Can I just tell you how much you are going to love this Roasted Pumpkin Soup? A lot, that’s how much! Not only is it creamy and smooth, with a little sweet spice, but it’s so healthy! 

A blue and white patterned plate underneath a white bowl of pumpkin soup

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Why You’ll Love This Roasted Pumpkin Soup

Along with Curry Butternut Squash Soup, I think this Roasted Pumpkin Soup is the pinnacle of the coziest fall soups ever!

It keeps for four days in the fridge so you can serve it during the week! It tastes great served with a loaf of whole-wheat bread, cornbread or you could also make these Parmesan Leek Muffins to go with it instead.

A blue and white patterned plate underneath a white bowl of pumpkin soup

Ingredient Notes

  • Pie pumpkin: It is very easy to prepare and cut up a whole fresh pumpkin for cooking. You just need to follow a few simple steps.
  • Extra-virgin olive oil: You could use avocado oil or ghee if you prefer.
  • Veggies: This has a classic Mirepoix base of onions, carrots and celery. I’ve also added garlic for flavor.
  • Seasonings: Adding aromatic spices like cinnamon, salt, ground nutmeg, pepper and cayenne to the sauteed veggies will help bloom their flavors in the oil. This will make them come alive and taste more intense. 
  • White wine: This helps release any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. The acidity of the wine also helps to amplify the flavors and to add acidity to the base flavors of the soup. Skip this step if you don’t drink/ cook with alcohol.
  • Vegetable or chicken broth: My favorite vegetable broth is Imagine No Chicken. If you’re not vegetarian, you could also use chicken broth in this soup.
  • Raw cashews for cream: We used raw cashews to make cashew cream to make this roasted pumpkin soup dairy free, however, you can sub in 3/4 cup heavy cream instead of the additional broth and cashews.
  • Maple syrup & apple cider vinegar: Maple syrup and apple cider vinegar helps balance and boost the flavors in the soup.
  • Optional garnishes: Chopped chives or toasted pumpkin seeds.

Choosing A Fresh Pumpkin

There are many different kinds of pumpkin, but you’ll want to look for pie pumpkin for this recipe. They are smaller, thinner skinned and have less stringy flesh than jack-o-lantern pumpkins. Look for one that is 2 1/2 to 3 pounds for this recipe. If there is any dirt on it, make sure you wash it off as soon as you bring it home. 

Step-By-Step Instructions For Making This Roasted Pumpkin Soup

Step 1: Preheat oven

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment or foil.

Step 2: Bake pumpkin

Place the pumpkin cut side-down on the prepared baking sheet and transfer to the oven. Bake until the pumpkin is fork tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Allow to cool, cut side up on the baking sheet. Scoop the flesh from the pumpkin with a large kitchen spoon. Discard the skin.

Note: If you like you can save the seeds to roast pumpkin seeds just as you would with Jack’o’lantern seeds. Clean them well, dry them, toss them with oil and salt and bake until crispy and lightly golden.

Step 3: Cook veggies

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat (I used my 4-quart Staub Dutch Oven to make this recipe). Add onion, celery, carrot and garlic and cook stirring often until the vegetables start to brown, 7 to 10 minutes.

Step 4: Season veggies & simmer

Sprinkle cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, pepper and cayenne over the vegetables and stir to coat. Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the white wine and simmer until the wine is almost completely evaporated.

Step 5: Add broth

Add 6 ½ cups broth to the vegetables and spice mixture and bring to a gentle boil over high heat. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer, and let cook until the celery is completely soft, about 5 minutes.

Step 6: Make cashew cream

Meanwhile, puree cashews and the remaining 1 ½ cup of broth in a blender until as smooth as possible. Reserve 2 tablespoons of cashew mixture for garnish. Optionally you can use 3/4 cup heavy cream instead of the additional broth and cashews.

Step 7: Puree & serve roasted pumpkin soup

Add the roasted pumpkin to the broth mixture and return to a simmer over medium-high heat. Puree with an immersion blender or in a blender in two batches until smooth. Use caution when pureeing hot liquid! Sir in cashew mixture, maple syrup and vinegar. Serve hot drizzle with reserved cashew cream and garnish with chives and pumpkin seeds if using.

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Vegan Pumpkin Soup in a black Dutch Oven with a serving of soup on the side

 

FAQs and Expert Tips

Does this soup freeze well?

This soup will freeze just fine for up to three months. Once it’s cool, transfer into airtight containers. For single servings, use 2-cup containers, or to serve the whole family, use larger ones. Make sure to not fill them all the way to the top as the soup will expand when it freezes. Seal, label and set the soup on an even flat surface in the freezer. 

How to thaw the frozen soup?

Set the container of the soup in the fridge for 1 to 2 days to thaw slowly. To thaw it quickly you can do so in the microwave. To do so, heat for 4 minutes at a time, then use a fork to break apart the frozen chunk as it thaws. Repeat until thawed, then continue heating until it is simmering hot. 

