Creamy Pumpkin Soup
Updated Oct. 24, 2023
- Total Time
- 50 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:6 servings
- 3tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2medium yellow onions, halved and thinly sliced
- 2tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh rosemary (or 2 teaspoons dried rosemary)
- 2tablespoons maple syrup
- 4garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
- ½cup fresh apple cider (or ¾ cup apple juice)
- 4cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth, plus more as needed
- 2(15-ounce) cans pumpkin purée (not pumpkin pie filling), or 3 cups homemade pumpkin purée (see Tip)
- 1teaspoon mild curry powder
- ½teaspoon ground nutmeg, plus more for serving
- Pinch of ground cloves
- 1½teaspoons kosher salt, plus more as needed
- ½teaspoon black pepper, plus more as needed
- ⅓cup heavy cream, plus more for serving
- 2tablespoons unsalted butter
- 12fresh sage leaves
For the Fried Sage Topping (optional)
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
234 calories; 15 grams fat; 9 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 4 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 25 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams dietary fiber; 13 grams sugars; 3 grams protein; 511 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered byPreparation
- Step 1
In a large Dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions and rosemary and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are lightly caramelized, about 15 to 20 minutes. If the onions begin browning too quickly, turn the heat to low.
- Step 2
Add the maple syrup and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions have darkened in color, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the cider and cook, scraping up any bits from the bottom of the pan, until the liquid is reduced by about half.
- Step 3
Add the broth, pumpkin purée, curry powder, nutmeg, cloves, salt and pepper, stir to combine, and bring to a boil. Turn the heat to medium-low and cook at a full simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally and scraping the bottom of the pot to prevent scorching.
- Step 4
Working in batches, purée the soup in a blender or food processor and return to the pot (or use an immersion blender). Bring back to a simmer over medium heat, then turn off the heat and stir in the cream. Season with salt and pepper to taste and add more broth if the soup is too thick.
- Step 5
To make the optional fried sage topping, melt the butter in a small or medium skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the sage leaves and fry until just crisp, 1 to 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon or a fork, transfer the sage leaves to a paper towel-lined plate, reserving the butter left behind in the pan.
- Step 6
To serve, spoon the soup into individual bowls. Top each serving with 2 fried sage leaves and a drizzle of the reserved butter (if using), or a swirl of cream and pinch of nutmeg. Serve hot.
Tip
- To make your own pumpkin purée, heat oven to 425 degrees. Trim the stem from a 4- to 5-pound sugar or “pie” pumpkin, then cut the pumpkin in half through the stem. Scoop out the pulp and seeds and discard. (Or rinse and dry the seeds, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, and roast on a sheet pan in 375-degree oven for 10 to 15 minutes.) Carefully slice the pumpkin into 1½-inch-thick wedges. Place the wedges on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper, drizzle generously with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, flipping halfway through, until the pumpkin flesh is very tender when pierced with a fork. Set aside until cool enough to handle, then spoon the flesh into a large bowl, discarding the skins. Mash with a fork until mostly smooth.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
Mary
Don’t have apple cider then simply add a medium sized apple ( don’t bother peeling it) when you add the pumpkin purée. Place the cooked apple in a blender along with some of the soup ,blend until smooth and return back to the pot of soup.
you can save time, energy, and clean-up
I get pumpkin purée by cutting the raw pumpkin into large chunks and microwave it (google for specifics) it takes about 5-7 minutes, and the skin peels away beautifully. Also try using an immersion blender in the same pot instead of a regular blender. Same net results, and also much less clean up, and safer. (I once badly burned my face when blending hot liquid in a blender, as hot liquids will explode and blow the top of when blending. )
Grace
hi!! does anyone know if you could make this recipe with vegetable broth? :)
Crumpet
Loved this! So much more complexity and flavour than other pumpkin soups I've made. No cider on hand so substituted 1/2 cup dry white wine. Fabulous!
Gale
Made as written and it is delicious! Spice combo lovely against a strong pumpkin flavor. Did add more broth at the end. Used a 5 1/2 qt Le Creuset and it was plenty big.
Lee Norris
Just cut the pumpkin in half, scoop out the seeds and fiber-y stuff, place the two halves upside down on a greased pan and bake until the flesh is soft, then scoop out and mash.
