This hearty pumpkin soup uses canned pumpkin as a shortcut and is thickened with lentils to make it heartier. Top with sour cream and crunchy croutons!
Want to make pumpkin soup but don’t want to roast a whole pumpkin? This is the recipe for you! Of course, Alex and I don’t mind roasting a whole pumpkin. But we turned this recipe into an easy weekday soup recipe that you don’t have to worry about slow cooking for an hour. No, all you need is a can of pumpkin puree! It also contains another secret ingredient that makes it heartier than regular cream soup (see below). Top sour cream swirls and crunchy homemade croutons, well: it’s a cozy masterpiece. Read on for one of our favorite pumpkin recipes to date.
The tricks of this pumpkin soup
Growing up I was actually a bit freaked out about eating pumpkins and squashes. A year ago my mom made a Halloween dinner recipe called Dinner in a Pumpkin. Imagine a hollowed-out pumpkin with some kind of pan inside (yes, that was the 1980s!). Looking back I can see that it was creative and festive, but when I was a kid I couldn’t even imagine eating something out of a real pumpkin!
Now this pumpkin soup is the absolute Opposite Effort to serve dinner in a pumpkin. Because Alex and I wanted to make pumpkin soup for weeknights, this one uses a can of pumpkin puree! No need to scoop out or roast pumpkins, folks! This one is quick and easy. Here are some tips for making this hearty and healthy pumpkin soup:
- It’s salty, not sweet! There are no sweet notes in this pumpkin soup, everything is hearty and delicious! If you like it sweeter, you can definitely add a dash of maple syrup.
- Canned pumpkin puree makes it easy. With this one, you don’t have to roast for hours. Red lentils add creaminess and protein! Instead of using lots of dairy to make this soup creamy, it has a secret: lentils! The red lentils thicken the soup and add plant-based protein, making it heartier than a typical creamy pumpkin soup.
- The filling is essential: sour cream or coconut milk required. If you’re prepping a little dairy, adding a swirl of sour cream in this pumpkin soup is perfect! It adds just the right amount of flavor (and reminds you of a baked potato!). Then add the crunch factor: croutons and pumpkin seeds are delicious!
Make homemade croutons
Something else about these croutons! Alex and I love to make homemade croutons for salads and soups. It’s really easy, there’s really no need to buy croutons at the store anymore! For this soup, we made an Everything Bagel version of our croutons by topping them with our Everything Bagel Seasoning before baking. So that’s another option! Here are the main steps to making homemade croutons (or go to our recipe for homemade croutons):
- Cut the bread into cubes.
- In a bowl, mix it with some olive oil and kosher salt (about ½ tablespoon olive oil for 1 cup cube).
- Spread the cubes out on a baking sheet and bake at 300 degrees Fahrenheit until golden and crispy, about 15 to 20 minutes.
How to serve pumpkin soup
Because this healthy pumpkin soup is more filling than most, you can easily add a few side dishes to make it a meal! (We used a similar concept with our Curried Butternut Squash Soup.) This would be a great first course or side dish at a fall dinner like Thanksgiving. Or serve it as an entree with protein-rich side dishes to make it an entree.
Here are some great sides to serve with pumpkin soup:
- Tartine spread with goat cheese.
- Homemade crackers and slices of smoked Gouda cheese for lunch.
- Grilled Cheese! Try a fall version like Apple Sage Grilled Cheese.
- A sophisticated quesadilla, like the Brie and Mushroom Quesadilla.
- With a fall salad, like a beet salad with balsamic vinaigrette or a fall salad.
- With a savory grain, like mushroom farro.
- With homemade puff pastry and warm honey.
- About pita pizzas: try our cheese pita pizza.
This easy pumpkin soup recipe is…
Vegetarian and gluten free. For vegans, plant-based and dairy-free, use vegan sour cream.
The description
This easy pumpkin soup uses canned pumpkin as a shortcut and is thickened with lentils to make it heartier. Top with sour cream and crunchy croutons!
- 1 medium yellow onion
- 4 Garlic cloves
- 1 15 ounces pumpkin puree
- 1 pint vegetable soup
- ¾ cup Red lenses
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried ground ginger
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
- Ground fresh pepper
- ¼ cup Sour cream, plus more for serving (substitute vegan sour cream or coconut milk for vegans)
- Homemade croutons* for serving
- Roasted spicy pepitas for serving
- Chop the onion. Chop the garlic.
- Heat a dry stockpot (no oil!) over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until lightly browned and translucent, 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more.
- Add the pumpkin, broth, lentils, cumin, oregano, ginger, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 15 minutes until lentils are tender.
- Place the soup in a blender and blend with the sour cream until smooth. Taste and add extra salt if needed (we added about ⅛ extra teaspoon) – remember to chill it as very hot can dull the flavor.
- Pour the soup into bowls and garnish with homemade croutons, pumpkin seeds and sour cream.
Remarks
*We made this recipe and then sprinkled about 2 tablespoons of bagel seasoning on top before toasting. Much of the spice fell off but the crispy bits and fallen portions were perfect as an extra topping!
- Category: Soup
- Method: Cook
- Kitchen: fall
Keywords: Pumpkin Soup, easy pumpkin soup recipe
After pumpkin recipes?
I have to make the whole pumpkin while you can! Here are some of our favorite pumpkin recipes that we recommend:
