This pumpkin soup recipe is creamy and incredibly flavorful from the addition of Chinese five-spice powder and loads of aromatic vegetables and herbs. It works for many diets and is naturally gluten-free. Simple switches create a delicious vegan or paleo pumpkin soup. Warm up and enjoy fall with a wonderfully spiced, rich, and creamy bowl that's ready in about half an hour.
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The Story
Beautiful colors, crisp air, and harvesting of all kinds beg for a pot of pumpkin soup simmering on the stove. And what's great about this fall favorite is it's versatile enough to accommodate almost every diet. Vegan pumpkin soup? Check. Gluten-free? Naturally. Safe for a paleo diet? Yes, indeed.
I developed this particular pumpkin soup recipe while in my second year of culinary school. The ingredient formula is textbook and easily tailored to your taste. And the soup will wow anyone with its perfect measure of warm spices, umami (from the five-spice powder), and silky texture. Best of all, the process is familiar, and it can be ready in about 30 minutes (my favorite part).
The Ingredients
This soup is delicious with both roasted and canned pumpkin. And the seasonings and herbs are entirely flexible. If you don't have Chinese five-spice powder or can't find it, you may already have a few of the five spices in your cabinet. Simply use what you have. And truly, a bit of freshly-grated nutmeg takes any squash dish from boring to can't get enough.
- pancetta, bacon. or plant-based "bacon"
- butter, ghee, or your favorite cooking oil
- aromatic vegetables such as: yellow onion, celery, leeks, garlic, and shallots
- chicken or vegetable stock, low sodium or unsalted recommended
- pumpkin purée, fresh or canned
- Chinese five-spice powder
- apple cider vinegar
- salt
- fresh thyme or parsley
- bay leaves, optional
- freshly-grated or ground nutmeg, optional
- heavy cream or coconut cream, optional
Choosing Canned Pumpkin
For an easy pumpkin soup that you can whip up in less than 30 minutes, canned pumpkin is the ticket. Friendly reminder to look for "100% pumpkin purée" on the label.
For Vegan Soup
Aside from cream or meat-based soups, most are easily made vegan with a few ingredient swaps. For vegan pumpkin soup, use your preferred healthy oil or plant-based butter to sauté the aromatic vegetables. For a silky, creamy finish, whisk or blend in coconut cream at the end of cooking. Coconut and Chinese five-spice powder are an exotic and fun flavor combination!
More Dietary Variations
- Paleo. Depending on how strict of a paleo diet you follow, you can leave the pancetta (or bacon) in, or omit it. Opt for coconut cream at the end, and use ghee for sautéing the aromatic vegetables.
- GAPS Diet. Of course with the GAPS healing diet, you want to use your own homemade bone broth. Choose a gum-free coconut cream or milk, ditch the bacon, and sauté the vegetables in avocado oil or ghee.
Homemade Five-Spice Powder
I love adding five-spice powder to squash dishes of any kind. The blend of spices warms the soul and is perfect for squash season (fall and winter). Like many Eastern Asian recipes, it's a well-balanced combination that makes every last one of your taste buds do a happy dance.
Depending on the brand, the ratios of the spices to each other will differ slightly. But a nice starting point is equal parts fennel seed and star anise. Then half that amount in both cinnamon and either Sichuan or white pepper. Cloves are used sparingly since it's quite a potent spice.
Since fennel seed and star anise are typically sold whole, you will need a spice grinder or small coffee grinder to make it at home.
- 4 whole star anise
- 2 teaspoons of fennel seed
- 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon of Sichuan peppercorns or ½ teaspoon of ground white pepper
- ¼ teaspoon of cloves
- Toast any whole peppercorns and the fennel seed in a sauté pan over medium heat until they're fragrant. This will release their oils and enhance their flavors.
- Grind the toasted fennel seed, whole peppercorns, and star anise into a fine powder. To remove any pieces that didn't grind down, sift the spices or press them through a mesh sieve.
- Combine the ground star anise, fennel, and pepper with the cinnamon and cloves and mix to combine well. For an extra-fine powder, you can grind all the spices together one more time (but it's not necessary).
How to Roast Sugar Pumpkins
For a deliciously fresh, incredibly pure pumpkin soup, pick up a few sugar or pie pumpkins and roast them yourself. Aim to end up with about three cups of puréed pumpkin for this recipe. For safety, roast four or five smaller pumpkins or two four or five-pound ones. Pumpkin purée freezes well if you have leftovers.
