Creamy Pumpkin Soup Recipe for Fall
This is the best creamy pumpkin soup you’ll ever make, and I’ve been making it for over 30 years! Even if you use butternut squash or another variety, I think it’s still fair to call it pumpkin soup — that’s what the French chef who first made it for me called it. I asked him for the recipe, and he hand-wrote it out for me on the spot. I’ve been making it every fall since.
It’s the perfect start to any fall menu and even Thanksgiving. It can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about five days, making dinner prep super easy!
The restaurant no longer exists, but it was in Scottsdale, Arizona. The velvety, creamy pumpkin soup with a little bite to it was the best thing I had ever tasted. I was visiting my sister, and I insisted we go again the next day! It was that good! And I was determined to get the recipe.
I am going to give you the recipe exactly as it was given to me by the chef. Of course, you could quite easily make a few adjustments to the ingredients and make a vegan pumpkin soup if you wanted to.
Squash or pumpkin?
The recipe calls for any hard yellow squash. You can use acorn, banana, butternut or you could use sugar pumpkins. They are the small, smooth-skinned pumpkins
This velvety smooth soup has so much depth in flavor. You can adjust the chili powder and cayenne if you find it a little too spicy, but we make it this way every time, and it’s always a hit!
Watch me make it!
So what’s in Pumpkin Soup
Onions – Three kinds! Yellow onion, shallots, and green onions
Butter – Yes, butter, perhaps that’s why it’s so good! You could substitute olive oil for the butter if you prefer.
Herbs and Spices – Chili powder, cumin, oregano, cayenne, and fresh cilantro
Stock/Broth/Water – The original recipe calls for chicken broth, but you could substitute for vegetable broth.
Winter Squash – Butternut is the easiest and can be purchased already peeled and cubed which saves time, but any hard yellow squash or sugar pumpkins will work!
Whole Milk, Half and Half or Heavy Cream – A swirl of cream just as you are about to serve makes it even richer, but it’s completely optional.
The best tools for pureeing soup
There are a few tools you can use to get the consistency of a velvety, smooth soup in every bite.
- A Food Processor – Any size, you can always do it in batches.
- An Immersion Blender – This works great, but you’ll need to check for chunks! One big chunk always seems to make it into my perfectly smooth pumpkin soup!
- A high-speed blender like a Vitamix or a Ninja Blender for smoothies works great too.
Creamy Pumpkin Soup
This is the perfect fall soup, and it can be made up to five days ahead, making it the perfect weeknight meal or a first course for a dinner party!
- Prep Time: 30 Minutes
- Cook Time: 60 Minutes
- Total Time: 90 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
- Category: soup
- Cuisine: Southwestern
Ingredients
- 2 ounces butter
- One small onion, chopped
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1/2 bunch green onions, chopped using white and most of the green
- 3 shallots, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 pound acorn, banana, butternut, or any hard yellow squash or sugar pumpkins, chopped and roasted with olive oil, salt, and pepper for 30 minutes in a 375º oven.
- 4 cups chicken broth (hot)
- 1/2 bunch cilantro
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, add the cubed squash coated in olive oil, add salt and pepper to taste, and bake for 30 minutes in a preheated oven set to 375 degrees.
- In a large Dutch oven on medium heat, melt the butter and sauté the onions, green onions, shallots, and all the spices except the cilantro. Stir until the onions become translucent, then add the garlic.
- Add the flour and stir, making sure it does not scorch.
- Add the hot chicken broth and roasted squash.
- Add cilantro and tomato paste.
- Simmer on low heat, not a boil, for about 20 minutes.
- Let cool slightly, then puree in a blender, food processor, or with an immersion blender until velvety smooth.
- Pour back into the pot and reheat before serving.
- Ladle into bowls and add a swirl of heavy cream.
Notes
This soup should be served with bread, you’re going to want to dip and get every last bite!
Roasting the squash is optional, but I think it adds extra depth to the flavors with a little caramelization in the roasting. If you’re in a hurry, just add it to the pot after adding the chicken broth, and make sure it’s fork-tender before blending it.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator, reheat the next day, and enjoy it again.
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What a cool idea!
It looks super thick. But I would definitely eat this. Did it ever occur to you that if you are pureeing it all, the detailed chopping really isn’t necessary? I don’t mind chopping but I think I would take a short cut here and maybe do some chunking instead.
Roberta! You are so right! I’ll be chunking from now on! thanks!
Dear Annie,
We recently moved to Mercer Island to a 1,000 square foot retirement apartment. I can hardly wait to fill our small kitchen with the aroma of your pumpkin soup on Thanksgiving morning. Thank you for sharing it along with simple table setting ideas.
You home has been an inspiration as we’ve refurbished our unit at “Covenant Living at the Shores”. We’re especially pleased with our banquette and look forward to hanging our art above it
Warmly,
Diney now on Mercer Island
The handwritten recipe from the French chef is such a lovely detail, and I appreciate the note that butternut squash works just as well. Making it ahead for Thanksgiving makes this creamy soup especially practical for a busy fall menu.
The handwritten recipe from the French chef makes this soup feel especially meaningful, and I love that it works just as well with butternut squash. Making it ahead for Thanksgiving is such a practical fall menu tip.
The handwritten recipe from the French chef makes this soup feel especially meaningful, and I love that you’ve kept making it every fall for 30 years. The make-ahead option sounds perfect for Thanksgiving planning.
The hand-written recipe from the French chef makes this soup feel especially memorable. I love that you can use butternut squash and still keep the same creamy, comforting fall character.
Yes, butternut squash works beautifully! I think you’ll love it, if you decide to give it a try!