Pumpkin Soup

This creamy Pumpkin Soup recipe is savory, gently spiced, and takes less than 30 minutes to make. It's a last-minute delicious soup you'll want to make again and again.

Pumpkin Soup

When I told my husband I was working on a creamy pumpkin soup recipe, his initial reaction was underwhelming. He's ok with pumpkin-flavored things like my Pumpkin Dump Cake (ok, he loves that one) and Pumpkin Dessert Bars. But he's not so crazy about pumpkin lattes or other pumpkin-inspired products.

And he couldn't remember me making this soup before. After many years of marriage, you know there are times when there's no point in arguing about who's right and who's wrong. I knew I'd made this soup before and knew he loved it.

So when I pulled out my old recipe this year and started preparing the soup for the blog, I gave him some to try. "You know me, I don't like Pumpkin Soup, but this soup is excellent. Truly, you've outdone yourself again, wife." (Yes, he often calls me "wife," I think it's cute.)

It's been a few weeks, and he's since asked me multiple times to make this soup. NO PROBLEM. I was happy to oblige because I wanted to do some recipe testing anyway.

And I'm proud to say we now have the easiest, most delicious, last-minute impress your guests with this recipe pumpkin soup. Ever. I've reduced the ingredients to the bare essentials focusing on taste, texture, and ease.

This is my long-winded way of saying - this savory pumpkin soup ROCKS.

Why This Easy Pumpkin Soup Recipe Works

EASE - Because we're using canned pumpkins for this recipe instead of sugar pumpkins, a lot of the work is done by opening a can. And as a great chef once told me.

There are a few things in cooking when you can use canned goods over fresh goods, and pumpkin is one of them. So yay. Pretty much everything you need is basic pantry ingredients.

TASTE - A delicious blend of pumpkin, caramelized onions, mild warming spices, gentle sweetness, and delicious shiitake mushrooms combined into a creamy soup. The best thing about this pumpkin soup recipe is that no one flavor is overwhelming or overpowering. All of the flavors work beautifully.

TEXTURE - This soup has such a satisfyingly rich and creamy texture, and the mushrooms and onions both have depth of flavor as well as

TIME - This soup only takes about 30 minutes from start to finish. Faster if you're using this Safe Slice Mandoline Slicer, Julienne + Dicer for Vegetables, I ordered the other. Game changer. This reminds me that I find it easier and less time-consuming to an immersion blender instead of transferring the soup into a food processor.

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Ingredients

Please check the recipe card below for a detailed, printable ingredient list.

BUTTER - I recommend unsalted butter.

GARLIC & ONION - You'll use quite a few garlic cloves. But no worries, the flavors are all going to blend beautifully, and no one ingredient is going to stand out.
For onions, we'll use Yellow Onions, I used Vidella onions which are a type of Yellow Onion. Yellow onions are great for soups. And well, in this one, they are the star of the show.

MUSHROOMS - For this recipe, use shiitake mushrooms. I've tested it with button mushrooms, and it's not quite the same. You'll find shiitake mushrooms in most supermarkets.

CHINESE-FIVE SPICE - I've used this in the past and had it in my pantry. But I wasn't sure if it was easy to find. So I looked at three regular Grocery Stores around me, and they all had it in the spice aisle.
Chinese Five Spice is just one of these aromatic spices that can elevate an entire dish. We only need a little bit. If you can't find it, I'll give you some tips below that you can use if you need to substitute.

BROTH - I use vegetable broth for my Pumpkin Soup, but you can also use chicken broth. Since this is my recipe, I'm going to say that vegetable stock is nicer. Let me know in the comments if you agree or disagree!

CANNED PUMPKIN - There is no shame in using canned pumpkin purée for this easy recipe. Fresh pumpkin is great, but the flavors from canned pumpkins are just as good, and it speeds up cooking so much.

CREAM - Now it's time to be decadent and add some well-deserved heavy cream to the soup.

MAPLE SYRUP - Adds sweetness and intensifies the depth of all flavors. Don't worry. The soup won't be overly sweet.

SALT + PEPPER - I don't give an exact measurement. Season to your own taste. However, I recommend using cracked salt and cracked black pepper.

Variations/Additions

The goal of this recipe was to create a truly delicious, easy pumpkin soup you can throw together in no time. Here are some ideas you can use to put your own spin on this recipe.

VEGAN - If you need to make a vegan version of this recipe, substitute the heavy cream with coconut cream and use olive oil instead of butter.
And I bet you won't get any complaints about serving pumpkin coconut soup because it's also quite delicious.

MAPLE SYRUP SUBSTITUTION - If you don't have maple syrup on hand, use three tablespoons of brown sugar instead.

SPICE - I don't love spicy pumpkin soups, but if you want to add a bit more heat, use a dash of cayenne pepper.

How To Make My Favorite Pumpkin Soup Recipe

1. Melt butter in a large pot and sauté garlic and onions over medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Add sliced shiitake mushrooms, cover, and continue to simmer until tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in Chinese Five Spice and maple syrup and continue to simmer for 1-2 minutes.
2. Add pumpkin purée, vegetable broth, and heavy cream, and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat and simmer for an additional 10 minutes over low heat. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Ladle into soup bowls.
   Optional: Garnish with roasted pumpkin seeds.

Recipe Success Tips

• You must use canned pumpkin purée, NOT canned pumpkin pie filling.
• I don't blend this soup because I like the texture and the surprise of having small pieces of onions and mushrooms. However, if you like, you can use a regular or hand blender to blend the soup smoothly. But for this recipe, I don't recommend it.
• If you like a thicker soup, reduce the amount of vegetable broth.
• If you're in a real hurry, reduce your prep time and opt to buy pre-cut onion, minced garlic, and sliced shiitake mushrooms.

Can I use dried shiitake mushrooms instead of fresh ones?

I'm a big fan of dried mushrooms. But not for this recipe.

One thing that makes this recipe special is the surprising introduction of fresh sliced shiitake mushrooms.

If you use dried mushrooms, you will get a lot of flavors. But you'll also add more prep time because you'll need to pre-soak the dried mushrooms, and you won't get the same texture.

So, no, I don't recommend using dried mushrooms for this recipe. But if you like dried mushrooms (I do, too), try my homemade Mushroom Soup. It takes a little more time to prep (perfect for a Sunday afternoon), but it is to die for.

What To Serve With This Soup

A couple of slices of your favorite crusty bread are almost a must. What's more satisfying than dunking a piece of lightly toasted bread into a bowl of hot, creamy soup?

Adding a handful of croutons is another delicious addition that easily adds an extra bit of crunch.

This is a filling soup that you can serve as a first course or a main course with a side of your favorite salad. I like to pair this soup with a simple cucumber salad.

Soup is always part of our Thanksgiving Dinner routine. We always serve a soup course. And it's something my husband has always insisted on because, after all of the cooking, he wants everybody to have a long family dinner, so multiple courses are a must.

How To Store and Keep This Recipe

If you have leftover soup, don't worry it will still be delicious a day or two after. We typically don't have leftovers after that. Store the pumpkin soup in an airtight container in your refrigerator. It will last up to 3 days.

If You Love This Soup, Try These!

Old-Fashioned Potato Soup - hearty soup topped with bacon and cheese

Creamy Shrimp Chowder - rich and creamy chowder made with tiny shrimp

Rustic Tomato Soup - simple, 4-ingredient tomato soup

Chicken and Potato Soup - rich and creamy chicken soup

Loaded Sweet Potato Soup - 5-ingredient, filling, and flavorful

Did you try our Pumpkin Soup? Please take a moment to rate the recipe below!