- Preheat your oven to 400° F.
- Slice your sugar or pie pumpkins in half with a large, sharp knife. I cut through the pumpkins slightly off-center, just to the side of the stem (so I don't have to deal with it).
- Scrape the stringy flesh in the center out with a large spoon and discard it. You may need to use a bit of force to get every last bit. It can be stubbornly stuck to the good part of the pumpkin meat. You can save the seeds for roasting (a good project for little ones is separating the seeds out).
- Drizzle the inside of the pumpkin halves with olive, avocado, or any high-heat cooking oil. Then season them generously with salt. Place the pumpkin halves cut side down on a baking sheet. I like to line my pans with parchment paper for easy clean-up.
- Roast the pumpkins for 35 to 45 minutes, until the flesh is easily pierced with a fork or butter knife. Depending on the size of your pumpkins, roasting times will vary.
- When the pumpkins are cool enough to handle scrape the cooked flesh out of the skin. Then blend it in a blender or food processor until smooth.
- Chill roasted pumpkin purée for up to a week before using, or freeze it.
The Method
The step of cooking the pancetta in the pot first is popular in restaurants for all the flavor and umami the drippings add to the soup. As a vegan option, you can lightly cook a little plant-based bacon in the pot first. Then add a bit of cooking oil to sauté the vegetables (vegan "bacon" won't render out fat like traditional pork).
For an incredibly creamy soup, blend it after simmering. Immersion blenders get the job done, but an actual blender will get it smoother. Adding heavy cream or coconut cream after blending is deliciously indulgent. But isn't necessary for a smooth, silky soup.
The Steps
I like to chop and prep all of my ingredients for quicker cooking once I start. But you can certainly chop and drop in the pot as you go Rachel Ray-style. Whichever cooking process you prefer, I do recommend having all of your ingredients at arm's reach before you begin.
- Chop your vegetables and pancetta. Dice up the celery and onion into quarter-inch pieces. No need to be perfect, you just want the onion and celery to soften in about the same time frame. Do the same with the bacon or pancetta, cutting it into quarter-inch cubes or lardons (rectangular pieces). Mince fresh garlic by chopping it into small pieces. Then run your knife back and forth over it with small up-and-down motions.
- Crisp the pancetta. In a dutch oven or very large pot, cook the pancetta over medium heat with a little oil to keep it from sticking. Remove it with a slotted spoon, and drain it on a paper towel-lined plate. Save it for garnishing the soup.
- Sauté the vegetables. In the pancetta drippings left in the pot or in a few tablespoons of butter or cooking oil, sauté onions and celery with a tiny pinch of salt over medium-low heat. Cook until they're soft and turning translucent. Add the garlic and cook a minute or two while stirring frequently so the garlic doesn't burn. If the pot gets dry while cooking the vegetables, add more oil or butter.
- Add the stock and pumpkin. Add your stock, pumpkin purée, apple cider vinegar, and another pinch of salt, and whisk well to combine all of the ingredients. Bring the soup to a strong simmer, then turn the heat down to maintain a gentle bubbling.
- Add flavorings and simmer. Add the bay leaves and sprigs of fresh herbs. Simmer the soup covered for a minimum of 20 minutes, or up to an hour.
- Blend and season. Remove the thyme sprigs and the bay leaves. Blend your soup in batches for the smoothest, silkiest texture. Or use an immersion blender right in the pot. Take care to leave plenty of room in the blender if you blend the soup while it's hot.
- Add the spices and cream. Add the Chinese five-spice powder and grated or ground nutmeg. Taste the soup before adding any more salt, then season it to your liking with the salt of your choice. I recommend a flake or sea salt. Whisk in the heavy cream or coconut cream, if you like.
- Garnish and serve. Garnish with the crispy pancetta, chopped fresh herbs, and roasted pumpkin seeds, if you like. Pumpkin soup of all kinds is delicious served with toasted sourdough, a kale salad or panini, or as an appetizer for roasted meats like chicken and pork.
