Name: Pumpkin Soup Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 45 min
Ingredients: ½ cup peanut oil or vegetable oil; ½ cup flour; 2 small pie pumpkins ((the yield of fresh pumpkin is about 12 cups, or 3 pounds in weight of peeled pumpkin)); 1 medium bell pepper chopped (I used some Fresno peppers & jalapeno peppers for more heat); 1 medium onion chopped; 1 medium celery stalk chopped; 3 cloves garlic (chopped (or more as desired! I like a lot of garlic)); 2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning or more to taste; 6 cups chicken stock; ½ cup heavy cream (optional for extra creamy texture and flavor); For Serving: Fresh chopped herbs (spicy chili flakes, extra virgin olive oil, lightly toasted pumpkin seeds (see recipe notes))

This is the best pumpkin soup recipe with the perfect blend of spices, easy to make, and nice and creamy with a delicious roux that thickens the whole pot.

Pumpkin Soup Recipe

It's that time of year, my friends. Pumpkin EVERYWHERE. I have no issue with pumpkins. In fact, I enjoy them very much.

They have a nice flavor and soften up easily when cooked, so you can make so many different recipes with them. Some people tire of them because the season is so short and we're bombarded with pumpkin during the season.

I'm here to bombard you just a bit more with this recipe, but believe me, it's worth it. We're talking Homemade Pumpkin Soup, and you are going to LOVE it, my spicy food loving friends.

Why You'll Love My Pumpkin Soup

My spicy pumpkin soup recipe is rich and creamy and HUGE on FLAVOR because we're making it differently from most pumpkin soups out there.

My recipe makes it Cajun style, starting with a thick and flavorful roux, then brings in lots of fresh pumpkin, the Cajun Holy Trinity of veggies (bell pepper, onion, celery + garlic), and a tasty blend of Cajun seasonings.

What more could you ask for in a creamy pumpkin soup? It doesn't get any better than this. I'd set my easy pumpkin soup recipe against any other recipe out there. I love it that much. Such a great recipe.

Plus, I'll show you how to make a few variations in the Recipe Tips section.

That said, let's talk about how to make pumpkin soup, shall we?

Pumpkin Soup Ingredients

Peanut Oil or Vegetable Oil. For making a roux.
Flour.
2 Small Pie Pumpkins. Or use 3 pounds in weight of peeled pumpkin. You can use pumpkin purée.
Peppers. Bell pepper, Fresno pepper, jalapeno pepper. You can use peppers of your personal choice.
Other Vegetables. Onion, Celery, Garlic.
Seasonings. Cajun seasonings, salt and pepper.
Chicken Stock. You can use vegetable broth or stock as well.
Heavy Cream. Optional, for a creamier soup.
For Serving. Fresh chopped herbs spicy chili flakes, extra virgin olive oil, lightly toasted pumpkin seeds (see recipe notes)

Mike's Spicy Pumpkin Soup Recipe - the Steps

Peel the Pumpkin. First, gather up a couple of small pie pumpkins. Remove the stems, slice them into quarters (or eighths), and remove the innards and seeds. Reserve the seeds, if desired.

Peel the pumpkin and chop up the pumpkin flesh.

The yield of fresh pumpkin is about 12 cups, or 3 pounds in weight of peeled pumpkin. It's OK if you're off a little.

Set them aside for now.

Make the Roux. To make your roux, add ½ cup peanut oil to a large pot and heat to medium heat. Add flour and stir. Cook for 10-15 minutes, constantly stirring, until the roux turns a light blonde brown.

You can cook it longer for a darker, richer color and flavor.

See my video on how to make a roux for a good demonstration.

Making a roux for the spicy pumpkin soup

Add the Veggies. Add the pumpkin, chopped peppers, 1 chopped onion, 2-3 stalks chopped celery and a few cloves of chopped garlic. Stir and cook about 5 minutes.

I like a lot of peppers, onion and garlic.

For the peppers, you can use green bell pepper, which is traditional for Cajun cooking, but I've used a couple jalapeno peppers and some Fresno peppers picked from my garden.

I like it a bit spicy. Shocking, I know.

Add Cajun seasoning and chicken broth or stock. Scrape up the brown bits from the bottom of the pot.

Bring to a boil then reduce heat and cook at medium-low heat and simmer for 30 minutes to thicken.

You can simmer longer if you’d like. I often simmer for 1 hour. See how everything softens up and breaks down.

Pumpkin soup in a pot, before being processed

Process. Puree the soup with an immersion blender, or transfer the soup in batches to a blender or food processor. Process until smooth.

See how nice and creamy it gets?

Pumpkin soup in a pot, just processed smooth

Stir in the heavy cream.

Serve into bowls and garnish with fresh chopped herbs, spicy chili flakes and a swirl of extra virgin olive oil.

Spicy Pumpkin Soup in a bowl with pumpkin seeds and olive oil swirled over the top

Boom! Done! Looks wonderful, doesn't it? It's SUPER FLAVORFUL, definitely one of the best pumpkin soups out there. I love it. Big pumpkin flavor.

