Creamy Pumpkin Soup (Ready in 35 Minutes)
A smooth, mellow pumpkin soup made with canned pumpkin, an onion and a carton of broth. One pot, about 35 minutes.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Total
- 35 min
- Makes
- 6 servings (about 7 cups)
Canned pumpkin does most of the work here, so there is no peeling, roasting or scooping a pumpkin on a weeknight. Sauté an onion, stir in the pumpkin and broth, simmer, and blend. A little cream at the end makes it silky.
Make it taste like more than pumpkin
- Cook the pumpkin for a minute in the pot before adding the broth. It deepens the flavor.
- Use plain pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling, which is already sweetened and spiced.
- Season at the end. Broth varies in saltiness, so taste before you add more salt.
- Add a splash of acid. A teaspoon of lemon juice or apple cider vinegar brightens the whole pot.
Serve it with grilled cheese for dipping. It is one of the soups in our list of easy soup recipes, and more pumpkin ideas are in easy pumpkin recipes for kids.
Creamy Pumpkin Soup (Ready in 35 Minutes)
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Total
- 35 min
- Makes
- 6 servings (about 7 cups)
Ingredients
Method
Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and carrot and cook, stirring, until soft, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic, cinnamon and nutmeg and stir for 30 seconds.
Stir in the pumpkin puree and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring, until it smells toasty.
Add the broth, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes, until the carrot is very tender.
Blend until smooth with an immersion blender. If using a countertop blender, work in small batches, fill it no more than half full and hold the lid down with a towel, because hot liquid expands.
Stir in the cream and lemon juice and warm gently without boiling. Taste and add more salt if needed. Thin with a splash of broth if it is too thick.
Ladle into bowls and top with pumpkin seeds or croutons.
A new recipe from our editors: times are estimates and have not yet been confirmed in our own test kitchen. Use the doneness cues and temperatures above.
Fixes for common problems
- Too thick: stir in broth or water a few tablespoons at a time.
- Too thin: simmer uncovered for 5 to 10 minutes, or stir in a spoonful of mashed potato or cooked rice and blend again.
- Bland: add salt a pinch at a time, then a little lemon juice. Both wake up the flavor.
- Too sweet: a pinch more salt and a squeeze of lemon balance it.
- No blender: mash the carrot and onion against the side of the pot with a potato masher. The soup will be rustic rather than smooth, and still good.
What to serve with it
A grilled cheese sandwich is the classic partner. Crusty bread, or a simple salad round it out. Planning the week? The meal planner can slot a soup night in for you.
Questions, answered
Can I use fresh pumpkin instead of canned?
Yes. Roast peeled, cubed pumpkin or a halved sugar pumpkin until soft, then use about 2 cups of the cooked flesh in place of the can. Carving pumpkins are watery and less flavorful, so choose a small sugar or pie pumpkin.
Can I make pumpkin soup ahead of time?
Yes. It keeps in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days and the flavor often improves overnight. Reheat it gently until steaming hot.
Can you freeze pumpkin soup?
Yes. Freeze it without the cream in airtight containers, thaw it in the refrigerator, and stir in the cream while you reheat it.
