It’s almost that time of year when I start wearing a scarf inside (yes, I said it – inside), drinking more hot tea than water, and cozying up to soups in the evening. For such occasions, I have the perfect simple, fall-appropriate recipe for you:
8-ingredient Pumpkin Soup made completely from scratch! Your mama’s gonna be so proud.
It all starts with sugar pumpkins. These little guys are perfect for roasting and turning into DIY pumpkin puree. Yep! You can do it yourself and it’s so easy; no store-bought puree necessary!
Roasting the pumpkin is the only part of this recipe that takes any length of time. And once it’s done, this soup comes together fast! Plus, it requires just 7 ingredients you probably have on hand:
Pumpkin
Coconut milk
Maple syrup
Salt, black pepper, cinnamon + nutmeg
Veggie stock
Shallot
Garlic
The kale-sesame topping it also easy, requiring just 5 ingredients. It adds a nutritious, colorful touch to this soup along with a little extra staying power. Your friends will be so impressed.
You guys are going to love this soup. It’s
Warm
Comforting
Creamy
Pumpkin-y
Savory
Subtly sweet
Perfectly spiced
Simple
Satisfying
& Healthy
It’s also customizable! If you don’t have the ingredients for a kale-sesame topping, sub garlic croutons or vegan parmesan. This soup makes a delicious light lunch or dinner, and would be perfect served alongside hummus and toast or a hearty salad.
If you give this recipe a try, let us know! Leave a comment or take a picture and tag it @minimalistbaker on Twitter, or #minimalistbaker on Instagram. We absolutely love seeing what you guys cook up. Cheers!
Simple Pumpkin Soup
Ingredients
SOUP
- 2 sugar pumpkins (2 pumpkins yield ~2 1/4 cups (450 g) pumpkin puree)
- 1 Tbsp olive oil (or sub water if oil-free)
- 2 medium shallots (diced // 2 shallots yield ~1/4 cup or 40 g)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced // 3 cloves yield ~1 1/2 Tbsp or 9 g)
- 2 cups vegetable broth (DIY or store-bought)
- 1 cup canned light coconut milk (or sub other non-dairy milk with varied results)
- 2 Tbsp maple syrup or agave nectar (or honey if not vegan)
- 1/4 tsp each sea salt, black pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg
GARLIC KALE SESAME TOPPING (optional)
- 1 cup roughly chopped kale
- 1 large clove garlic (minced)
- 2 Tbsp raw sesame seeds
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 pinch salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Using a sharp knife, cut off the tops of the sugar pumpkins and then halve them. Use a sharp spoon to scrape out all of the seeds and strings (see notes for a link to roasting seeds).
- Brush the flesh with oil and place face down on the baking sheet. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a fork easily pierces the skin. Remove from the oven, let cool for 10 minutes, then peel away skin and set pumpkin aside.
- To a large saucepan over medium heat add olive oil, shallot and garlic. Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until slightly browned and translucent. Turn down heat if cooking too quickly.
- Add remaining ingredients, including the pumpkin, and bring to a simmer.
- Transfer soup mixture to a blender or use an immersion blender to puree the soup. If using a blender, place a towel over the top of the lid before mixing to avoid any accidents. Pour mixture back into pot.
- Continue cooking over medium-low heat for 5-10 minutes and taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Serve as is or with Kale-Sesame topping.
- For the Kale-Sesame topping: In a small skillet over medium heat, dry toast sesame seeds for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently until slightly golden brown. Be careful as they can burn quickly. Remove from pan and set aside.
- To the still hot pan, add olive oil and garlic and sauté until golden brown – about 2 minutes. Add kale and toss, then add a pinch of salt and cover to steam. Cook for another few minutes until kale is wilted and then add sesame seeds back in. Toss to coat and set aside for topping soup.
- Recipe serves 3-4 (as originally written). Leftovers keep in the fridge for up to a few days and in the freezer for up to a month or more.
