Making pumpkin soup with canned pumpkin is super easy, and a fall staple around our house. It’s ready in just 30 minutes, freezes and reheats well, and uses simple ingredients that you probably already have on hand!
You can’t think about the fall season without seeing pumpkins. We usually kick the season off with pumpkin bread pudding or another decadent pumpkin treat, like this irresistible pumpkin swirl cheesecake. But a savory recipe is quickly in order and this creamy pumpkin soup is one of the easiest soups to make to showcase our favorite fall flavors.
Pumpkin soup paired with pull apart garlic bread or buttermilk cornbread and a little side salad make a lovely meal or the soup can be an appetizer before the main course! Canned pumpkin is so easy to use and just as tasty as the real thing, but if you need to use up your fresh pumpkins, read to the end for those instructions.
Need ideas for what to serve this soup with? Orange and Sugar Glazed Ham, my famous pot roast recipe, roasted beef tenderloin, and herb roasted chicken are all great for the season and for holiday dinners.
Why You’ll Love This Easy Pumpkin Soup Recipe
- It’s healthy and is less than 100 calories per serving.
- Super easy with a can of pumpkin puree.
- Feeds a crowd and is ready in 30 minutes.
- Can be made vegan friendly.
- A perfect starter for fall gatherings.
- Creamy and full of flavor.
Jump to:
Ingredients:
- olive oil
- onion
- garlic – mince your own cloves or use store bought for less prep work
- red pepper flakes – use more if you like it a little spicier
- nutmeg, salt, black pepper
- pumpkin purée – don’t confuse this with pumpkin pie filling, it’s not the same.
- chicken broth and water
- sage leaves – for simmering in the soup, we also like to fry sage leaves and add to the top of the soup when serving.
- light brown sugar – this is optional but adds a little sweetness to balance out the spices
- heavy cream – can also use half and half in its place.
- Roasted pumpkin seeds -this adds some crunch to the top and breaks up the smooth texture of the soup.
For a full list of ingredients and their measurements, 📋 please view my printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Optional Garnish:
I love some crunch and texture in a creamy pumpkin soup. Add a drizzle of cream, crunchy roasted pepitas, croutons, roasted pecans, fried sage leaves, or cranberries.
Substitutions and Variations
- Vegan or Vegetarian Pumpkin Soup – Swap the chicken broth for vegetable broth or water and use full-fat coconut milk instead of the heavy cream.
- Pumpkin Puree – Using canned pumpkin puree is great for convenience, but you can substitute homemade pumpkin puree – frozen or freshly pureed will work.
- Hint of Sweetness – Use pure maple syrup, agave syrup, or honey to add sweetness instead of the brown sugar.
- Warming Spices – We use just nutmeg here, but you can swap in cinnamon or cloves, you can also add some fresh ginger for a little kick.
🔪 Instructions:
Step 1: Saute the diced onion in extra virgin olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven until soft.
Step 2: Add the minced garlic, nutmeg, and red pepper flakes until fragrant.
Step 3: Add the salt, pumpkin, sage leaves, pepper, water, and chicken broth. Bring the soup to a low boil.
Step 4: Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the soup has reduced by ⅓.
Pro tip: Follow this same recipe and the instructions, but swap the pumpkin for butternut squash soup!
Step 5: Remove the sage leaves and taste. Season with salt and pepper, then stir in the brown sugar and heavy cream.
Step 6: Transfer the soup to a regular blender (or use an immersion blender directly in the pot) and puree until smooth to achieve a creamy soup.
Step 7: Place the pureed soup back into the pot and heat until it’s warm.
GARNISH/SLICE/SERVE: Serve in your favorite soup bowls topped with a swirl of heavy whipping cream, homemade croutons, pumpkin seeds, or fried sage (see our notes below.)
If you have leftover canned pumpkin and want to make a new dessert, try pumpkin cinnamon rolls using sweet dinner roll dough! They taste exactly like the classic pie, except no fork needed! You can also try my homemade iced pumpkin spice latte, 2 ingredient pumpkin donuts, or pumpkin streusel coffee cake.
Tips for Creamy Pumpkin Soup with Canned Pumpkin
- While the soup simmers is will be thin, but will thicken up as it reduces. To thin it out use more chicken broth. For a thicker pumpkin soup, allow it to simmer longer.
