Pumpkin Soup
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Flavored with leeks, maple syrup and spices, this pumpkin soup is the ultimate fall comfort food.
Photo by Johnny Miller, Clarkson Potter 2021
When we think of pumpkin, we usually think of autumn sweets, like pumpkin pie and pumpkin bread, but pumpkin’s earthy flavor is wonderful in savory dishes, too. This velvety soup is flavored with leeks, apples, and maple syrup, so it has those sweet undertones that work so well in squash soups, but smoky cumin and spicy cayenne pepper balance out the flavor. If it sounds like an unusual combination, have faith—one reader wrote to me that it was one of the best soups she’s made in 53 years of marriage! I know canned pumpkin feels like cheating, but it’s a great shortcut; if you’d like to roast and purée fresh pumpkin, you’ll need 1¾ cups.
What you’ll need to make pumpkin soup
How to make pumpkin soup
Before starting, it’s important to wash the leeks well — they are notoriously dirty. To clean them, cut off the dark green portions and slice the leeks in half lengthwise. Run under water, pulling the layers apart to wash off any dirt, sand, and grit stuck between the layers.
Thinly slice the leeks.
Melt the butter in a soup pot, then add the leeks.
Cook until the leeks are softened, about 10 minutes.
Add the pumpkin purée, apples, herbs, salt, and spices.
As well as the chicken broth, then bring to a boil.
Simmer for about 20 minutes.
Add the cream and, using a stick blender (or regular blender), purée until smooth.
Ladle the pumpkin soup into bowls and top with a swirl of cream and more thyme.
Photo by Johnny Miller, Clarkson Potter 2021
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Pumpkin Soup
Flavored with leeks, maple syrup and spices, this pumpkin soup is the ultimate fall comfort food.
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2.5 pounds leeks, white and light green parts only, washed well and thinly sliced (about 6 cups)
- 4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 1 (15-oz) can pumpkin purée
- 1 apple, peeled, cored, and roughly chopped
- 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 5 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ⅛ - ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, to taste
- 1½ teaspoons chopped fresh thyme, plus more for garnish
- 1½ teaspoons chopped fresh sage
- ¼ cup heavy cream, plus more for garnish
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a medium soup pot over medium heat. Add the leeks and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes.
- Add the pumpkin, apple, broth, maple syrup, salt, cumin, cayenne pepper, thyme and sage. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes more.
- Add the heavy cream. Use a stick blender to purée the soup until completely smooth. (Alternatively, cool the soup slightly and use a blender to purée in batches. Be sure to remove the center knob on the blender and cover with a dishtowel to avoid splatters.) Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with a swirl of cream (see note below) and fresh thyme leaves, if desired.
- Note: To add a swirl of cream that floats on top of the soup, whip a few tablespoons of cream with a whisk until ever so slightly thickened. Then use a teaspoon to drizzle and swirl the cream over the soup.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The soup can be frozen, without the cream, for up to 3 months. Defrost the soup in the refrigerator for 12 hours and then reheat it on the stovetop over medium heat until hot. Once heated through, add the cream and bring to a simmer before serving.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (6 servings)
- Serving size: about 1 1/2 cups each
- Calories: 331
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated fat: 7 g
- Carbohydrates: 53 g
- Sugar: 24 g
- Fiber: 6 g
- Protein: 9 g
- Sodium: 702 mg
- Cholesterol: 27 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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Comments
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This pumpkin soup is FABULOUS. The flavors are amazing. The soup is so easy to prepare. Have tried others and they don’t compare. Thank you. 🥰
This was surprisingly delicious. All the flavors were beautiful together. May show up on my Thanksgiving table.
I used your recipe, with a couple of substitutions (cubed squash instead of pumpkin purée and one large onion instead of the couple of leeks I was missing, as I only had three big ones). Also I reduced the amount of bouillon to about 4 cups, and only use 2 tbsp of maple syrup, as I wanted a relatively thick soup, and not too sweet. I omitted the cream, as I didn’t have any around. It still turned out delicious. I love how I now feel comfortable using your recipes as a basic canvass, improvising based on what I have handy or my personal taste. (I tend to use less salt and less sugar.) You are a great inspiration. Thanks!