Video
Notes
*Pumpkin roasting instructions from Oh She Glows.
*If you’re feeling ambitious, here’s how to roast your pumpkin seeds.
Emily says
Wow! This was simple, easy, and outstanding. I made it with kabucha and honey nut squashes. It has sophisticated flavor and velvety texture. I’m glad I made a double batch. My 5-year-old ate 3 adult-sized servings. I will make this again and again..
Amazing! We’re so glad everyone in the family enjoyed it. Thank you for sharing, Emily! xo
Beverly Crocker says
Reminds me of the soup I had in Antigua, simple and delicious!!
Love that! Thank you for sharing, Beverly! xo
Janet says
Made the soup and the kale topping we all loved it. I usually
Use butternut squash this was just as delicious.
Thanks again for a great recipe!!
😋❤️
Yay! We’re so glad you gave the recipe a try and enjoyed it, Janet. Thank you for sharing! xo
Medallio says
I made this twice. The second time I added honey nut squash and used non sweetened almond milk. The squash helped thicken the soup by a lot! Also used canned pumpkin and red onion and it came out great. This is a super easy recipe and I’ll keep making it throughout the season 😊
Amazing! Thank you for sharing, Medallio!
Robin says
hello there! Wondering what greens (or veggies) I could use instead of kale. Thanks!
Hi Robin, we think swiss chard would work similarly!
Robin says
Thank you! And to think, a couple years ago, I had a massive amount of SC in my garden that I didn’t know what to do with (but had no garden this year).
Paula says
The recipe was really good. I made it without the maple syrup and because I didn’t have vegetable broth I use chicken broth. It was perfect and still in the savory side. I also added some turmeric and for the health benefits and it didn’t change the flavor. It was great! Thank you!!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Paula! Thank you for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications! xo
Laura says
I made the soup tonight but found it very sweet. The addition of the maple syrup turned it from savoury to sweet. The coconut milk & the pumpkin are already sweet by themselves. I’ll make another batch tomorrow but use a roasted sweet potato in place of the maple syrup.
Sorry to hear it was too sweet, Laura! Some pumpkins are more sweet than others. Roasted sweet potato sounds lovely!
Medallio says
Hi, can I use red onion instead of shallots?
That should work!
Ivy Irvine says
Loved this soup. I used a Winter Luxury pumpkin and regular ol’ water instead of the veggie broth. I’m shocked that anyone who’s made this didn’t love it. The pumpkin is definitely the star so I wouldn’t cut corners and settle for a “jack o lantern” pumpkin, you might get lucky with a good one though on the whole those pumpkins just aren’t bred (or grown) with soup in mind.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Ivy! Thank you so much for the lovely review and your helpful tips! xo
Shannon says
This is my go to soup recipe, I think I’ve made it about 10 times over the years! A few modifications I’ve made are using butternut squash (sugar pumpkins are hard to find in Sydney) and I add a bit of Garam masala while simmering all the ingredients together. Then I add a little more after blending if it needs it. Thanks for making such a great recipe!
Yum! Thanks for the great review and for sharing your modifications, Shannon!
Nick Factor says
Just made this it’s awesome. Used chicken boullion with olive oil as the only substitutions.
Thanks for sharing your modifications, Nick!
NFM says
I’m not a vegetating but I love this soup. Can it be canned as well as frozen?
I have a large pumpkin begging to be made into this soup. I didn’t use the sugar pumpkins. I cut mine into smaller pieces and roasted as suggested. Peeled and refrigerated, which made making it the next day fast and easy.
Really like recipes with few ingredients!
Love it! We haven’t tried canning but it could work. Thanks for the great review!
Elaine says
The soup is excellent
Can I freeze it ?
We’re so glad you enjoy it, Elaine! Yes, it freezes well.
Leanne Fournier says
I’ve already chopped up my pumpkin as I donated a bunch of it to a food program. Can I roast the chopped pieces – this is not a sugar pumpkin, either just garden grown. Tips?