Make sure you reheat leftovers completely to ensure they are food safe. Do not reheat twice and do not refreeze.

How do I get the soup to cool quickly?

If you aren’t going to serve the soup immediately and you want to cool it down quickly, set the pot into a large bowl of ice water. Stir frequently with a metal spoon to help it to cool. Bringing the temperature down quickly will help it get through the temperature danger zone as quickly as possible. 

Note: if you do put this soup away while it is still hot, do not seal it shut into an airtight container until it is cool. If you seal it while it is still hot it will go bad!

How long will the soup keep?

This soup is great for meal prep because it keeps for four days in the fridge. We made it on a Thursday and didn’t have it for dinner until Monday night. I reheated it in the Dutch Oven until it was simmering. 

What are fun ways to garnish this recipe?

I like to doll up the soup so that it has a little variation in flavor and texture. There are lots of options. Today I used chives, pepitas and a drizzle of reserved cashew cream. 

Other ideas that would compliment the flavors and texture of the soup nicely are hemp seeds, dry harissa powder, minced red onion, croutons or shredded baby arugula.

How do I know if the roasted pumpkin is done?

To see if the pumpkin is tender, you can press a fork right through the skin into the flesh, or you can press down on the skin with your fingertips. If the flesh is soft to the touch it is ready. A pumpkin this size will take 45 minutes to 1 hour to become tender, depending on how fresh it is.

How to reheat?

Transfer the soup to a heavy-bottom saucepan. Bring to a simmer over low heat, stirring often. DO not boil.

Can I make this with coconut milk?

You can make this with full-fat coconut milk which is a common trick for Paleo Pumpkin Soups. Note that coconut milk has a much more distinct flavor that would change this soup.

More Recipes to Try

Thanks so much for reading! If you are new here, you may want to sign up for my email newsletter to get a free weekly menu plan and the latest recipes right to your inbox. If you make this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review. I would love to hear what you thought!

Happy Cooking! ~Katie

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close up of roasted pumpkin soup

Roasted Pumpkin Soup

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 15 reviews

  • Author: Katie Webster
  • Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
  • Yield: 12 cups 1x
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Description

Roasted Pumpkin Soup made with a whole cooking pumpkin, onion, celery, cinnamon and nutmeg.  At the end add maple syrup and cream. Can be made vegan and dairy-free if desired. 

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1 2 1/2 to 3 pound pie pumpkin, stem removed, cut in half and seeds scooped out
  • 4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 large sweet onion, diced
  • 3/4 cup sliced celery
  • 3/4 cup diced carrot
  • 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
  • Pinch cayenne
  • 1/4 cup white wine
  • 6 1/2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
  • 3/4 cup heavy cream (or 1/2 cup raw cashew pieces plus 1.5 cups broth) *see note
  • 1/4 cup pure maple syrup, preferably dark
  • 4 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
  • Optional garnishes: chopped chives, toasted pumpkin seeds

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment or foil.
  2. Place pumpkin cut-side-down on the prepared baking sheet and transfer to the oven. Bake until the pumpkin is fork tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Allow to cool cut side up on the baking sheet. Scoop the flesh from the pumpkin with a large kitchen spoon. Discard skin.
  3. Meanwhile, heat oil in a heavy bottomed large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add onion, celery, carrot and garlic and cook stirring often until the vegetables start to brown, 7 to 10 minutes.
  4. Sprinkle cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, pepper and cayenne over the vegetables and stir to coat. Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add white wine and simmer until the wine is almost completely evaporated.
  5. Add 6 ½ cups broth to the vegetables and spice mixture and bring to a gentle boil over high heat. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer, and let cook until the celery is completely soft, about 5 minutes. Hold off the heat until the pumpkin is soft.
  6. Meanwhile, if using cashew cream instead of heavy cream, puree cashews and the remaining 1 ½ cup broth in a blender until as smooth as possible. Reserve 2 tablespoons cashew mixture for garnish. 
  7. Add the roasted pumpkin to the broth mixture and return to a simmer over medium-high heat. Puree with immersion blender or in blender in two batches until smooth. Use caution when pureeing hot liquid! Sir in heavy cream or cashew mixture, maple syrup and vinegar. Serve hot drizzle with reserved cream and cashew cream and garnish with chives and pumpkin seeds if using.

Notes

Heavy Cream vs Cashew Cream: Depending on your preference this soup can be made with either heavy cream or cashew cream. If using heavy cream, stir 3/4 cup into the soup in step 7. If using cashew cream puree the cashews with 1 1/2 cups broth in step 6. 

To Make Ahead: Can be made up to four days ahead. Freeze up to two months.

  • Prep Time: 25
  • Cook Time: 1 hour
  • Category: Soup
  • Method: Roasting and Stove Top
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 2 cups
  • Calories: 212
  • Sugar: 15 g
  • Fat: 8 g
  • Saturated Fat: 1 g
  • Carbohydrates: 23 g
  • Fiber: 2 g
  • Protein: 3 g

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