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Easy Pumpkin and Sweet Potato Soup

Enjoy this thick and creamy homemade Pumpkin and Sweet Potato Soup for fall. One pot soup using 6 simple ingredients, it’s hearty and satisfying.

Sweet potato pumpkin soup in servings bowls, garnished and sitting on wooden board next to spoon.

Get warm and cozy this fall season with a big pot of this easy pumpkin and sweet potato soup.

Enjoying homemade soup as an appetizer, like a vegetable lentil soup, is a nice way to use an abundance of pumpkins for the season.

Nourishing pumpkin and sweet potatoes make this quick one-pot soup rich and thick.

Vegetable broth, red onion, and a touch of nutmeg enhance the soup with deep and rich flavors.

Spoon scooping up some soup in bowl.

A drizzle of heavy cream after blending creates a creamy consistency to the finished soup.

It can be enjoyed as a satisfying meal, like my Homemade Minestrone alongside a serve of crunchy bread.

Overhead view of pumpkin sweet potato soup in bowls and garnished with cream, pepitas and fresh parsley.

Why You Will Love This Recipe

  • Quick to make.
  • Packed with seasonal pumpkin & sweet potato.
  • Hearty and satisfying.
  • Vegetarian and vegan friendly.
  • Can be frozen.

Ingredient Notes & Substitutions

A comprehensive recipe card featuring all the ingredients can be found at the end of this post.

Individual ingredients laid out to make pumpkin and sweet potato soup are pumpkin, sweet potato, onion, vegetable broth, nutmeg, salt, pepper and heavy cream.
  • Vegetable Broth: Also known as vegetable stock. Recipe calls for regular broth, not low-sodium. However, you can also use low-sodium, just adjust the salt levels when taste testing. Swap for chicken or beef broth for an even heartier flavor.
  • Pumpkin: Butternut, Kent or Jap pumpkin.
  • Sweet Potato: Use golden sweet potato. Remove the peel for a smoother textured soup.
  • Red Onion: Offers great flavor. Can be swapped for brown onion.
  • Nutmeg: Use ground nutmeg. If you have fresh nutmeg on hand, grate a little into the soup, this soup just needs a small pinch!
  • Heavy Cream: Also known as thickened cream in Australia. For dairy-free, use coconut milk or coconut cream.
  • Salt & Pepper: To season.
  • Fresh Parsley: To garnish the finished soup. This is optional.
  • Pepitas: Used as garnish. These are optional but look great!

What is the Difference Between Pepitas and Pumpkin Seeds?

Pepitas are green, smooth, hulled seeds. Pumpkin seeds are white-shelled and crunchy, harvested from carving pumpkins.

Step By Step Instructions (with photos)

There is a full and detailed recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Use a large soup pot, enough to hold up to 6-8 cups of liquid (48oz-64oz or 2 litres).

Step one: Remove the peel from both the pumpkin and sweet potato. Chop into large cubes.

Pumpkin and sweet potato chopped on wooden board.

Step two: To the pot, pour in the broth and add chopped pumpkin and sweet potato.

Vegetable broth in large soup pot then the chopped pumpkin and sweet potato added to the pot.

Step three: Peel and quarter the onion and add it to the pot.  

Step four: Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Note: It may seem there isn’t even broth but the veggies soften and shrink down. Adding more broth will thin it out too much. 

Step five: Once boiling, reduce heat to low and simmer for 15-20 minutes until pumpkin and sweet potato are very soft and tender. Turn off the heat. 

Pumpkin, sweet potato, onion and seasonings simmering in pot with broth.

Step six: Using a food processor or immersion blender, blend the soup until smooth, you can leave it a little chunky if you prefer.

If you use the processor, return the blended soup to the pot.

Soup mixture in food processor getting blended.
My method on how i blend the soup in the food processor.
My method to blend the soup in the food processor in batches.

Step seven: Add nutmeg and season with salt and pepper. Taste test and adjust seasonings if needed. 

Drizzle in cream and stir through, cream is optional but delicious. Add more or less if preferred. 

More seasonings and cream mixed through blended soup in pot.

If the soup needs to be heated through again after blending, turn the heat to medium-high and cook until warmed, stirring occasionally. 

Serve garnished with chopped parsley and pepitas if desired. Enjoy! 

Expert Tips

  • Use Quality Broth: Either homemade or high-quality store-bought. This is the base of your soup and it should be full of flavor.
  • Blending the Soup: You can use either an immersion blender (aka stick blender), a food processor or a regular blender. I personally use the food processor.
  • Blender Safety: When it comes to using a blender for hot liquids like soup, it’s essential to prioritize safety. Follow these steps to prevent the risk of burns or accidents:
  1. Cool the Soup: Always allow the soup to cool slightly before blending to minimize pressure buildup.
  2. Secure the Lid: Make sure the blender’s lid is firmly in place, and remove the center cap to allow steam to escape.
  3. Towel Shield: To safeguard against any potential eruptions, place a tea towel over the top of the blender.
  • Final taste test: Prior to serving, sample the soup to fine-tune the seasonings. Adding more salt, pepper or ground nutmeg if needed.
Pumpkin soup in bowl with garnishes.

What to Serve With Vegetable Soup?

  • Crusty Bread: Toasted or grilled.
  • Crackers or Crostini: Perfect for scooping up the last bits of soup goodness.

Troubleshooting

Solution: Add more broth or cream. Give it a stir and if it’s still too thick, continue to add extra liquid to reach your desired consistency.

Solution: Add more pumpkin or sweet potato before blending the soup and stick to the recommended quantity of broth. Initially, it may look like there isn’t enough liquid to vegetable ratio but the veggies soften and shrink, leaving just enough liquid.

