How to Make Pumpkin Soup

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: January 11, 2023 References Tested

During the fall, pumpkin scents and flavors are all over the place, especially in the United States. A delicious way to take part in the pumpkin theme is to make creamy pumpkin soup for your next meal! Luckily, pumpkin soup is a very easy meal to make, even if you’re a beginner in the kitchen. All you need to do is simmer the ingredients together, blend them in a food processor, and add a little garnish before you serve it!

Ingredients

2 tablespoons (30 mL) of butter
1 onion, sliced
2 garlic cloves, peeled
15 fluid ounces (440 mL) of pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon of spices (optional)
2 cups (470 mL) of vegetable broth
2 tablespoons (30 mL) of maple syrup (optional)
1 baguette (optional)
30 pumpkin seeds (optional)

Yields 4 servings

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Cooking the Main Ingredients Together

1
Brown your butter in a heated saucepan and cook the onions and garlic. Put a saucepan over medium heat and melt the butter in it until it turns brown. Then, add the onions to the pan and cook them until they’re caramelized, which should take about 15 minutes. Finally, stir in the garlic and cook the ingredients together for 3-4 minutes.^{[1]
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- Medium heat is the middle setting on a stovetop dial. For example, if the burner on your stove ranged from 1 to 10, then medium heat would be the 5 setting.
- If you want to make your soup slightly healthier, you can use olive oil instead of butter to saute the onions and garlic.
2
Add the pumpkin puree and your desired spices to the mix. Pour 15 fluid ounces (440 mL) of pumpkin puree into the pan before you put the seasoning in. Stir the spices as you add them to the pan so that they spread evenly throughout the mix. Continue to cook the mix until it’s steaming and fragrant, which should take about 5 minutes.^{[2]
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- You don’t necessarily have to add any spices to the mix, but they do give the finished soup a nice kick.
- Some delicious spices to add to pumpkin soup include thyme, salt, cumin, black pepper, ginger, and cayenne pepper.
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3
Pour in the vegetable broth and bring the mix to a boil. Pour in the broth at a slow and even pace to avoid it splashing all over the place. Stir the mixture while you wait for it to boil, which should take about 3-4 minutes.^{[3]
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- Use a wooden spoon to stir the mix so that you can scrape any toasted bits that start to stick to the bottom of the pan.
4
Reduce the heat to low and let the mix simmer for 30 minutes. Leave the saucepan uncovered while you allow the mix to simmer. Once 30 minutes have passed, remove the saucepan from heat and set it aside.^{[4]
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- Low heat is the lowest dial setting on your stovetop burner.
- If you want your pumpkin soup to be extra sweet, consider stirring in 2 tablespoons (30 mL) of maple syrup after you take the mixture off of the stove.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Blending and Finishing the Soup

1
Ladle 1 cup (240 mL) of soup into a blender and puree it. To avoid steam building up in your blender, let the soup cool for a few minutes before you pour it in. For this step, you can use a handheld immersion blender, or go with a regular blender if you don’t have an immersion blender. Pulse the soup 2 or 3 times before blending for 30 seconds. Once it’s pureed, pour it into another bowl.^{[5]
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- Blending the soup may sound strange, but it’s very important; it helps make sure your pumpkin soup is nice and creamy when you eat it!
- Refrain from blending more than 1 cup (240 mL) of soup at a time to avoid making a mess.
2
Continue pureeing the soup 1 cup (240 mL) at a time until it’s all been blended. You’ll probably need to puree the soup in about 3 different batches before it’s all blended. Be sure to transfer each pureed batch into the same separate bowl you put the first batch in.^{[6]
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3
Stir the heavy cream into the soup and add seasonings as needed. Use a wooden spoon to stir the heavy cream until it’s been completely incorporated into the soup. Once this is done, taste your finished soup and add some more seasoning to it if it needs it.^{[7]
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- You probably won’t need to throw in any of the spices you added to the original mix, although you may need to add a little salt and pepper to the soup after it’s been pureed.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Making Garnishes for Your Soup

1
Preheat the oven to 375 °F (191 °C). Whether you’re making croutons or roasting pumpkin seeds, you’ll need to cook them in an oven heated to 375 °F (191 °C). Give the oven about 15 minutes to preheat.^{[8]
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2
Spread the bread or pumpkin seeds out on a tray and drizzle oil on them. If you’re making croutons, use sliced bread cubes that are about 0.5 inches (1.3 cm) long. Lightly drizzle some olive oil over the tray until all of the bread or seeds have been covered with a thin layer of oil.^{[9]
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- Make sure the bread cubes or seeds are spread far enough apart so that they aren’t touching each other on the tray.
3
Season the croutons or seeds, then bake them for 7 minutes. Lightly sprinkle salt and pepper, along with any other seasonings you wish to add, over the tray. Then, put the tray in the oven and let it bake for 7 minutes. Take the tray back out when the croutons have a brown and crispy look or when the pumpkin seeds are golden brown.^{[10]
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- For croutons, you may want to also season the bread with cinnamon, nutmeg, and sugar.
4
Add the garnishes to your pumpkin soup and enjoy! If you choose not to use them immediately, store your croutons or pumpkin seeds in an airtight container and place the container in the refrigerator. The garnish will stay fresh for up to 3 days.^{[11]
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Community Q&A

Question

Can you just blend up pumpkin to make pumpkin soup or do you have to add other things, like broth or spices? Are they just optional?

ArtBrained

Community Answer

If you just blend up the pumpkin, you're left with pumpkin puree. To make soup, adding broth ( I recommend veggie or chicken) and spices is a must. If you have dietary restrictions of any kind make sure to double check whatever recipe you're using and see if they offer suggestions of substitutions.