This roasted pumpkin soup starts with a fresh sugar pumpkin, roasted until sweet and tender, then blended with butter, roasted garlic and a splash of heavy cream. It’s rich, cozy and lightly spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg, plus, it freezes beautifully!
Why this recipe works
I really, really love soup. I have an entire shelf on my freezer dedicated to different soups! Since there’s a short window of time that you can buy sugar pumpkins, freezing batches of this soup is ideal. I loved the flavor and warmth of this roasted pumpkin soup and am excited to be able to heat it up throughout winter!
When roasting pumpkin, the oven concentrates the pumpkin’s natural sweetness and gives it a deeper, slightly caramelized taste you just don’t get from canned puree. The roasted garlic adds a mellow, savory garlic-ness while the butter and heavy cream make it silky and rich. It’s absolute perfection in a bowl. All the flavors dance together really well, I hope you love it as much as I do!
Ingredients you will need
Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable version at the end of this post.
Ingredient Info and Substitution Suggestions
SUGAR PUMPKIN – Look for sugar pumpkins, sometimes labeled pie pumpkins, not the big carving pumpkins sold for jack-o’-lanterns. Sugar pumpkins are smaller and sweeter, with dense, smooth flesh, while carving pumpkins are watery and stringy. I used one that weighed about 2 1/2 pounds. They’re only in stores for a few weeks in the fall, so grab one when you see them! Save the seeds when you scoop out the pumpkin and turn them into roasted pumpkin seeds for snacking or topping your soup with.
ROASTED GARLIC – I use minced roasted garlic because it tastes sweet and mellow which goes really well with the other flavors in this soup. You can roast a head of garlic yourself or buy jarred roasted garlic. Fresh garlic will also work, but the flavor is stronger so I’d recommend using less.
HEAVY CREAM – Heavy cream gives this soup its silky richness, plus, it holds up without separating. Half-and-half works as well for something a little light, but I would stir it in after simmering so it doesn’t curdle. For a dairy-free version, use full-fat canned coconut milk and swap the butter for olive oil.
MAPLE SYRUP – Use pure maple syrup, not pancake syrup. This helps balance the spices and brings out the natural sweetness in the pumpkin.
VEGETABLE BROTH – I used vegetable broth to keep this soup vegetarian, but chicken broth works too. Low-sodium broth gives you more control over the salt.
NUTMEG AND CINNAMON – These warm spices give the soup its cozy fall flavor. You can swap both for 1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice if that’s what you have on hand.
How to Make Roasted Pumpkin Soup
These step by step photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make this recipe. You can Jump to Recipe to get the printable version of this recipe, complete with measurements and instructions at the bottom.
- Preheat oven to 400 F.
- Cut off top of pumpkin and slice pumpkin into quarters. Remove pulp and discard. Keep seeds for roasting! Place flesh side up on a baking sheet and rub with the olive oil. Roast in preheated oven for 45 minutes.
- Allow to cool enough so you can halve it. Peel skin from the pumpkin, it should slide off easily, then tear or slice it into chunks.
- Melt butter over medium-high heat in a large deep sided skillet or a soup pot. Add roasted garlic and diced onion. Saute for a few minutes, or until soft.
- Add roasted pumpkin chunks and vegetable broth and stir to combine.
- Sprinkle in nutmeg, cinnamon, salt, and pepper.
- Add maple syrup and heavy cream. Stir to combine, then use an immersion blender to combine everything and create a smooth texture.
- Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 10-15 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions & Expert Tips
I wouldn’t recommend it. Carving pumpkins are grown for size, not flavor, so the flesh is watery, stringy and bland. Sugar pumpkins (pie pumpkins) give you a sweeter, creamier soup.
Nope! Roast the quarters with the skin on, let them cool until you can handle them, and the skin will slide right off. It’s much easier than peeling a raw pumpkin.
Yes, use about 2 1/2 cups of canned pumpkin puree, which is roughly one and a half 15 ounce cans. Make sure it’s plain pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling. You’ll lose some of the roasted flavor, so the soup will taste a little milder. If you’d rather let the slow cooker do the work, try my slow cooker pumpkin soup.
No, luckily heavy cream has enough fat that it holds up to a boil without separating. Half-and-half and milk are a different story though, so if you swap in either one, stir it in after the soup has simmered and just heat it through.
Yes, of course. Let the soup cool for a few minutes, fill the blender no more than halfway, remove the center cap from the lid and cover the opening with a folded kitchen towel. Blend in batches so the hot soup doesn’t push the lid off.