Don’t call this pumpkin soup. There was absolutely no evidence of any pumpkin in whatsoever. Call it spicy apple soup because that’s what it tasted like. What a disappointment for someone wanting pumpkin soup.
Very tasty! I subbed olive oil and coconut cream to make dairy free, and I omitted the maple syrup because I didn’t want a sweet soup. I also subbed a yellow onion since I didn’t have leeks. Just what I was craving on this lovely fall day!
Very, very nice.
A friend sent me this recipe after I tried it for our book club meeting and WOW! I attempted to make it for myself for the first time yesterday and I was blown away by the amazing flavors. I eat dairy free so I substituted the butter for coconut oil and the cream for coconut milk ♥️
How can I substitute butter? Can I use olive oil or veggie oil?
Hi Nikki, You can use olive oil in place of the butter. Enjoy!
Delicious! Unfortunately did not have leeks so used scallions and small sweet onion…this recipe was delicious! So next day made using leeks – delicious! Not sure which prefer but certainly will make again. Thank you for yet another great recipe
Hello Jennifer,
Thank you, thank you for this awesome recipe. Served this evening to the family and all loved it.
Thank you for this recipe and look foreward to make more of your recipes.
ym
How can I substitute can of pumpkin puree with fresh pumpkin? How much of fresh pumpkin and any spices to be added??
Hi Yoko, You’ll need about 2 – 3/4 cups of pumpkin puree and you don’t need to add any spices (what you get in the can is pure pumpkin). Hope you enjoy the soup!
This was just “okay”. I followed the directions to the letter and was a little underwhelmed by the overall flavor. Considering how much work it was preparing the leeks, I’ll look for another pumpkin soup recipe. First soup recipe of Jenn’s that hasn’t appealed to me, but I’ve loved the others I’ve made.
Superb savory pumpkin soup. This will be something I look forward to every Fall. I used three leeks and regular chicken broth, because that is all I had and omitted the salt. Very easy to prepare. Thank you for this wonderful recipe.
I love ALL your recipes! This one I’m trying out this weekend and for me 3rd time making the Thai chicken soup as well for a large gathering. Going to double the recipes and put in crockpot for easy access for guests.
Two questions
Wondering if you have a suggestion for one bread that might work for both soups and 30 people, haha!
What should I store the noodles in for the Thai chicken soup to stay at its best?
Hi Kandace, So glad you like the recipes! Regarding bread to serve along with the soups, you could go with the naan recipe although you’d need to make significantly more as the recipe serves only six. While it’s not ethnic, you could go with the crusty artisan bread And bake all three loaves. Lastly, you could go with the cornbread just because it’s easy! For storing the noodles, I’d put them in an airtight container and refrigerate. You may want to toss them with the tiniest bit of oil to help keep them from clumping together too much. Hope that helps and that everyone enjoys!
Just delicious. Seems to get better each day and so glad I can freeze. Thanks for another great recipe.
Made this for a girls night with Popovers and the Maple Butter – super quick and easy and a huge hit!
If I wanted to make a vegetarian version, should I make a vegetarian stock or would using water be okay? There are so many great flavours that I wondered if they would carry the day, so to speak. Thank you and happy Canadian Thanksgiving.
Hi Stella, I would use vegetable broth or stock – store-bought or homemade would both work. Enjoy!
Just made this soup. Absolutely fantastic. I have My own recipe for pumpkin soup, but I love this one equally. For those wondering about the maple syrup. You can BARELY taste it but The sweetness is a good balance. The apple choice isn’t a deal breaker. Use what you have, it
All just gets incorporated anyway. The leeks are the star and a little cream is a Good thing . Made with maple corn bread. Fantastic dinner. I’m sticking with your recipes, They all look great. ♥️♥️
I made this for girls night and it was a huge hit. Everyone surprised how delicious Pumpkin Soup can be. Just the right amount of spice followed by the hint of maple syrup, delicious! They were immediately asking for the recipe. Thank you again Jenn!
I am so grateful for this web-site! I just made the pumpkin soup and had it with home made baguettes. it was a big hit with my son and his girlfriend….great recipe
We have now made this soup three times and it just gets better every time. My husband, who is a picky eater and really does not like pumpkin, loved this soup. This will now be our staple for winter soups. We are a dairy free household and didn’t add cream – the soup was amazing and didn’t miss anything. As all recipes that we cook from you Jennifer, it is super delicious. Thank you!
