This healthy Pumpkin Soup recipe is a super comforting dish that you can whip up in no time. The best part? You can easily change it up with four different flavour variations: Thai, Ginger, Indian, or Pumpkin and Bacon. It’s rich, creamy, and perfect for warming you up on a chilly day, plus it’s versatile enough to suit different tastes and dietary needs.. The variations are all SO good, it’s hard to pick a favourite.
Health benefits
Pumpkin is a wonderful source of dietary fibre and a powerhouse of vitamins and minerals. It contains many antioxidants, particularly beta-carotene which is essential for maintaining the integrity of the skin and mucous membranes and essential for optimal vision and immune health. Beyond this, it is very versatile and makes a cracking soup base. The bone broth will support you gut and immune system (to catch up on the benefits of bone broth, click here)
If your kids don’t like pumpkin
My kids really don’t like pumpkin, but they love my healthy pumpkin soup. I find if you pick a flavour variation that appeals to your child. For example, if you’re child loves bacon, chances are they’ll like the bacon version.
Ingredients
With just a few basic ingredients like pumpkin, onion, garlic cloves and broth or stock, this soup is simple yet delicious. You can swap out the stock for a vegetarian or vegan option, and the coconut milk adds a lovely creaminess without any dairy.
How to make healthy pumpkin soup
Start by sautéing your onion and garlic in butter or oil, then add the pumpkin and stock. Let it simmer until the pumpkin is soft and falling apart. Blend it up until nice and smooth (with a immersion blender or processor). if you’re making the Thai, Ginger, or Indian versions, add the coconut milk for an extra layer of flavour. It’s easy, quick, and can be adapted with different spices or ingredients depending on your mood. Seasoning it to taste with sea salt and black pepper really brings out the flavour. If you own a Thermomix, we’ve also included Thermomix instructions for this recipe.
Serving suggestions and how to store
Serve this soup with a side of crusty bread or a fresh green salad for a full meal. If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer. It reheats beautifully on the stovetop, making it a great option for meal prep or quick lunches.
Vary this healthy pumpkin soup to suit your dietary needs
To make this soup vegan or vegetarian, simply use vegetable broth or stock and olive oil. For a Thai twist, add curry paste and garnish with fresh herbs. The Indian version brings warming spices like garam masala and cumin to the mix, while the Pumpkin and Bacon version offers a smoky, coconut-free option. You can even add extra veggies like carrot or sweet potato to boost the nutritional content.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp butter, ghee or coconut oil
- 1 onion/s -roughly diced
- 2 clove/s garlic -roughly sliced
- 1 kg pumpkin -peeled and roughly diced into 2-3cm cubes (or a piece of a larger pumpkin)
- 750 ml chicken broth or stock (3 cups) or vegetable stock
- 270 ml canned coconut milk (1 cup)
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper - to taste
Method
- In a large pot, over a medium heat add butter or oil then gently sauté the onion and garlic for a minute or two until translucent.
- Add the pumpkin and stock, bring to the boil then simmer until the pumpkin starts to fall apart.
- Allow to cool a little before processing in a blender or food processor until smooth. Taste and season.
- If you are making the Thai, Ginger, or Indian version, add the coconut milk and mix or blend the soup.
Thermomix method
- Chop the garlic, 5 sec, speed 5. If adding extras like ginger, add with the garlic.
- Add the onion, chop 5 sec, speed 5. If making the bacon version add the bacon with the onion.
- Add the butter, ghee or oil and saute 2 mins, 100, speed 1.
- Add the pumpkin and chop, 10-15 seconds, speed 7.
- Add the stock and cook 15 mins, 100, speed 3 (with basket over the lid).
- Allow to cool a little before adding the coconut milk and puree (taking care it's cool enough) 30 seconds, speed 8.
Make-ahead
- Re-heat in a pot over a low heat until just hot.
Store
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer.
Variations
Thai pumpkin soup
Add a tablespoon of red or green curry paste to the onion stage and cook until fragrant. Garnish with coriander or mint and fresh chilli. A good vegetarian or vegan option.Ginger pumpkin soup
Add a 1 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger root to the onion stage. Also nice with fresh coriander processed through at the end of cooking. A good vegetarian or vegan option.Indian pumpkin soup
Add a tablespoon of garam masala, 1 tablespoon of ground cumin and 1 teaspoon ginger root to the onion stage. Serve with a dollop of natural yoghurt and coriander. A good vegetarian or vegan option.Pumpkin and bacon soup (coconut-free)
Omit the coconut milk and add a few rashes of nitrate free bacon to the onion stage. You might also like to add a little cream or cashew cream for dairy-free.Add a variety of veggies
I very often use a combination of carrot, sweet potato and pumpkin. This extends the nutrition and variety.Vegetarian or vegan
Choose vegetable stock. Choose olive or coconut oil to sauté.Coconut-free
Replace the coconut milk with cream.Which of these is your favourite? I'd love to receive your feedback in the comments below...