For a thinner soup, stir in a splash more broth. For a thicker soup, let it simmer uncovered for a few extra minutes.
Absolutely. Roast and peel the pumpkin, then refrigerate the chunks in an airtight container for up to 3 days. When you’re ready to make the soup, pick up right where you left off.
Pumpkin is naturally rich in vitamin A and fiber, so it’s a nutritious base for soup. This version is made with butter and heavy cream, so it’s richer than a broth-only soup. For a lighter bowl, use half-and-half.
Storage and Freezing Information
To store: Let the soup cool, then transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Reheat it on the stovetop over medium-low heat, stirring often, or in the microwave in short bursts.
To freeze: This is one of my favorite soups to keep in the freezer! Let it cool completely, then ladle it into freezer containers, leaving about 1/2 inch of space at the top for expansion. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat on the stovetop. Cream soups can look a little grainy after freezing, so give it a good whisk or a quick blitz with the immersion blender while it warms and it’ll be smooth again.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this soup hot, ladled into bowls and finished with toasted pepitas, a handful of homemade croutons, chopped parsley, and a swirl of heavy cream. If you roasted the seeds from your pumpkin, sprinkle them on top too.
A thick slice of homemade Italian bread is my go-to for dunking! Pair it with chicken salad with grapes on a croissant. At Thanksgiving, serve it in small cups as a starter before the turkey. For a fall get-together, set it out with pumpkin deviled eggs and finish with pumpkin magic cake for dessert.
More Soup Recipes To Stock Your Freezer
- Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Soup
- Sausage Mushroom and Wild Rice Soup
- Potato Cheese Soup
- Baked Potato Soup
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Roasted Pumpkin Soup
IMPORTANT – There are often Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!
Print It Pin It Rate It Text ItIngredients
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 2 ½ pound sugar pumpkin
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon minced roasted garlic
- ½ cup diced onion
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- ½ cup heavy cream
Optional Garnish
- pepitas
- homemade croutons
- parsley
Things You’ll Need
Before You Begin
- Use a sugar pumpkin (also called a pie pumpkin), not a carving pumpkin. Carving pumpkins are watery and stringy.
- No need to peel the pumpkin before roasting. The skin slides right off once it’s roasted and cool enough to handle.
- Use minced roasted garlic for a mellow, sweet flavor. Jarred roasted garlic works great.
- Heavy cream holds up to the boil. If you swap in half-and-half or milk, stir it in after simmering so it doesn’t curdle.
- Canned pumpkin works in a pinch: use about 2 1/2 cups plain pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 F.
- Cut off top of pumpkin and slice pumpkin into quarters. Remove pulp and discard. Keep seeds for roasting! Place flesh side up on baking sheet and rub with the olive oil. Roast in preheated oven for 45 minutes.2 1/2 pound sugar pumpkin, 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- Allow to cool enough so you can halve it. Peel skin from the pumpkin, it should slide off easily, then tear or slice it into chunks.
- Melt butter over medium-high heat in a large deep sided skillet or a soup pot. Add roasted garlic and diced onion. Saute for a few minutes, or until soft.2 tablespoons butter, 1 tablespoon minced roasted garlic, 1/2 cup diced onion
- Add roasted pumpkin chunks and vegetable broth and stir to combine.3 cups vegetable broth
- Sprinkle in nutmeg, cinnamon, salt, and pepper.1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- Add maple syrup and heavy cream. Stir to combine then use an immersion blender to combine everything and create a smooth texture.2 tablespoons maple syrup, 1/2 cup heavy cream
- Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 10-15 minutes.
Expert Tips & FAQs
- Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Reheat on the stovetop over medium-low, stirring often, or in the microwave in short bursts.
- Freeze in freezer containers with 1/2 inch of headspace for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Whisk or blend briefly while reheating if it looks grainy.
Nutrition
The recipes on this blog are tested with a conventional gas oven and gas stovetop. It’s important to note that some ovens, especially as they age, can cook and bake inconsistently. Using an inexpensive oven thermometer can assure you that your oven is truly heating to the proper temperature. If you use a toaster oven or countertop oven, please keep in mind that they may not distribute heat the same as a conventional full sized oven and you may need to adjust your cooking/baking times. In the case of recipes made with a pressure cooker, air fryer, slow cooker, or other appliance, a link to the appliances we use is listed within each respective recipe. For baking recipes where measurements are given by weight, please note that results may not be the same if cups are used instead, and we can’t guarantee success with that method.
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