I’m in my happy place when I sit down to a bowl of this soup! One of my favorite fall recipes. My husband requests it, my kids love it. It’s a perfect pot luck for a Halloween party, Christmas gathering, or a delicious main course for a cold winter day. Thanks Jenn!
We just made this soup and it is super delicious! We are dairy free so we skipped the cream and it is not missing anything. We also added pumpkin seeds as garnish. This will now be our favourite soup! Thank you Jen!
Beautiful blend of flavours. Spicier than I anticipated.
I just finished making the pumpkin soup and it is so very delicious! I did not have enough leeks so I used some green onions as well. I made a full recipe and will have to freeze it in portions, when I can stop tasting it. This is my first time making pumpkin soup and it was so very easy I was surprised! Thank you!!
I made this soup for Thanksgiving.
Everyone raved about it’s deliciousness!!! I followed recipe precisely, but used only 3 TBLSP of maple syrup instead of 5.
Recipe was easy to follow. This one is a keeper!
Thank you Jenn!
Hi Jenn!
I LOVE all your recipes!
My daughter has requested pumpkin soup this Thanksgiving.
This one looks really good and easy.
My only question is the maple syrup? If I don’t want too sweet should I leave out or use less?
Look forward to hearing back from you.
Hi Annette, I think a little sweetness is nice here, but you can leave it out and just add it at the end to taste. Hope you enjoy!
Thank you !!!
Hi Jenn!
I’m so excited to have a friend introduce me to your recipes !
I’m going to make your pumpkin soup for Thanksgiving. The recipe looks so easy and reviews are raving!! My question is:
Does the maple syrup make the soup really sweet? That’s the only part I’m a little nervous about.
Look forward to hearing back from you.
Glad you’ve learned about the blog! I think the maple syrup balances well with the other flavors of the soup, but if you’re concerned about it being too sweet, feel free to cut the syrup in half. Please LMK how it turns out if you try it!
Made this soup today and Loved it! I used freshly roasted pumpkin. didn’t have maple syrup, so I added 1 Tbsp of brown sugar. I didn’t have heavy cream, but sour cream was an excellent replacement. Fresh thyme is just a perfect accent. Thank you!
I made this with gala apple and it turned out great! It was nicely balanced and the texture was velvety.
What type of apple?
Hi Kimberly, My favorites for this are Honey Crisp, Jonagold, or Fuji apples. Hope that helps!
Hi Jenn, It’s me again! This looks amazing! I can never understand people who completely change the recipe and then review THEIR version. Nevermind……My question is what kind of apple do you use? Some said Honeycrisp was too sweet. Thanks and love your blog, always!
Hi Tory, I generally use Honey Crisp, Jonagold, or Fuji apples. If you prefer something less sweet, you could try Granny Smith here. Hope that helps (and glad you like the blog)!
To freeze ‘without the cream’ do you mean any cream or just the cream garnish? Thanks!
That refers to all the cream. Hope that clarifies!
Fall is in the air! Delicious, I would find a way to reduce the sodium, I added A dash of nutmeg!!
Simply amazing recipe, thank you!
Hi, how do you puree fresh pumpkin? thanks!
Hi Elly, You need to roast it first. After roasting, make sure you drain any liquid and then puree it. Hope you enjoy the soup!
Hi Jenn, I have made this soup several times and it is wonderful! I would like to make it again today but do not have leeks (and cannot run to the store presently) can I use yellow onions? If so, what would be the equivalent? Thank you! Our adult sons are home from college and they ask what Once Upon a Chef deliciousness am I going to whip up today with the limited ingredients I have since we cannot go out. 🙂
So glad you and your family like the recipes! Yes, yellow onions will make the soup taste a bit different but will work here. I probably use one whole onion. Hope everyone enjoys!
Simply Fantastic! Used a bit of Chipolte Chili Pepper since was in my spice cabinet and it came out with a wonderful spicy flavor. Shared with friends who raved about the soup. Love it!
I noticed the recipe change too – perhaps give the option as I loved the original with the chili spice.