Solution: Add 1-2 vegetable bouillon cubes to increase the flavor.

Close view of soup on spoon.

Storage Instructions

How to Store Leftover Soup in the Refrigerator:

  1. Allow the soup to cool and reach room temperature.
  2. Pour into one large airtight container or divide the soup into multiple smaller containers.
  3. Store in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days.

How to Freeze Vegetable Soup:

  1. Cool the soup fully before freezing.
  2. Using freezer-friendly airtight containers, divide the soup into individual serving sizes.
  3. Label containers with the date you made the soup and the date you’re freezing the soup.
  4. Freeze for up to 3 months.

How to Thaw and Reheat Frozen Soup:

  1. Thaw frozen soup overnight in the refrigerator in the container it was frozen in.
  2. Reheat on the stovetop in a saucepan over low to medium heat until warmed.
  3. If microwaving, use a microwave-safe container and stir halfway through.

Recipe FAQ’s

Use an immersion blender directly in the pot to blend the soup or if you have a blender, the kind you make smoothies with, it works just as well as the food processor.

Absolutely, low-sodium broth works well and lets you control salt levels. Just taste test and adjust the seasoning before serving.

Yes! Chicken or beef broth will add a different flavor profile but still make for a tasty pumpkin soup. Just note, it won’t be vegetarian anymore or vegan-friendly.

Add a dash of red pepper flakes or a pinch of cayenne pepper to the finished soup for added spice.

If you enjoy this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐️ star rating and a comment review below. I love to hear what you think and it’s much appreciated. Thank you! Your email address will not be published. Sam x

Pumpkin sweet potato soup in bowl with garnishes.

Easy Pumpkin and Sweet Potato Soup

Samantha Pickthall
Enjoy this thick and creamy homemade Pumpkin and Sweet Potato Soup for fall. One pot soup using 6 simple ingredients, it's hearty and satisfying.
5 from 2 votes
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Course Appetizer, Main Course, Soup
Cuisine American
Servings 8 serves
Calories 129 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 Large soup pot, enough to hold up to 6-8 cups of liquid (48oz-64oz or 2 litres)

Ingredients
 
 

  • 4 cups (32oz/1 litre) vegetable broth, or low-sodium, see note 1 & 6
  • 1 kg (35oz) pumpkin, Butternut or kent, see note 2
  • 2 medium-large (700g/24.6oz) golden sweet potato, see note 2
  • 1 large red onion, peeled and quartered
  • 1/8 tsp (a pinch) ground nutmeg
  • Salt & pepper, to season
  • 2 Tbsp heavy cream/thickened cream or coconut cream, optional

Instructions
 

  • Use a large soup pot, enough to hold up to 6-8 cups of liquid (48oz-64oz or 2 litres).
  • Remove the peel from both the pumpkin and sweet potato. Chop into large cubes.
  • To the pot, pour in the broth.
  • Add chopped pumpkin and sweet potato.
  • Peel and quarter the onion and add it to the pot.
  • Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, about 8-10 minutes. Note: It may seem there isn’t even broth but the veggies soften and shrink down. Adding more broth will thin it out too much.
  • Once boiling, reduce heat to low and simmer for 15-20 minutes until pumpkin and sweet potato are very soft and tender.
  • Turn off heat.
  • Using a food processor (see note 4) or immersion blender, blend the soup until smooth, you can leave it a little chunky if you prefer. See note 5 about using a blender.
  • If you used the processor, return blended soup to the pot.
  • Add nutmeg and season with salt and pepper. Taste test and adjust seasonings if needed.
  • Drizzle in cream and stir through, cream is optional but delicious. Add more or less if preferred.
  • If the soup needs to be heated through again after blending, turn heat to medium-high and cook until warmed, stirring occasionally.
  • Serve garnished with chopped parsley and petites if desired.
  • Enjoy!

Notes

  • Note 1 – Low-Sodium Broth: If using low-sodium broth, just taste test and adjust the seasoning before serving. You can add one extra stock cube for added flavor and salt if needed.
 
  • Note 2: This is the weight of the pumpkin & sweet potato after the peel has been removed and they’ve been chopped.
 
  • Note 3 – No Food Processor: Use an immersion blender directly in the pot to blend the soup or if you have a blender.
 
  • Note 4: Using Food Processor: For details on how I blend the soup using a food processor, refer to the ‘Step by Step Instructions’ section earlier in this blog post. I blend the soup in multiple batches.
 
  • Note 5 – Blender Safety Note: To ensure safe blending of hot liquids, adhere to the following guidelines: Allow the soup to slightly cool prior to blending to mitigate pressure buildup. Secure the blender’s lid, removing the center cap to allow for steam release. Additionally, place a tea towel over the blender as a precautionary measure against potential splatter.
 
  • Note 6 – Chicken or Beef Broth: Replacing the vegetable broth with either chicken or beef broth adds even more flavour. Use regular or low-sodium, adjust salt if needed after taste testing.
 
  • Store: Cooled soup in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days.
 
  • Freeze: Cooled soup by portioning into individual serving size freezer-safe containers. Label with the date and freeze up to 3 months.
 
  • Thaw & Reheat: Thaw frozen soup overnight in the fridge. Reheat on stovetop over low-medium heat or microwave in a safe container, until warmed.

Nutrition

Calories: 129kcalCarbohydrates: 29gProtein: 2gFat: 2gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.1gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.4gCholesterol: 4mgSodium: 508mgPotassium: 654mgFiber: 4gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 21609IUVitamin C: 29mgCalcium: 83mgIron: 1mg
Keyword pumpkin scones, Soup, sweet potato
Tried this recipe? Let us know how it was!

First published in June 2021, this recipe was updated in January 2024 to include new step-by-step images, expert recommendations, storage guidelines and more.

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