- Other herbs that would pair well in this soup: rosemary, oregano, fresh parsley, cinnamon, or curry powder. The sage and nutmeg combo is our favorite though.
- I love adding homemade croutons just before serving.
- How to make fried sage: Melt some butter over medium heat and add a handful of sage leaves. Fry until crispy.
Fun Fact
Every pumpkin contains around 500 seeds and while we often think of them as vegetables, they are actually a fruit.
Recipe FAQs
Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator or 3-4 days. You can freeze it for up to 3 months.
Follow the same recipe, except substitute coconut milk for the whipping cream and vegetable broth for the chicken broth.
Cut open a whole pumpkin and scoop out the seeds (sugar pumpkins work best.) Season with salt and pepper, then brush with olive oil. Place the pumpkin flesh side down on a parchment lined baking sheet. Roast for 45-55 minutes or until it is fork tender. Scoop out the pumpkin and add to the soup pot. You can also break down the flesh in a food processor to make your own pumpkin puree.
Interested in our web story? Follow this link to view the visual story for our Creamy Pumpkin Soup.
More Comforting and Delicious Soups
If you tried this Pumpkin Soup with Canned Pumpkin or any other recipe on my website, please please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you liked it in the 📝 comments below.
Creamy Pumpkin Soup (with Canned Pumpkin)
Ingredients
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup white or yellow onion diced
- 2-3 cloves garlic minced
- ⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes adjust to taste
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 29 oz. can pure pumpkin puree about 4 cups
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups water
- 2 sage leaves
- 1-2 teaspoons light brown sugar optional
- ¼ cup heavy cream or half and half plus more for serving
- Roasted pumpkin seeds for garnish
Instructions
- Using a large stockpot or dutch oven, saute the onion in olive oil in a large stockpot until soft and translucent.
- Add minced garlic, red pepper flakes, and nutmeg to the pot and saute 1-2 minutes longer, until fragrant.
- Add the salt, pepper, pumpkin, chicken broth, water, and sage leaves to the stockpot. Heat over high heat until mixture boils.
- Then, reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 20-30 minutes, or until the soup has reduced by about ⅓.
- Remove sage leaves and discard. Taste the soup and add brown sugar and cream; adjust salt and pepper to taste.
- Transfer soup to a blender and puree. You can alternately use an immersion blender, but I like a countertop blender to reduce splatter and make a creamier soup. Return the soup to the pot and heat through, if cooled. Adjust thickness by adding more chicken broth if the soup is too thick, or simmer a bit longer to thicken.
- Ladle pumpkin soup into bowls. Top with a swirl of heavy cream, pumpkin seeds or croutons, and crushed fried sage (see note).
Notes
- While the soup simmers is will be thin, but will thicken up as it reduces. To thin it out use more chicken broth. For a thicker pumpkin soup, allow it to simmer longer.
- Other herbs that would pair well in this soup: rosemary, oregano, fresh parsley, cinnamon, or curry powder. The sage and nutmeg combo is our favorite though.
- I love adding homemade croutons just before serving.
- How to make fried sage: Melt some butter over medium heat and add a handful of sage leaves. Fry until crispy.
Nutrition
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Comments & Reviews
Kiki says
This soup was so easy to make and had amazing flavor! I will definitely make it again.
Jacqueline says
Is a serving one cup for 94 calories? Ta
Stefanie says
Yes, it makes about 8 cups and the nutritional info estimates are for 1 cup per serving. It’s just a computer program estimate though, so do your own calculations with your ingredients if you need to be super precise.
Anna Louise Weber says
Sounds delicious; I can’t wait to try! I’ve made it quickly using my own (very basic) ideas, but this adds a lot more flavor than I did.
Linda says
It does not say how much of each ingredient
girlinspired says
Hi Linda,if you are at the top of the post, there is a button that says “jump to recipe” which will take you down to the bottom of the post (or you can scroll to the bottom) and there is a recipe card that has all of the specific ingredient measurements, instructions, nutrition info, etc. You can view the recipe card from your device or click “print” to print it out. You can also adjust the number of servings, if you’d like and it will adjust ingredient amounts.