‘Tis the season… for pumpkin anyway! Pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, pumpkin lattes, and more are everywhere this time of year. Some of us love it and some of us hate it… but I’m totally in the love it camp! This made-from-scratch pumpkin soup recipe is a quick and filling fall meal.
Extra bonus… in a pinch, I can make this soup entirely from ingredients in my pantry!
How to Make a Healthy Pumpkin Soup
I’m not sure pumpkin soup could be unhealthy, since pumpkin itself is loaded with fiber, beta-carotene, vitamin A, vitamin C, and potassium. Add bone broth (homemade or the quality kind that is long-simmered) and you have all of the gut-healing benefits of gelatin as well.
This pumpkin soup recipe has just the right savory/sweet balance from the addition of fresh onion, apple, and sage. Confession: on a busy night when I didn’t have fresh ingredients on hand, substituting a teaspoon of onion powder and a cup of applesauce worked just fine!
Looking for a recommendation of where to buy your ingredients? Thrive Market is an online grocery store that carries all the best organic, non-GMO brands at prices that are 25-50% off retail.
The Best Kind of Pumpkin to Use
The first time I made this soup I used fresh pumpkin from the farmers market. The benefit for the extra work? An incredibly delicious soup and the chance to make roasted pumpkin seeds of course!
Jack-o-Lantern pumpkins not recommended for this recipe… look instead for pumpkins labeled “sugar pumpkin” or “pie pumpkin.” I find pumpkins on the smaller side (around 4 pounds or less) are usually sweeter.
If you’re not used to baking with fresh pumpkin, this post explains the easiest way to do it.
Stocking a Real Food Pantry
If you don’t have fresh pumpkin on hand, a quality puréed pumpkin from your pantry is equally delicious! Add chicken broth, some spices, and a swirl of coconut cream and voilá… pumpkin soup!
I buy my pumpkin from Thrive Market because they carry an organic brand that is about a third of the price at the grocery store.
Pumpkin Soup Recipe (Dairy Optional)
Ingredients
- 2 TBSP olive oil (or coconut oil)
- 4 lb fresh pumpkin (or 3½ cups canned pumpkin purée)
- 1 onion
- 1 carrot
- 1 apple
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 2 cloves garlic (minced, or 1 tsp garlic powder)
- 1 tsp sage
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup fresh cream (or coconut cream, optional)
- ¼ cup fresh parsley (optional)
Instructions
- Peel, seed, and chop the pumpkin into 1-inch cubes, slice the onion, chop the carrot, and peel, core and chop the apple.
- In a large stockpot, heat the coconut oil over medium-high heat.
- Saute the fresh pumpkin, onion, garlic, carrot, and apple for 5 minutes or until tender. If using canned/pureed pumpkin, reserve pumpkin until step #5 when adding broth.
- Add the salt, pepper, garlic, and sage.
- Pour in the broth and bring the soup to a boil.
- Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes or until the pumpkin is fork-tender.
- Use an immersion blender to blend until smooth.
- Top with cream and freshly chopped parsley if desired and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Like this recipe? Check out my new cookbook, or get all my recipes (over 500!) in a personalized weekly meal planner here!
Other Comforting Fall Soups & Recipes to Try:
- Nourishing Butternut Squash Soup Recipe
- Loaded Sweet Potato Soup Recipe
- How to Make an Amazing Pumpkin Spice Latte (At Home)
- Family Favorite Pumpkin Pie Recipe (Dairy & Gluten Free)
- Dairy-Free Cilantro Pesto Recipe (With Pumpkin Seeds!)
- Stuffed Acorn Squash Boats (Kid-Approved!)
- Chicken Squash Stir Fry
Enjoy the season!
Have you ever had pumpkin soup? Will you try this recipe?
I had some plain unsweetened applesauce on hand, so I used an equivalent measure of it in place of the apples. It all gets blended at the end anyway.
Saved me prep time.
It’s bizarre that you claim pumpkin contains beta-carotene AND vitamin A. It’s not surprising when people make the erroneous claim that carrots, etc. contain vitamin A when they only contain the vitamin A precursor beta-carotene, but you’ve made an error I’ve never before seen.