Hi Leanne, you can roast your pumpkin already chopped. It should work similarly, though may cook faster depending on how small it’s chopped. Hope that helps!
Julia says
This is the best pumpkin soup I ever made. I used a classic „Halloween“ pumpkin and full fat organic coconut milk and it’s bursting with flavor.
So good.
Yay! We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Julia. Thank you for the lovely review! xo
Sasha says
Absolutely terrible. Not even adding more spices saved it. Lacks taste.
Hi Sasha, we’re so sorry this one didn’t work out for you! Did you make any modifications? What kind of pumpkin did you use? Some varieties can be very bland.
CT says
Definitely adding this to my fall recipes!! WOW 🤩 This soup was incredibly nourishing and brought comfort to my soul on this cool fall evening. All the ingredients worked beautifully together and I especially loved the texture of the kale with toasted sesame seeds! Thank you for posting this wonderful recipe. My belly is in bliss 😌🎃😋
Woohoo! Thanks so much for the great review, CT!
Catherine Myers says
Hello There!
Well I learned a great deal about pumpkins this year. I guess any other squash including cinderella, acorn etc will work fine. Just not the carving kind of pumpkin. I tried more shallots and garlic. More nutmeg ,cinnamon,tumeric,cardamom,garam marsala. Had to throw it out. Not good :( That was a great deal of work but I learned something. Oh well! Off to another soup for Christmas.
Bummer! So sorry to hear that, Catherine!
Catherine Ann Myers says
Hey There, Just made this last evening for Christmas. Looked for the sugar pumpkin.No Luck:( I did use a pumpkin from the porch which I had done previously with another recipe. Wanted this recipe to be course #1. So I wanted it light. I did include a Butternut squash too. I see there on your reviews folks have used other enhancements. It is a bit lack luster. Can it be saved? Maybe had tom do with the wrog pumpkin
Sorry to hear that, Katherine! The type of pumpkin could be the issue. Other ways to boost the flavor would be more salt for overall flavor, spices for zing, or coconut milk for richness.
Kim says
I really enjoyed this soup. Very easy to make and hit the spot on a cool autumn night. Next time I make this, I will add more broth, as my soup came out a bit thick. The added texture and crunch from the kale sesame seed topping was great.
Yay! Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your experience, Kim!
Lita says
Easy recipe. Great taste. I added turmeric and used a coconut and almond milk. I didn’t have sesame seeds so I used my chia and flax seeds with the kale. I also topped it off with some roasted pumpkin seeds. Yummy!
Lovely! We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Lita! Thank you for sharing! xo
Amanda says
I used fresh pumpkin.
Thanks for the update! We’re wondering if maybe they were smaller pumpkins than what we used? Either way, we’ll give it another look!
Amanda says
Mine came out very very thin, and very bland. I was able to fix it by tripling the salt, pepper, nutmeg, and cinnamon; and adding a few more ounces of pumpkin, a tablespoon of tomato puree, and a tablespoon of ginger. Still, it would be best if I had had time to cook a sweet potato and throw that in as well. I would not use this recipe again, but I suppose it’s fine as a starting point.
Hi Amanda, we’re so sorry to hear that was your experience! Did you use fresh pumpkins or canned? We’ll give it another look and see if we can make improvements!
Shannon says
Hi! Love this recipe and have made it a few times, just wondering if it can be made in an instant pot with the sauté and soup function?
Thanks!
Hi Shannon, Yes, that should work great!
AO says
Used canned pumpkin, yellow onion instead of shallots, and almond milk instead of coconut milk and it turned out wonderfully! Very flavorful and so easy to make!
Yay! So glad you enjoyed. Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications!
joyceingeorgia says
AO…very encouraging, as I plan to make the same adjustments (canned pumpkin, alnond milk, onions) and bring it to my Whole Foods/low fat group meeting tomorrow. Using canned pumpkin will get more folks to make it themselves. For sweetening it a bit, I’ll blend in cooked (from frozen) sweet potatoes. Yum, thanks AO…and our Minimalist Baker!