M Caro
Made with kabocha squash, hard apple cider, and cardamom subbed for nutmeg, lovely.
Meg
What I enjoyed most about this pumpkin soup is the explosion after I put what had simmered for 10 minutes into the blender and turned it on. Soup on the wall, window, sill, counter, curtains, jars,bowls, and utensils. Never happened before because recipes always suggest letting the soup cool a bit before blending. But not this one. Oh, and chewing on hard bits of dried Rosemary leaves, not so appealing. But otherwise, tasted great!
Murphy
Could you use coconut cream (I have some leftover) or would this ruin the flavour? Thanks
Nonskier
Opening paragraph says you can, along with other vegan substitutions
Paula
I use the Imagine brand vegetarian no chicken broth instead of chicken broth. It’s a good alternative.
Neil
Coco, you can always make soup a day ahead. In fact, it often improves as it sits overnight. After making the soup, let it cool to room temperature, then refrigerate it overnight. Next day you simply have to warm it up and you're good to go.
ocean lover
Very good! I wasn’t sure when I tasted it before all the flavors gelled! It will be our soup for our 2020 Thanksgiving. Good for a small crowd but keeps the Thanksgiving feeling. I didn’t have cider so I subbed rose wine and still delicious.
Vicki Morrone
This soup does not need a huge pot but even a 4 quart pot works ok.
carolfitz
the recipe calls for apple cider NOT cider vinegsr
moi
Kids found it too sour. Tried to cut it with some maple syrup but didn’t work. Next time we’ll try an apple instead of vinegar or will omit altogether.
dave lux
Have done this one by the book as well as a ton of variations: one of them using turkey stock from thxgiving. One thing I do every time though is top w/ the cream and black lava salt. Its beautiful.
Mmechair
I have prepared this 2x for Thanksgiving. Everyone loved it. Am making it again.... and it's February. What we need on a cool rainy California day!
IR
Followed recipe as is, subbed coconut milk. Delicious. Will be making again. Let the soup rest for a few min before putting it in the blender and had no accidents.
Tisha
use coconut milk/cream instead of dairy. if no apple cider, cut an apple and cook with the onions.
JayZ
Terrific recipe! I like lots of spices in my food so I doubled the spice measurement to give it a little more voom. But the whole thing was amazing!
RP
Delicious recipe! I ended up using apple sauce of all things and added another cup of pumpkin puree (from my garden!) and a little extra cream but it came out amazing! Highly recommend this recipe!!
ellen
I used grey ghost (teal) pumpkin puree - delicious.
Teresa
This recipe is a fantastic blueprint that is easily adaptable to substitutions. I subbed mascarpone leftover from another recipe for the heavy cream, used cooked pumpkin that I roasted and froze earlier this year, apple cider vinegar and some cubed apple instead of apple cider and immersion blender (as suggested in the preceding comments). Such a fantastic texture, beautifully layered flavors and even nicer with a little drizzle of good olive oil on top.
Tim O.
Made this the other evening as a test for Thanksgiving dinner using canned pumpkin. So good, I decided to make a double batch for the big day using a whole pie pumpkin. Baked and microwaved, I continued cooking the the pumpkin chunks in the broth as part of Step 3. Immersion blended, it's a different color than the canned pumpkin version (not as orange), and… The fresh pumpkin makes this soup even more AMAZING. Delicate, but richer; more vegetal. Doesn't conjure up pumpkin pie flavors!
Pam
Followed the recipe although doubled it because I had 2 3 lb pumpkins and had cooked a 6 pm chicken and used to make stock. Also ran out of yellow onions so used one large yellow and one large red onion for a double recipe. I’ve made many squash soup especially and this is the best ever! Had 6 cups of purée and 9 cups chicken stock for a double recipe. Delicious!!!!
Kelly
Made with roasted butternut squash, no rosemary, no curry or clove and with cashew cream. Absolutely delicious.
Patricia R
Tastes like a liquid version of hot dogs or kielbasa on the grill. Must be the rosemary. Savory on steroids.
jackie
Can this soup be frozen?
condiment queen
Used cashew cream and white wine instead of apple juice. Needed to double the maple syrup since wine is not as sweet as juice. Great and filling soup! Served with a hearty kale salad.
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