This easy pumpkin soup recipe is a mouth-watering but simple blend of 5 key ingredients; buttery roasted pumpkin, onions, garlic, honey and nutmeg. If you're after dairy-free, vegan or lighter pumpkin soup, this is the only pumpkin soup recipe you will ever need.
Roast pumpkin is so rich, buttery and creamy in itself that it actually makes more sense to make pumpkin soup without cream and let your taste buds focus on the pumpkin and all the autumnal deliciousness it has to offer.
For more pumpkin recipes try my Pumpkin & Mushroom Risotto and Pumpkin Pasta with Sage. Or for more cosy Fall soup recipes check out my Easy Carrot and Coriander Soup and Orzo Soup with Tomato and Chicken.
The post contains additional information and helpful tips to ensure the recipe turns out great the first time. Please use the link above to jump to the recipe card at the end if you are in a hurry!
Why you'll love this recipe:
- Simple ingredients - it's just a case of picking out a high-quality culinary pumpkin and adding some simple seasoning. You'll probably have most of the ingredients at home already.
- Easy to make - just roast, simmer for 10 mins, blend, adjust the seasoning and enjoy.
- Full of pumpkin flavour - With a little honey, nutmeg, salt and pepper to enhance the pumpkin's natural deliciousness.
- Roasted pumpkin for maximum deliciousness - roasting takes a little longer, but a baked pumpkin is so much richer, sweeter and creamier than simmered or canned pumpkin.
- No cream - if you're vegan, dairy free, or looking for a healthier option this is the perfect recipe for you.
- Great for meal prepping - this soup will keep in the fridge for up to four days and can be frozen for up to 3 months.
🛒 Ingredient notes:
This pumpkin soup is a delicious blend of a few simple ingredients. You probably have most of them in your kitchen already.
- Pumpkin. Peeled and chopped into chunks.
- Veg stock. You can use store-bought or homemade.
- Honey: To enhance the pumpkins natural sweetness.
- Ground nutmeg for cozy fall flavour.
- Optional pumpkin seeds for a crunchy topping.
The best pumpkin for pumpkin soup:
You can technically use any type of pumpkin, but certain varieties have better taste and consistency for soup.
Carving pumpkins, often referred to as jack-o'-lantern pumpkins, are not well-suited for soup. They typically have stringy, watery flesh and a less pleasant flavour compared to culinary pumpkin varieties.
- Sugar Pumpkin: Is often the top choice for making pumpkin soup due to its excellent flavour and creamy texture.
- Butternut Squash: While technically not a pumpkin, butternut squash is often used interchangeably in pumpkin soup recipes. It has a sweet, nutty flavor and smooth texture, making it perfect for creamy pumpkin soup.
- Kabocha Pumpkin: Also known as Japanese pumpkins, have a sweet and slightly nutty flavor. They have a dense, orange flesh that works well for soups and can add a unique taste to your dish.
🧑🍳 Recipe steps
Step 1: Heat your oven to 180 C / 350 F, cut the pumpkin into thirds, peel and then cut into 2.5cm cubes and place in a couple of baking dishes. Add olive oil, salt and pepper and bake for 40 mins.
Top tip: cooking times can vary depending on your oven. Check on the pumpkin pieces every 10 minutes and turn regularly to ensure they roast evenly and do not burn. The pumpkin is done when it is brown, and you can easily get a fork through it. You can also use your air fryer.
Step 2: Sauté onions until soft and add the crushed garlic and roast pumpkin. Season with nutmeg, add the vegetable stock, and simmer for 10 minutes.
Step 3: Puree until smooth with a countertop blender or immersion blender.
Step 4: Add the puréed soup back to the pan. It's likely the soup will be very thick - add a little water until it reaches your desired consistency, stir in the honey, and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve in bowls topped with toasted green pumpkin seeds.
Top tips
- Choose your pumpkin wisely: Choose a culinary pumpkin or squash and avoid carving pumpkins.
- Ensure the pumpkin is soft and tender before you add it to the soup. Roast pumpkin is ready when you can easily get a fork through it.
- Add a little water to the cooked soup if needed. The finished soup might be quite thick. Add a little water to bring it to the right consistency if needed. Remember you can always add more, but you can't take it away so add a small amount at a time.
🙋 FAQs
This roasted pumpkin soup is thick and creamy for two reasons. Firstly, because pumpkin is creamy and secondly, because there is minimal water added. Remember, that you can always add more water, but you can’t take it out. If in doubt add less water to start with and increase water gradually until you get the thickness you desire.
Absolutely, pumpkin is packed with vitamins and minerals and high in fibre. The lack of cream in this recipe means it will be lower in fat than other soups.
The soup is delicious served with fresh bread and topped with green pumpkin seeds. Seeds, toasted nuts, pesto and fresh cream are other popular toppings.
📦 Storage
Pumpkin soup will keep in the fridge for up to 4 days and can be frozen for up to 3 months – an ideal recipe for batch cooking. Simply divide the soup into portions and spoon it into airtight containers. Add it to the fridge or freezer when cool and re-heat it on the stove or in the microwave. Defrost frozen soup in the fridge before you reheat it.
Check out my other easy cosy Fall soup recipes
Soups are warming, nutritious and are often great make-ahead meals. If you enjoyed this recipe you should check out my other tasty soup recipes.
Did you try this recipe? It would be really great if you could leave a comment and a star rating ⭐️. I would love to receive your feedback and know that other readers find it helpful too.
Don't forget to tag #knifeandsoulrecipes on Instagram or @knifeandsoul on Pinterest!
Recipe Card
Pumpkin Soup Without Cream (Easy, Dairy-Free & Vegan)
Equipment
- Chopping board
- blender
Ingredients
- 1 (35 oz) pumpkin weighing 35 oz/1kg (peeled and chopped into 1 inch/2.5cm cubes)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 medium white onion finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves minced/crushed
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 500 ml (2 cups) vegetable stock
- 2 tablespoons green pumpkin seeds
Instructions
- Heat your oven to 180 C/350 F
- Cut, peel and chop the pumpkin into 1 inch/2.5cm cubes
- Place the chopped pumpkin in a couple of roasting trays and add ⅔ of the olive oil, salt and pepper evenly between them. (note 1)
- Bake the pumpkin in the oven for 40 minutes, turning halfway. (note 2)
- Cook the onion with the remaining olive oil on a low/medium heat until soft (note 3)
- Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute
- Add the pumpkin to the pan when roasted (note 4)
- Stir in the ground nutmeg and honey.
- Pour in the vegetable stock and simmer on a low/medium heat for 15 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and leave to cool for 10 minutes before adding to the blender
- Purée in a blender until smooth
- Pour the puréed pumpkin soup back into the pan, adjust seasoning as desired and add water if too thick (note 5)
- (Optional) Toast the pumpkin seeds on a medium/high heat for a few minutes until they begin to brown. (note 6)
- Serve and enjoy with some fresh crusty bread!
Notes
- I use my hands to ensure the pumpkin is evenly covered with oil, salt and pepper.
- Turning the pumpkin after 20 minutes is recommended for even roasting
- Place a lid on the pan to speed this up and keep the onions moist
- The pumpkin is ready when it's soft and you can easily put a fork through it
It's likely that the soup will be very thick and you'll need to add a little water to bring it to the desired consistency. - The amount of stock required will vary depending on the water content of the pumpkin. Add more stock if needed to bring the soup to a pourable consistency.
- Pumpkin seeds are toasted when they turn brownish and start to pop
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