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Erin says
Yum the ginger sounds good I will try that. We also add coriander, paprika, turmeric, sweet potato/carrot and peanut butter which the kids like!
Georgia Harding says
Absolutely love it – awesome variations, thanks so much for sharing Erin G x
Nicole says
They all sound amazing – looking forward to trying them out .i also use parsnip , potato and occasionally swede or turnip to extend out soups and I usually bake everything in the oven with a little macadamia oil and. butter or ghee with a sprinkle of cinnamon to bring out the sweetness . I have actually used this as a sauce for my kids too served in a little bowl with their steak or chicken . I do use cream to make it thick and they love dipping their food into the orange sauce and I’m happy they are eating their veggies 🙂
Georgia Harding says
Yum, I love vege bakes too – actually posted a sauce, soup and pasta sauce recipe similar a while ago https://wellnourished.com.au/baked-vegetables-three-ways-that-even-the-kids-will-like/. Love the addition of cinnamon, thanks so much for sharing Nicole, G x
Karen says
Can you use pumpkin seeds in recipes? I think I have seen a pesto recipe that uses them. What has been done to commercial pepitas to make them green and dryer? It seems a waste to put them in the compost when I buy pepitas to put in baking and other dinners etc.
Georgia Harding says
Yep, they substitute well for lots of things, take a look at this old post for ideas and recipes https://wellnourished.com.au/pumpkin-seeds-superfood/. The green seeds are actually the inside of the whole seed (so the white part is the shell). You can dry and eat the shell and seed. You can even buy them like this (salted). G x
kaye says
The green pumpkin seeds you buy, raw or salted, are called naked pumpkins and are used only for the seed and the flesh is feed to animals. They originally came from Austria and an Australia company is now growing them and you can buy all sorts of products, ie Seeds, oil and a pumpkin seed meal that is made from the residue from the oil, it is delicious used instead of breadcrumbs in patties etc or anywhere gluten is a problem and it is very high in protein.
Georgia Harding says
Thanks for your input Kaye. Yes I buy Australian organic seeds and eat them alone or as part of a creation daily. They are delicious and so nourishing, G x
Vikki Davidson Conley says
Georgia I don’t suppose you have any other inspiring pumpkin recipes?? WE’ve just harvested several enormous pumpkins from our garden and we’re pumpkin souped out! Or anyone else??
Georgia Harding says
Vicki I have had the same in the past, but I haven’t posted any other recipes from memory. There are lots of cakes and puddings with pumpkin puree as their base online. I also use it to make a vegetable lasagne. I have also mixed puree in porridge for breakfast (with mixed spice/cinnamon). One good thing is they store well – we grow bananas and they are often ripe all at once. I like to search Pinterest for ideas – (I like quick visuals), so perhaps try that G x
Jackie Dewar says
Bachelor Special. Peel and slice pumpkin in 1 inch sections. Layer into casserole dish with grated cheese, diced bacon, minced garlic and P&S. Pour cream over and bake til soft. Go easy on cream, liquid will come out of cooked pumpkin. Yummo for pumpkin lovers…..
Georgia Harding says
Sounds great – bacon and pumpkin are a relish combo G x
Chelsea says
I made a variation of the pumpkin and bacon soup – added rice, pipitas and some carrot – because we have a tonne of carrot at the moment and rice to make it a bit easier for miss 2.5 to eat, was a great success – little miss who is a bit unwell and off her food ate a bowl full – thank you ?
Georgia Harding says
Beautiful Chelsea, thanks for sharing your variation (you know how much I love ‘variations’ lol). Sounds like a divine meal, hope your little one is better now G x
Kylie Cleeland says
My son has a wiggly tooth and it hurts to eat anything so I made the bacon version of this for him to take to school for his lunch. Wow!! Yummo! This is the best pumpkin soup I’ve ever made, and I’ve made a few.. Thanks again Georgia xx
Georgia Harding says
So glad it was a hit – perfect wobbly tooth lunch ☺️
Prue Dennis says
Is it possible to do this soup in the thermomix?
Georgia Harding says
YES Prue! I can’t believe this one has slipped by us. I’ll have the TMX method added asap. G x
Prue Dennis says
Yay!
Heidi says
I often make a soup like this but I add red lentils as well. It npmakes a very hearty meal
Well Nourished Team says
What a wonderful addition Heidi, sounds so delicious.
Yulia says
Sounds like a great combination Heidi! 😊 At what stage do you add lentils? And how long do you cook it for in the Thermomix? Thank you!
Willow Lewis says
Hi, sorry if this is a silly question! when making the bacon version do you blend the bacon into the mix or are the bacon bits left whole?
Well Nourished Team says
Hi Willow, you would add the bacon to when you are sauteing the onion and yes blend until smooth at the end (however if you do love the bacon bits whole – you could fry them up in a separate pan and add after blending.