Hi Teresa, I actually just changed the title but not the recipe — it never contained chili powder (but feel free to add a pinch if you’d like). 🙂
Amazingly flavorful and delicious soup! My husband went wild for this! I noticed you changed the name of the soup from Spicy Pumpkin Leek Soup when I first printed it a few months ago, to just ‘Pumpkin Soup.’ It is not really ‘spicy’ but is nicely spiced! Thank you for another wonderful recipe—I have enjoyed so many great recipes from your site. It is the first place I look for a recipe now.
💗
My bookclub had an end of the year walking progressive dinner, and I brought this soup for our second of four stops. It was perfect, delicious, warm, and savory after our brisk walk, (well, brisk by California standards, about 60 degrees) and you now have over a dozen new fans. Thank you for all your wonderful recipes, they always work.
Glad the soup was a hit (and thanks for spreading the word about the blog)! 🙂
Just wondered how much thyme and sage to use if you use dried rather than fresh. Thank you so much for your site.
Hi Donna, You’d need 1/2 teaspoon for each. Hope that helps! 🙂
Bravo! This soup is so amazing! What a great taste of fall. I actually roasted fresh pumpkin because I had one left that I didn’t get a chance to carve for Halloween. I added this to the soup instead of the canned pumpkin. This recipe has such great depth of flavor and is just excellent on so many levels. Thank you so much!
I have been searching for a savory pumpkin soup and this one is excellent. Due to dietary restrictions, I substituted the butter for oil and omitted the cream, to make it non-dairy. My pumpkin was home-prepared and was more watery than usual, to resolve this issue, I added 1/3 cup red lentils which worked very well.
Thank you for creating wonderful recipes and for suggesting tweaks for those of us with dietary restrictions.
Is there an alternative for leeks?
Hi Lori, I’ve only used leeks in this soup, but yellow onion should work also. Enjoy!
This is one of the best soups I have ever made in the 53 wonderful years of our marriage!
I couldn’t quite picture the combination of these ingredients but, after blending them, I had to taste and it was over the top. Thank you, Jen.
If I were to use pumpkin to make my own puree, would I need the same weight in chopped fresh pumpkin?
You’ll need 15 oz/425 grams of pureed pumpkin. Hope that helps and that you enjoy!
Such an amazing recipe – followed the recipe to a T!
Hello from Toronto, Canada Jenn!
I just made this soup last night, as I bought 3 different types of squash this week, tis the squash season! I opted to sub the butternut squash for the pumpkin. I roasted it first – it was just over 2 lbs, so it did come out to more than 1 & 3/4 cups, more like just over 2 cups. Leeks here are usually sold in bunches of 3, and after I thinly sliced all the white plus lighter green parts, I had WAY more than 6 cups! But I added it all anyways, as what harm would extra leek flavour do? I tell you, absolutely AMAZING flavours, combined with the huge Honey Crisp apple I added. I only had dry thyme and sage, so used 1/2 tsp of each plus the cumin. I added a full 1/8th tsp of cayenne and the heat turned out just right: not too much but enough to pleasantly notice it. I whipped it up so well with my immersion blender that it did not need any cream. So tasty and so healthy! (I could not stop ‘sampling’ it last night!) Thanks again for another great soup recipe. I have now tried 3 of them from your site!
Best,
Janet
p.s: what do I do with the dark green parts of the leeks? anything?
So glad you enjoyed this! I usually discard the dark green part of leeks, but they’d be a great ingredient for making vegetable stock. 🙂
This was just delicious! I expected it to be good, but this went well beyond expectation. Thanks!
Outstanding! Not only for me, the best pumpkin soup ever!
There is absolutely no need to change anything…. the taste is unbeatable…
Thanks for sharing your wonderful recipes with us!
Glad you enjoyed it!
I have made this twice in two weeks and love it! It’s wonderful as is, and, for some extra garnish, I’ve also eaten it with some goat cheese and salted, roasted pumpkin seeds (and some chicken if I’m really wanting some extra protein). The creamy, tart goat cheese goes wonderfully with this.
Wow …. this is soooo good and very easy. Great flavor punch and makes you feel warm and fuzzy!! I love Jenn’s recipes!