • 4 cups vegetable broth (960ml)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • ½ cup heavy cream (120mL), plus more for serving
  • ¼ cup maple syrup (60mL)

Instructions

  • Cut the pumpkin in half. Using a spoon, scrape out the seeds and membrane and discard. Using a vegetable peeler, peel the skin from the pumpkin. Cut the pumpkin flesh into 1-inch pieces.
  • In a large Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently until the onion is tender and begins to lightly brown, about 6 minutes.
  • Add the chopped pumpkin, broth, salt, and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the pumpkin is very tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat.
  • Carefully transfer the pumpkin mixture to a blender with the centerpiece of the top removed, or use an immersion blender, and puree until smooth. Pour the soup back into the pot, if necessary. Stir in the cream and maple syrup.
  • Ladle the soup into serving bowls. Swirl cream on top of each serving and sprinkle with ground black pepper, if desired.

Notes

  • Cook the onions until they’re lightly browned. Cooking the onion to a tender and lightly brown stage adds additional depth of flavor and sweetness.
  • Peel the pumpkin. Pumpkin skin is tough and rubbery and will not blend well. Your pumpkin purée won’t be completely smooth if the gourd is unpeeled. I find it easiest to cut the whole pumpkin in half, seed, and then peel it.
  • Cut the pumpkin uniformly. This will help them cook evenly. Also, look for small pumpkins (about 6 to 8 inches in diameter, not to be confused with the tiny decorating ones), as they tend to be sweeter and less stringy.
  • Avoid any blender mishaps. If using a regular blender instead of an immersion blender or stick blender, make sure to have a way for the steam to escape and avoid filling the blender all the way. Holding a dish towel over the blender lid will help eliminate any splatters.
  • Control the consistency of the soup. If the soup looks too thick, thin it out by adding more vegetable broth. If it’s too thin (which is unlikely to happen), let it simmer longer to reduce.
  • Spice it up. Try adding in cayenne pepper, curry powder, or your favorite spice blend to mix up the flavor. Even a little bit of pumpkin pie spice is a nice addition!

Nutrition

Calories: 198kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 22mg | Sodium: 1024mg | Potassium: 776mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 17653IU | Vitamin C: 21mg | Calcium: 80mg | Iron: 2mg