Creamy Pumpkin Soup: The Vegan Fall Recipe You Need

"Pumpkin season" doesn't need to just be about sugar-packed lattes. Capture all the cozy fall vibes you are craving with this creamy pumpkin soup recipe, which is vegan, dairy-free and a good source of vitamins A and C. This comforting soup is made with oven-roasted sugar pumpkin, garlic, savory onion and fresh thyme for a rich and savory flavor.

The ingredients are roasted, then blended with low-sodium vegetable broth and light coconut milk for a smooth, silky, and decadent soup that is totally vegan—and full of the nutritional benefits of pumpkin.

For extra fall festivity (and the health-promoting compounds in pumpkin seeds), we add crunchy pepitas and croutons as garnish.

And since it freezes well for up to three months, you can enjoy this autumn favorite into wintertime!

This recipe is so easy—we'll show you how!

Why is this pumpkin soup recipe healthy?

Pumpkin soup is a creamy fall classic that features the season's most famous squash, roasted and pureed with various spices and cream. This version is dairy-free and vegan, so we have replaced heavy cream with unsweetened light coconut milk for the same silky mouthfeel of a classic pumpkin soup. Extra virgin olive oil replaces butter in this recipe, and vegetable broth replaces chicken broth to make the meal complete.

Some pumpkin soups rely heavily on spices like cinnamon and nutmeg, and sometimes other flavors of the season like apples and maple syrup, to produce a sweeter flavor akin to pumpkin pie. But this easy pumpkin soup recipe leans harder to the savory side with roasted onion, garlic and thyme as supporting flavors for the roasted pumpkin.

What type of pumpkin is best for soup?

Although the pumpkins used for Halloween décor are edible, the large orange gourds are not the best ones to eat. Instead look for sugar pumpkins or sugar pie pumpkins, which are smaller, sweeter and less stringy than the larger Jack O'Lantern pumpkins. They are also used for pumpkin pie dip and pumpkin pie recipes.

If sugar pumpkins are not available, you can substitute butternut squash, kabocha or red kuri squash. These are all tender, sweet and have a similar flavor profile that would work well for this soup.

What thickens up pumpkin soup?

Pumpkin soup is creamy, thick and luscious without needing any thickeners like flour or cornstarch. Blending the cooked pumpkin with liquid makes it thick enough. Most squashes have a naturally occurring starchiness that is great for fortifying broths and giving soups a thickened texture.

Pumpkin Soup Recipe

This recipe makes four servings and is ready in about 45 minutes.

Ingredients

• 2 lb. sugar pie pumpkin, split carefully, deseeded and cut in large pieces
• 13½ oz. light coconut milk
• ½ onion sliced
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1½ cups low-sodium vegetable broth
• ½ tsp salt
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 8-10 sticks of fresh thyme
• 1 cup croutons (optional)
• ¼ cup toasted pepitas (optional)
• 1 pinch red pepper flakes (optional)

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Add the pumpkin pieces, sliced onion, garlic and thyme to a sheet pan. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and salt. Toss with hands until coated and spread in a single layer.
3. Bake for 35 minutes until fork-tender.
4. Once cooked, let cool enough to handle the pumpkin without burning yourself. Use a large spoon to remove the pumpkin skin from the flesh. Discard the skin.
5. To a soup pot, add the skinned pumpkin, onion, garlic, coconut milk, vegetable broth and thyme leaves. Use an immersion blender to puree until all is mixed well.
6. Heat over medium heat, stirring often until the soup is very hot.
7. Serve immediately. Add a garnish of croutons, pepitas and chili flakes, if desired.

Nutritional values per serving

• Calories: 288
• Carbohydrates: 28 g
• Protein: 6 g
• Fat: 12 g
• Sodium: 445 mg
• Potassium: 874 mg
• Fiber: 3 g
• Sugar: 7 g
• Vitamin A: 19379 IU
• Vitamin C: 24 mg
• Calcium: 69 mg
• Iron: 3 mg

All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods and portion sizes.

Tips for Success

• Store your soup in the refrigerator and enjoy within 3-4 days for best quality, or freeze for up to 3 months.
• For the best pumpkin soup, roasting the sugar pumpkin is going to produce the richest flavor. But if you want to save time, you could use canned pumpkin puree—an ingredient popular in baked recipes like pumpkin muffins.
• Unsweetened light coconut milk does not affect the flavor much, but you can substitute heavy cream if you have an allergy or aversion, or you can use another plant milk of your choice.
• Take your recipe a step further with homemade croutons. Chop stale bread into cubes, add extra virgin olive oil and spices to your taste, and cook on a sheet pan in the oven until toasted, about 15-20 minutes.
• Similarly, you can make your own pepitas. Simply collect and rinse the seeds from your sugar pumpkin, then dry them well once they are clean. Toss them with a little oil and salt, then spread them on a baking sheet in a single layer to cook at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, stirring them halfway to ensure even baking.

Why is pumpkin soup popular in fall?

Pumpkin soup is a fall classic for several reasons.

1. Its major cozy factor.

   What's better than warming up with a mug or bowl of steaming soup when it's chilly outside, especially a soup as tasty as this one?

2. The fall harvest season.

   Pumpkin patches are plentiful during this season, and not just for their photo possibilities. These edible gourds are harvested for both Jack O'Lantern carving and culinary uses alike throughout the fall months.

3. Its nutrition.

   We all know that eating seasonally is ideal for both flavor and nutrition, and pumpkins are prized for their vitamin A and vitamin C content as well as their other beneficial nutrients. Pumpkin seeds are packed with even more benefits, such as support for bladder health, and they add a flavorful crunch to this recipe.

Does pumpkin soup help your bladder?

This pumpkin soup is delicious and rich in vitamin A, potassium, and other health-promoting vitamins and minerals. However, the pumpkin seeds are not used in this soup (although you can garnish this recipe with homemade pepitas).

If you are looking for the benefits of pumpkin seed extract, which has been shown to be effective in helping maintain healthy bladder function, a convenient daily supplement is a better choice.

Pumpkin seeds are a well-known source of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids as well as tocopherols, iron, zinc, magnesium, potassium, selenium and phosphorus. Pumpkin seed extract has been clinically studied for prostate and urinary tract health, and it can help promote urinary comfort in aging individuals.

References

• Batool M, et al. "Nutritional Value, Phytochemical Potential, and Therapeutic Benefits of Pumpkin (Cucurbita sp.)." Plants (Basel). May 2022. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9182978/
• Kumari AS, et al. "Pumpkin Seeds as a Natural Remedy for Anemia: Nutritional Insights and Therapeutic Potential." Curr Ther Res Clin Exp. May 2025. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12173052/
• Nishimura M, et al. "Pumpkin Seed Oil Extracted From Cucurbita maxima Improves Urinary Disorder in Human Overactive Bladder." J Tradit Complement Med. January 2014. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4032845/
• Xanthopoulou MN, et al. "Antioxidant and lipoxygenase inhibitory activities of pumpkin seed extracts." Food Research International. June-July 2009. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0963996909000453