Chef's Tips
- Take it slow with the spices. Five-spice powder can really bring the heat from the peppercorns. So start with a little bit and taste as you go. And be prepared for the soup leftovers to become a little spicier with each day. As an alternative, whisk a smaller amount of the five-spice powder into the individual bowls of soup when you serve it. Or to avoid a spicy soup altogether, replace the five-spice powder with:
- 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon of ground nutmeg
- ⅛ to ¼ teaspoon of ground white pepper
- Salt from the start of cooking. There is a big difference in flavor and nuance when you season with salt from the beginning of cooking. As opposed to just adding salt right at the end. Salt will encourage the ingredients to change chemically, and give off flavors they wouldn't otherwise. It also helps the different ingredients interact with one another. A great soup starts with salt!
- Add leeks. Leeks are my favorite aromatic vegetable for any soup! You can add them to any recipe, or replace the onion for a milder, sweeter undertone. To clean leeks, slice the stalk in half vertically, then slice the halves into thin strips. Soak and agitate the strips in cold water to remove all the dirt. Drain the slices and store the leeks chilled until you cook them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can! I like to cool leftovers to room temperature, seal the soup in an air-tight food storage bag, and lay it flat in the freezer. This makes it space efficient. And it's also really easy to break off frozen chunks for single servings later on. If you plan to freeze your pumpkin soup, save adding the heavy cream or coconut cream until after you thaw it.
Contrary to how it sounds, creamy soups don't need to contain cream! It's about cooking all of the ingredients until they're incredibly soft. And adding a culinary fat that thickens and emulsifies the soup when you blend it.
For an incredibly creamy soup, cook any aromatic vegetables in butter or oil at the beginning of cooking. Then purée the final soup in a blender (in batches if necessary). You can blend it right in the pot with an immersion blender (but it might not get as smooth and creamy).
If you still want a smoother soup, strain it through a fine-mesh sieve. And for the ultimate creamy bowl of soup, go ahead and add a nice dose of heavy cream, coconut cream, or vegan "cream" before serving.
Fun food fact! Like its cousins in the gourd family, pumpkins are technically fruits. Native to North America, the bright orange fall favorites range in size, shade, and flavor. The smaller the pumpkin, the sweeter and more tender the flesh. When choosing pumpkins for cooking or baking, select the least blemished ones that feel heavy for their size.
Edible Epilogue
Sadly, I'm often disappointed by soup when I order it at a restaurant. Which is why I typically enjoy it at home. Because at a restaurant you are at the mercy of the cooks' palates. But at home, you're the boss.
You can season and taste until your taste buds are content. And know when you sit down to eat, your hard-earned bowl of soup will be every bit as satisfying as it should be.
📖 Recipe
Creamy Five-Spice Pumpkin Soup
A delicious, creamy, balanced pumpkin soup perfect for fall, winter, and holiday gatherings! This recipe is easily made vegan, and comes together in about 30 minutes. The five-spice brings the full spectrum of flavors, but go slow, as it is fairly spicy. For a milder soup, simply add the amounts of cinnamon, nutmeg, and white pepper listed in the Notes section.
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 5 to 6 cups 1x
Ingredients
- 4 ounces of pancetta, bacon, or "plant-based" bacon, chopped small
- Unsalted butter, ghee, plant-based "butter", or cooking oil
- 1 small yellow onion, diced small
- 2 stalks of celery, diced small
- 3 cloves garlic, minced (chopped super small, almost to a paste)
- 28 ounces or about 3 cups of pumpkin purée, homemade or canned
- 4 cups or 32 ounces (1 box) of chicken or vegetable stock, low-salt or unsalted recommended
- 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar
- 5 sprigs of fresh thyme or parsley stems
- 2 bay leaves, optional
- ½ to 1 teaspoon of Chinese five-spice powder
- ¼ teaspoon of freshly-grated or ground nutmeg
- 1 to 1½ teaspoons of kosher salt (less if table salt)
- ½ cup of heavy cream or ¼ cup of coconut cream, optional
Instructions
- Dice the celery and onion into quarter-inch pieces. Do the same with the bacon or pancetta, cutting it into quarter-inch cubes or lardons (thick, rectangular pieces). Mince the garlic by chopping it into small pieces. Then run your knife back and forth over it with small up-and-down motions.
- In a dutch oven or very large pot, cook the pancetta (or vegan "bacon") over medium heat with a little olive oil to keep it from sticking. Remove it with a slotted spoon, and drain it on a paper towel-lined plate. Save it for garnishing the soup.
- In the pancetta drippings left in the pot or in a few tablespoons of butter or cooking oil, sauté the onions and celery with a tiny pinch of salt over medium-low heat. Cook until they soften and turn translucent. Add the garlic and cook a minute or two while stirring frequently so the garlic doesn't burn. If the pot gets dry while cooking the vegetables, add a little more oil or butter.
- Add your stock, pumpkin purée, apple cider vinegar, and another small pinch of salt, and whisk or stir well to combine all of the ingredients. Bring the soup to a strong simmer, then turn the heat down to maintain a gentle bubbling.
- Add the bay leaves and sprigs of fresh herbs. You can tie the herbs and bay leaves together with butcher's twine for easy removal. Simmer the soup covered for a minimum of 20 minutes, or up to an hour.
- Remove the thyme sprigs and the bay leaves. Blend your soup for the smoothest, silkiest texture. Or use an immersion blender right in the pot. For incredibly silky soup, strain the blended soup through a fine mesh sieve into a heat-proof bowl or back into the pot.
- Add the Chinese five-spice powder and grated or ground nutmeg. Taste the soup before adding any more salt. Then season it to your liking. I recommend a flake or sea salt.
- Whisk in the heavy cream or coconut cream, if using. Coconut cream tends to be pretty thick. But if you add it when the soup is hot it should thin out easily with a bit of stirring. If you like soup on the thinner side, add a little water or stock, a quarter of a cup at a time until you're happy.
- Garnish with the crispy pancetta or vegan "bacon", chopped fresh herbs, and/or roasted pumpkin seeds.
- Store any leftovers in the refrigerator for up to a week, or freeze them. Soup with hot spices like white pepper or Sichuan peppercorns will become spicier with each day it sits. And more delicious!
Notes
For Vegan Soup
For vegan pumpkin soup, omit the pancetta or cook plant-based "bacon" in the pot first. Then use your preferred healthy oil or plant-based butter to sauté the aromatic vegetables (vegan "bacon" won't render out fat like pork bacon). For a silky, creamy finish, whisk in coconut cream at the end of cooking. Coconut and Chinese five-spice powder are an exotic and fun flavor combination!
Homemade Pumpkin Purée
Preheat your oven to 400° F. Slice three to five pumpkins in half with a large, sharp knife. Scrape out the stringy flesh and seeds. Drizzle the inside of the pumpkin halves with any high-heat cooking oil. Then season them generously with salt. Place the pumpkin halves cut side down on a baking sheet. Roast the pumpkins for 35 to 45 minutes, until the flesh is easily pierced with a fork or butter knife. Depending on the size of your pumpkins, roasting times will vary. When the pumpkins are cool enough to handle, scrape the cooked flesh away from the skin. Then blend it in a blender or food processor until smooth. Chill roasted pumpkin purée for up to a week before using, or freeze it.
On Adding Five-Spice Powder
Take it slow with the spices. Five-spice powder can really bring the heat from all those peppercorns. So start with a little bit and taste as you go. As an alternative, whisk a small pinch of the five-spice powder into the individual bowls of soup when you serve it. Or to avoid a spicy soup altogether, replace the five-spice powder with: 2 teaspoons of cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon of ground nutmeg, and ⅛ to ¼ teaspoon of ground white pepper.
How to Freeze
I like to cool leftovers to room temperature, seal the soup in an air-tight food storage bag, and lay it flat in the freezer. This makes it space efficient, and it's also really easy to break off frozen chunks for single servings later on. If you plan to freeze your pumpkin soup, save adding the heavy cream or coconut cream until after you thaw it.
On Salting Soups
Salt from the start of cooking. There is a big difference in flavor and nuance when you season with salt from the beginning of cooking. As opposed to just adding salt right at the end. Salt will encourage the ingredients to change chemically, and give off flavors they wouldn't otherwise. If you're nervous about oversalting, measure the amount into a small dish, and pinch your salt from there throughout cooking.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Soups
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Cup of Soup
- Calories: 172
- Sugar: 4.5 g
- Sodium: 458.2 mg
- Fat: 11.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 12.5 g
- Protein: 7 g
- Cholesterol: 17.7 mg
Keywords: creamy pumpkin soup, easy pumpkin soup, vegan pumpkin soup, pumpkin soup recipe
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Bob
It's like consuming FALL! Hearty deliciousness...
Thanks,
Bob M.
Christina
Bob, that's a perfect way to describe it. 😅 Thanks for the nice note.
Joan
Ever since I had pumpkin soup in Austria, I wanted to be able to make it myself. This soup is delicious. Thanks Christina.
Christina
Austria sounds incredible, on the bucket list!