Bianca says
Loved it so much thank you!
Yay! Thank you for the lovely review, Bianca!
Julie Collins says
I put the extra puree in ziplock bags and freeze it. I use it all year and plan to freeze my whole crop of pumpkins this year. FYI, store bought canned pumpkin was close to four dollars a can last week! Yikes!
Great tip! Thanks for sharing, Julie!
Pauline says
I know that you can’t can pumpkin puree, but would it be okay to can this wonderful soup?
Hi Pauline, we don’t have much experience with canning, unfortunately! Let us know if you try it!
Nicole says
Pauline,
Ziplock or Rubbermaid make 2 C plastic containers with screw-top lids. , they are perfect for storing your extra purée in the freezer for future recipes. It freezes beautifully! (I’ve even used frozen pumpkin that was two years old… 😬) Pumpkin butter is another great option for your extra and can also be frozen!
Ginny says
Can I substitute pumpkin puree from a can? I have not seen pumpkins in the past few weeks. If so, how many cans?
Yes, you can. About 2 cans (2 1/4 cups).
Megan says
I made this today with a kabocha squash and used the Ripple brand unsweetened non-dairy milk – this a very smooth, delicious and comforting soup. The chewy sesame kale garnish though made for a great contrast and just puts it all over the top.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Megan! Thanks so much for sharing! xo
Emily Mourad says
This soup was delicious! I added a bit of chilli for spice, and turmeric for the color and health benefits. I will be making this again!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Emily! Thanks for sharing! xo
Leptosiphon says
My only disappointment is that I didn’t make it a double batch! I was hesitant to make this, wtf pumpkin soup?? But SO glad I did! Possibly the easiest soup ever made, incredible flavor, and oh so warming after playing outside in the cold. I did use canned pumpkins (all I had on hand and made the total time about 20 minutes to make) but next time I will try roasting! Can’t wait to make it again!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks so much for sharing! xo
Courtney says
I followed everything in this recipe and it’s absolutely delicious! I will definitely make it again! Next time I may try adding a grain to it to try it a little “thicker “ but it truly is just perfect the way it is! My whole family loved it!
Yay! We’re so glad you and your family enjoyed it, Courtney. Thanks for sharing! xo
Luly Rios says
Hello! My one sugar pumpkin gave me about 4 cups of pure. Should I stick to the 2.25 cups that’s called for in the recipe? I made this one time before but I can’t remember how much pumpkin I used. Thanks!
Hi Luly, we’d suggest sticking with the 2 1/4 cups to avoid diluting the flavors. You could always add more, if needed. Hope that helps!
Jennifer says
This soup is delicious, easy to make, and a hit with the whole family! I confess to using canned pumpkin and it still turned out great. Will definitely add this to our regular fall and winter dinner rotation :)
Amazing! Thanks for sharing, Jennifer!
Genevieve Morehouse says
Today I was roasting a pumpkin and my house smelled delicious and I was inspired to find and make a pumpkin soup recipe. This recipe is everything it claims to be, it’s easy, simple and delicious. Don’t let the time to cook scare you away. I whipped this up in 10 min then had it simmering while I zoomed with my classes and it was ready for lunch time.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Genevieve! Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
LA says
I love this recipe. It requires few ingredients and is simple to prepare. Following the recipe, the soup was a little bland for my specific taste but that was easily remedied by adding more spices. I added more salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg as well as 1/8t cardamom. I used full fat coconut milk which provided a luxurious, creamy texture. Roasting fresh pumpkin is worth the time and effort. This soup is going to be a regular fall staple.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks so much for sharing!
Angie says
What are your thoughts on adding fresh ginger instead of garlic?
That should work well!
LA says
Darn I had fresh ginger! That sounds delicious. I need to make it again.