This Easy Savory Pumpkin Soup recipe with canned pumpkin puree and without cream is delicious, creamy and one of the easiest soups ever! This easy recipe makes the perfect soup for Thanksgiving dinner.
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I made the most delicious pumpkin soup with canned pumpkin for the very first time a few years ago. In fact, when I told my family that I wanted to make pumpkin soup, they weren't impressed -- at all. They love sweet pumpkin recipes, like pumpkin muffins, pumpkin cookies and pumpkin pie, but they thought that soup was a little much.
This super easy recipe for pumpkin soup without cream, using canned pumpkin puree is light, bright and full of pure pumpkin flavor. It's not sweet at all, and there is no pumpkin spice!
I make my own homemade pumpkin soup every fall, and my family thinks it's the best pumpkin soup recipe ever! Serve it with crusty bread for a light meal or as part of your Thanksgiving dinner!
Ingredients
You only need a few basic ingredients for this easy pumpkin soup recipe. They should be easy to find in a grocery store or online.
- Canned pumpkin puree -- Make sure you get a can of pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling for this savory soup! We use Libby's canned pumpkin or Sprout's canned pumpkin
- Chicken broth -- or vegetable broth for vegan pumpkin soup
- Onion -- yellow or white onion
- Butter -- or olive oil for dairy free/ vegan option
- Seasonings -- sea salt, ground black pepper and dried sage
- Lemon juice -- brightens the soup and enhances the pumpkin flavor
- Fresh parsley
The parsley is optional, but it just gives the soup another layer of flavor.
The lemon juice is what really makes this easy pumpkin soup taste so good. So whatever you do, for best flavor, don't skip it!
How to Make Pumpkin Soup with Canned Pumpkin
This easy savory pumpkin soup starts out with sautéed onions, butter, canned pumpkin and chicken stock. It gets a little more flavor from a few spices and a little burst of freshness from lemon juice and fresh parsley.
First, melt butter in a large pot or Dutch oven. Then add the onions and cook until soft.
Add the can of pumpkin and the spices. Stir, and cook over low heat until the pumpkin is warm.
This simple step will release fabulous flavor from the spices and the pumpkin.
Cook Time
Pour in the chicken broth and lemon juice, and stir. Then, cover and let the soup simmer over medium heat until it's nice and hot.
The soup takes about 5 minutes to cook until it's heated through.
How to Blend Soup without a Blender
I use an immersion blender to puree the soup before serving, and it's probably my favorite part of the whole process. This is how you make creamy pumpkin soup without cream!
Be sure to turn off the stove, blend the soup in short bursts and keep the bottom of the blender at the bottom of the pot. It takes about 2 minutes for the soup to thicken and get creamy.
If you don't have an immersion blender or stick blender, you can transfer soup to a regular blender and puree soup in small batches. It's not a required step but it does make the pumpkin soup a lot smoother and creamier, too.
How to Store
Store leftover soup in the refrigerator in an airtight container. It keeps fresh for 3-4 days.
You can freeze pumpkin soup in a zip top freezer bag or freezer safe container for up to 3 months for best taste.
Because there is no heavy cream in this creamy pumpkin soup, it freezes and reheats well without separating.
Variations
You can serve this easy savory pumpkin soup as is or add some Parmesan cheese or a little bit of cream at the end if you want. Top with pumpkin seeds for the perfect finishing touch!
Add a can of drained and rinsed white beans for added protein, thicker soup and extra creaminess.
Sage substitute -- Use marjoram, thyme or poultry seasoning in place of sage. Either way, it's just a wonderfully delicious fall soup. Think comfort food!
Use homemade pumpkin puree from sugar pumpkins or pie pumpkin in place of the can. You'll need about 2 cups of fresh pumpkin puree.
You can also make pumpkin soup in the Instant Pot.
Recipe
Easy Savory Pumpkin Soup
Ingredients
- ¼ cup finely chopped white onion
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 15-oz can pureed pumpkin not pumpkin pie filling!
- 1 32-oz box low sodium chicken stock
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon dried sage
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- chopped parsley optional
Instructions
- In a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, saute onions in butter on medium heat until soft and translucent
- Stir in the pumpkin, sea salt, ground black pepper and dried sage and cook until warm
- Add the chicken broth and lemon juice, stir, cover, and cook on medium heat until hot and heated through
- Turn heat to low, or turn heat off and remove pot, and use immersion blender to puree soup until smooth
- Garnish with fresh parsley before serving
Notes
Nutrition information is estimated. Please do your own calculation to fit special diets.
Nutrition
I hope you like this libby's canned pumpkin soup recipe as much as we do. If you do try this recipe, please leave a star rating and comment.
For more pumpkin recipes, try my roasted pumpkin seeds or pumpkin pie dip or check out my fall recipes archive.
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This delicious soup recipe was first published in 2016 and updated in 2022
Pam says
Add a can of white beans before you blend it. Makes it nice and thick and adds some protein. An old weight watchers recipe.
Dee says
That sounds good -- Thanks for sharing this!
Shirley Wood says
I like quick easy and yummy recipes like this. I've never made any kind of pumpkin soup. We need to give it a try especially since it's a 30 minute meal! Looks yummy!
Katie @ Creatively Living says
Yumm! Pinned to my healthy eating board! Thanks for linking up at Monday Funday!
Dee says
Thanks, Katie! I hope you get a chance to try it. 🙂
Cathy Trochelman says
I love the sound of this...especially with the sage!
Michelle | A Latte Food says
It took me a while to come around to savory pumpkin dishes, but I love them now! This soup sounds incredible!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I love pumpkin soup and this version sounds delicious!
Dee says
Thanks, Kimberly! It's so simple, but we love it! 🙂
SG says
Add some heavy cream when serving!! So so yummy!
Anna @ Crunchy Creamy Sweet says
This sounds like a must-try recipe for this fall! Loving this soup idea!
Dee says
Thanks, Anna. My family really enjoyed it!
Heather | All Roads Lead to the Kitchen says
Mmmm, I love pumpkin soup. - that's totally the way to wing it! Now I'm in the mood to make a batch this weekend.
Dee says
I love having soup on the weekends -- comfort food! 🙂
Des @ Life's Ambrosia says
I LOVE savory pumpkin recipes. They don't get as much love as they should!
Dee says
I'm with you on that because it really is a different taste. 🙂
Amy @ Little Dairy on the Prairie says
I never think to use pumpkin in savory recipes...this soup make me want to start! Perfect for chilly evenings!
Dee says
It's a nice change from the usual swee pumpkin recipes! 🙂