This easy pumpkin soup recipe is made from scratch on the stovetop. It has a lovely velvety texture and mellow, sweet Autumnal taste. Healthy pumpkin soup is made without cream, and there's no roasting required. It's a perfect healthy lunch recipe, or seasonal starter for dinner.
Jump to:
What you'll love about the recipe
- Deliciously rich and creamy, even though this healthy pumpkin soup is made without cream!
- Easy to make in one pan on the stovetop
- You'll just need a few simple ingredients
- This healthy pumpkin soup recipe without cream, milk or butter is low calorie, and very low in saturated fat. It's allergy-friendly and dairy-free, gluten-free and vegan
Is pumpkin soup without cream healthy?
Pumpkin is a very nutritious, low calorie ingredient. It is a fantastic source of beta-carotene, an anti-oxidant that your body converts into Vitamin A.
Vitamin A has a number of health benefits, and one of the best known is its link to good eyesight. Pumpkin is also a good source of lutein and zeaxanthin, and in combination with vitamin A, these can lower the risks of cataracts and AMD.
This report talks further about the health benefits of pumpkin which also contains a good range of other vitamins and minerals.
This easy, nutritious pumpkin soup recipe is also high in fibre. Having a high-fibre diet can help to benefit your gut health, lower your blood pressure and keep your blood sugar levels steady. Fibre also helps you to feel fuller for longer.
Ingredients
Pumpkin. If you are buying a pumpkin especially to make soup, a smallish classic round orange pumpkin will be ideal. You can also use butternut squash.
However, if you are looking to use up your Halloween pumpkin flesh, that will also work perfectly well (provided that you don't use the ghoulish pumpkin that has been sat by the front door for days!).
Sometimes when pumpkins are in season, it's possible to buy a half pumpkin, which makes preparation easier.
Potato. The natural starchiness of potato gives this soup a creamy, velvety texture.
Onion adds a savoury, slightly sweet flavour which goes well with pumpkin.
Stock. Use whichever stock you prefer for this recipe. If you don't want your soup to be vegan, you could use chicken stock.
A stock cube will be fine, but the soup will be even more delicious with homemade stock.
If you are using bought stock, you may not need any further seasoning, so make sure you taste as you go.
Nutmeg. A small pinch of ground (or freshly grated) nutmeg will bring out the natural sweetness of the pumpkin.
Easy pumpkin soup step by step
How to prepare a pumpkin
Really large pumpkins can be quite challenging to cut. For this recipe, my smallish pumpkin weighed just over a kilogramme, and it was small enough to easily cut straight through with a large sharp knife.
If you want some advice about how to cut up a pumpkin, this video shows you how
Note: make sure that you save the pumpkin seeds so that you can roast them. They make a delicious easy healthy snack.
Once you've got the pumpkin sliced, trim off the skin and cut into cubes approximately 1.5 cm square.
Heat the olive oil in a large pan over a medium heat and add the onion. Fry for 7-8 minutes until starting to brown slightly.
Add the diced potato and fry for a couple more minutes.
Add the pumpkin, stock, nutmeg and seasoning if required. Bring up to the boil, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes until the vegetables are soft.
Blitz with an immersion blender until smooth. If you prefer, you can transfer the soup to a food processor to blitz it.
Variations
The nutmeg in this recipe brings out the natural sweetness of the pumpkin. You could also try the following options
- Vary the spices by adding a generous pinch of ginger, ground cinnamon and/or cardamom
- If you'd prefer not to use spices, the flavour of fresh chopped thyme goes perfectly with pumpkin
- If you'd like an Asian inspired pumpkin soup, try using a can of coconut milk instead of stock, along with a generous pinch of ground cumin, coriander and ginger
- A sprinkling a freshly grated orange zest adds a delicious tangy sweetness
Serving and storage
Pumpkin soup without cream is delicious and quite filling. But you might like to add a bit of crunch with a garnish of roasted pumpkin seeds.
Nuts such as cashews or walnuts would also go well.
You can add a swirl of yogurt or a drizzle of olive oil. If you want some bread to go with your healthy pumpkin soup, these quick flatbreads are ideal for dipping.
Giant croutons with melted cheese or savoury cheese scones would also be a lovely option:)
Pumpkin soup without cream can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. It also freezes well.
Frequently asked questions
I have tried making this soup with homemade pumpkin puree. It was perfectly edible...but not quite so nice in my opinion. I think the pumpkin benefits in flavour and texture by being cooked in the stock, alongside the other ingredients. But if you want to avoid preparing a whole pumpkin, give it a go. (If you are looking for an easy way to make pumpkin puree at home, put the entire pumpkin in the slow cooker, and cook for a few hours until soft. That way it's so easy to scoop the flesh out with no cutting required!)
Pumpkins with dense flesh make the best soup as their flavour is better. You can also use butternut squash. If you've got a large leftover Halloween pumpkin, you can still use it to make soup, but add a little less stock to the recipe as the pumpkin may be more watery.
The proportions of pumpkin, potato and stock in this recipe will result in a thick, creamy textured soup. If you want to thicken the soup further with cornstarch, stir a tablespoon of cornstarch into cold water before adding it to the recipe. For a thinner soup, add a little more stock.
Other healthy soup recipes
You might also like to try these other Autumn soup recipes:
- Carrot and apple soup
- Tomato and lentil soup
- Butternut squash and lentil soup
- Sweet potato and red lentil soup
And remember to save the pumpkin seeds for roasting!
If you loved this easy, healthy recipe please leave a rating and comment at the bottom of the page. Your email will not be published.
Your feedback and questions are much appreciated.
You can also follow me on Pinterest and Facebook.
Why not subscribe to the newsletter to receive free delicious healthy recipes straight to your inbox?
Recipe
Easy Pumpkin Soup Recipe
Equipment
- immersion blender or food processor
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion peeled and chopped
- 200 g potato washed and cut into 1cm cubes
- 1-1.2 kg whole pumpkin, or 700 g prepared weight
- 600 ml veg or chicken stock
- grating of nutmeg or use ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- salt and pepper to taste see notes above
Instructions
- Peel and chop the pumpkin into 1.5 cm chunks (see video link in the notes above for guidance if required). Peel and chop the onion, and wash and cut the potato into 1cm cubes.
- Heat the oil in a pan over a medium heat, and fry the onion for 7-8 minutes. Add the potato and stir over the heat for a couple of minutes.
- Add the pumpkin, stock, nutmeg and seasoning. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes until the vegetables are soft.
- Remove from the heat, and blitz until smooth. I use a hand blender, but you could use a food processor if you prefer. Adjust the seasoning if necessary.
Notes
- Vary the spices to suit. Why not try a generous pinch of ginger, ground cinnamon and/or cardamom?
- If you'd like an Asian inspired pumpkin soup, try using a can of coconut milk instead of stock, along with a generous pinch of ground cumin, coriander and ginger.
Nutrition
Please note nutritional information is per serving and is provided for guidance only.
Becca says
Good flavour and lovely smooth texture. I'll be making this again!