But, what should you do with the pumpkin seeds?

Save & Cook the Pumpkin Seeds

Save your pumpkin seeds and cook them up. No need to throw them away. I like to either pan cook them or roast them in the oven with some seasonings, then use them as a garnish. I save the rest for a snack.

See my Spicy Pumpkin Seeds recipe here.

Recipe Tips & Notes

Blending. Blend the soup to your preference. I like mine very creamy, and this gets very creamy. If you prefer a chunkier soup, only process half the batch.
Canned Pumpkin. Yes, you can make this soup with canned pumpkin puree. Just add it along with the chicken broth and seasonings, then allow to simmer and thicken. Then puree and proceed with the recipe.
Heavy Cream. Feel free to add heavy cream for an extra creamy texture and flavor. Try coconut milk for an interesting twist.
Seasonings. I am using a spicy homemade Cajun seasonings blend (Creole works great, too), but if you’d like to go with flavors that are more traditional to pumpkin soup, skip the Cajun blend and go with cinnamon, clove and nutmeg. A good Jamaican Jerk seasoning blend works great with this recipe as well. Try adding maple syrup for a bit of sweetness.

Storage

Pumpkin soup will last up to 5 days in the refrigerator in a sealed container. You can easily make it ahead of time, then reheat it in a pot on the stove.

You can also freeze it for 2-3 months in freezer containers. I do this all the time when I made large batches.

That's it, my friends! I hope you enjoy my spicy pumpkin soup! Definitely one of my favorites. If you love soups, check out...

Check Out Some of My Other Popular Soup Recipes

Spicy Pumpkin Soup in a bowl with pumpkin seeds for garnish

Got any questions? Ask away! I’m happy to help. If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you’ll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don’t forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I’ll be sure to share! Thanks! — Mike H.

Pumpkin Soup Recipe

This is the best pumpkin soup recipe with the perfect blend of spices, easy to make, and nice and creamy with a delicious roux that thickens the whole pot.

Save Recipe

Course: Appetizer, Soup

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cajun, pumpkin, recipe, spicy

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 45

Calories: 217kcal

Author: Mike Hultquist

Servings: cups

Tap or hover to scale

4.86 from 7 votes

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Ingredients

½ cup peanut oil or vegetable oil
½ cup flour
2 small pie pumpkins (the yield of fresh pumpkin is about 12 cups, or 3 pounds in weight of peeled pumpkin)
1 medium bell pepper chopped I used some Fresno peppers & jalapeno peppers for more heat
1 medium onion chopped
1 medium celery stalk chopped
3 cloves garlic chopped (or more as desired! I like a lot of garlic)
2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning or more to taste
6 cups chicken stock
½ cup heavy cream optional for extra creamy texture and flavor
For Serving: Fresh chopped herbs spicy chili flakes, extra virgin olive oil, lightly toasted pumpkin seeds (see recipe notes)

Instructions

Remove the stems, slice them into quarters (or eighths), and remove the innards and seeds. Reserve the seeds, if desired. Peel the pumpkin and chop up the pumpkin flesh. The yield of fresh pumpkin is about 12 cups, or 3 pounds in weight of peeled pumpkin. It's OK if you're off a little. Set them aside for now.
Add ½ cup peanut oil to a large pot and heat to medium heat. Add flour and stir. Cook for 10-15 minutes, constantly stirring, until the roux turns a light blonde brown. You can cook it longer for a darker, richer color and flavor.
Add pumpkin, peppers, onion, celery and garlic. Stir and cook about 5 minutes.
Add Cajun seasoning and chicken stock. Scrape up the brown bits from the bottom.
Cook at medium-low heat for 30 minutes to thicken. You can simmer longer if you’d like. I often simmer for 1 hour.
Process the mixture with an immersion blender, or transfer the soup in batches to a blender or food processor. Process until smooth.
Stir in the heavy cream.
Serve into bowls and garnish with fresh chopped herbs, spicy chili flakes and a swirl of extra virgin olive oil.

Notes

See my discussion in the post above for using the pumpkin seeds.

Heat Level: Medium, though you can easily spice things up with extra Cajun seasonings and by using spicier chili peppers.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 217kcal Carbohydrates: 18g Protein: 5g Fat: 14g Saturated Fat: 4g Cholesterol: 17mg Sodium: 179mg Potassium: 597mg Fiber: 1g Sugar: 6g Vitamin A: 10906IU Vitamin C: 24mg Calcium: 41mg Iron: 2mg

Did You Enjoy This Recipe?I love hearing how you like it and how you made it your own. Leave a comment below and tag @ChiliPepperMadness on social media.

NOTE: This recipe was updated on 10/27/23 to include new information. It was originally published on 10/7/19.

Pumpkin Soup Recipe

Pumpkin Soup Recipe

Why You'll Love My Pumpkin Soup

Pumpkin Soup Ingredients

Mike's Spicy Pumpkin Soup Recipe - the Steps

Save & Cook the Pumpkin Seeds

Recipe Tips & Notes

Storage

Check Out Some of My Other Popular Soup Recipes