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An easy cozy pumpkin soup recipe made from scratch with fresh roasted pumpkins and apples. Perfect to warm up chilly fall days.

It’s October. Which means pumpkins are everywhere. It’s easy to get sick of the sickly sweet pumpkin spice lattes that give this squash a bad name. 

A great way to break up the pumpkin-blues is a savory soup! A creamy, hearty roast pumpkin soup with some roast apples and onions is the perfect cozy fall treat.

Looking for more creamy soups, try brown butter butternut squash soup for an extra rich and nutty soup!

Jump to Recipe

TL;DR

• Preheat oven to 400°F
• Open your pumpkin and remove the seeds, set aside for roasted pumpkin seeds!
• Slice pumpkin into 8 pieces. 
• Core apple and chop into pieces.
• Slice onion into quarters.
• Toss garlic cloves, onion, apple, and pumpkin slices in olive oil.
• Roast in the oven for 35 minutes. Cool 10 minutes.
• Remove pumpkin flesh and apple flesh from skins.
• Place pumpkin, apples, garlic, and onions in a soup pot. Add in broth and seasonings.
• Bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat and simmer for about 25 minutes. Add in cream
• Cream the soup using an immersion or stand blender.
• Serve immediately, topped with pumpkin seeds. Or refrigerate in an airtight container.

Another great fall or winter appetizer is this easy homemade rustic chicken liver paté!

Making a Hearty Roast Pumpkin Soup!

That’s a long list up there, I know. But this roast pumpkin soup from scratch is actually relatively easy to make, nothing fancy required!

What type of pumpkin to use?

All types of pumpkins are edible. So yes, you can eat your jack-o-lantern. But these larger decorative pumpkins tend to have less flavor than their smaller counterparts.

I always choose a sugar pie pumpkin for soup (and pie!) recipes. They have a stronger pumpkin flavor and also tend to be less stringy and tough. They also take less time to cook.

This recipe only calls for 1 pumpkin. If you want more soup, use 2 pumpkins and double the rest of the recipe. It will still all fit in 1 soup pot.

What type of apple to use?

Any fall apples will work in this recipe. I prefer crisper and tarter varieties in general. My personal favorite is the Winesap apple variety. They’re just bursting with tart fresh flavor.

(I use them for most of my fall apple recipes like these Sherry Poached Apples or these Chorizo Cornbread Stuffed Apples.)

Though if you like sweeter soups, go for a variety that’s sweet and juicy like Gala or Honeycrisp.

Slicing Pumpkins

Slicing a pumpkin is done the same way as most winter squash. (I have a guide to cutting acorn squash here. You can follow the same procedure for a pumpkin.)

You really just need to remove the stem. (It can catch on fire when roasting.) Then slice your pumpkin in half. Scoop out the insides and seeds.

Remember to save the seeds! They make a super easy delicious and nutritious fall snack. And this recipe works for all winter squash seeds. Just in case you have some left over from say, this roast butternut squash with cardamom recipe!

Then just slice each half into halves, then again…you get the picture. It’s easiest to cut the pumpkin in half width-wise rather than length-wise. Then you can avoid any remnants of the stem.

Roasting your Veggies

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A splash of olive oil, a baking pan, and chopped fruits and veggies are all you need for this step!

You’ll want to roast the pumpkin for 20 minutes first. Then add in apples, onions, and garlic for the last 15 minutes.

Yes, I know they are all pictured together in that image above. 

But tough winter squashes take longer to roast until soft. And if you roast everything together you’ll have liquid apples just around the time your pumpkin is softening. And you want roasted apples, not mushy ones.

Why roast your pumpkin and veggies? Roasting changes the aromatics of your food, giving it a richer, sweeter flavor. It also softens tough fruits, which makes them easier to turn into soup!

Putting the Soup together

Once the veggies are roasted, all you need to do is toss everything in a pot to meld the flavors. Very simple. You don’t even need to cook it very long!

Liquids

Any type of broth will work in roast pumpkin soup. If you prefer a thicker soup, go for 4 cups. If you want a thinner soup, or more of it, use 6 cups.

Serving more than 4 or want more than 6 cups? Use two pumpkins and double the recipe.

I consider cream an essential in this recipe. Obviously it adds a creamy flavor, but it also thickens the soup for an extra smooth consistency. 

You do without the cream if necessary, but it does add a rich layer of flavor!

Seasoning

Think of the seasoning as pumpkin spice without the sugar. Warm seasonings like cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice are natural pairings for pumpkin.

I also add in garam masala, which adds just the faintest hint of warm curry. And it makes for an overall cozier soup. Keep in mind garam masala will often include many of the same spices you already added like cinnamon and cloves, so don’t overdo it!

Note: Garam Masala is not curry powder. It’s a blend of pungent warm spices that can be sweeter or spicier depending on the blend you buy. Check your list of ingredients, but you’ll often find cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, coriander, and pepper in grocery store mixes.

There isn’t a lot of herbaceous flavor in this soup. So I usually add 2 bay leaves, just to get a bit of that intense herby flavor. If you like even more herbs, try adding 1-2 fresh sage leaves too!

Sweetening

I prefer my winter squash soups to be savory rather than sweet. And I find the natural sweetness of the apple and the pumpkin to be pleasant on their own. So I tend to skip any additional sweeteners. 

If you prefer sweeter squash soups, add a few tablespoons of maple syrup.

Blending

Like most creamy squash soups, you do need to blend this roast pumpkin soup. There’s just no way to get stringy, clumpy pumpkin to smooth consistency without blending!

There are two ways to complete this final step. The first, use a stand blender. You’ll work in batches, pouring a few cups into your blender at a time and setting aside until you’ve finished the entire soup. 

This is my least favorite way. It involves so many dirty dishes and I always feel like I lose so much soup in all the transferring!

My preferred method is the immersion blender. This little guy does all the work in your soup pot, so it’s a one-dirty-dish situation. So much less effort involved for nearly the same result! 

It does take around 7-10 minutes to fully blend your full soup with an immersion blender and the result isn’t quite as smooth as a stand blender. You’ll also want to stir your soup occasionally to make sure you haven’t missed any chunks. But the ease of operation makes it so worth it!

I use a Braun Immersion blender. By far one of my favorite kitchen tools, especially in the fall. I also use it on my Brown Butter Butternut Squash Soup. It also mixes salad dressings, sauces, mashed potatoes. And the processing attachments makes great homemade fruity soft serve ice cream!

Serving

This soup doesn’t need a garnish, but if you want to impress your guests. Try topping it with some of its own roasted seeds. (Is that macabre? I guess if you’re a squash.)

You could also drizzle some cream or coconut cream on top. Add a sprig of fresh parsley or thyme for a pop of green color!

Storing Roast Pumpkin Soup

Store in the fridge in an airtight container for 7 days. 

Alternatively you can freeze this soup for 5 months. (Why would you do that though? You really want pumpkin soup in February?)

Reheating

I find the easiest way to reheat is to scoop the desired amount of soup into a saucepan. Then add between ¼-½ cup of milk. Stir to incorporate the milk then heat on medium-low heat until slow bubbles form.

If milk isn’t your thing, add water instead. I find milk makes it a bit creamier.

Why add the extra liquid? This soup is already quite thick when it’s freshly made. After sitting in the fridge it gets even thicker. And heating will bubble away more of the liquid. Adding a bit of milk keeps it fresh and a little less gloopy. 

More liquid makes your servings thinner, add less if you prefer it thick!

What to serve with Hearty Roast Pumpkin Soup

A cozy fall soup like this really calls for a big chunk of freshly baked bread. Perfect for dipping or coating in butter.

But if you’re not in a baking mood, try a side salad. It adds a pop of freshness to a thick, creamy soup. This light watercress and mandarin orange salad is a lovely and unique option. But by far my favorite cold-weather combo is this soup paired with a hearty winter pear and kale salad with cranberry balsamic dressing and homemade candied pecans!

I also enjoy serving cozy soups like this for appetizers before a crispy sage roast chicken or fig-stuffed quail. It also makes a great appetizer or side dish for your Thanksgiving spread!

What pairs with Hearty Roast Pumpkin Soup

Winter squashes pair exceptionally well with round full-bodied white wines. Chardonnay, Chablis, Viognier, or Vouvray are all excellent options. The bit of sweet apple pairs well with the slightly sweeter Sauternes too.

For reds, go for a richer, fruitier option like Syrah. Serving your soup with a big hunk of bread or pasta? Try a rustic Côtes du Rhône.

If you’re feeling like your meal is heavy already, a bubbly wine like Prosecco or Champagne cuts through the heavy cream and thick pumpkin flavor quite well.

And it’s an excellent option for pre-Christmas or pre-Thanksgiving dinner sipping! (Especially if you are serving this soup to your guests just as they’re coming in from the cold.)