Pumpkin and Sweet Potato Soup

Why You'll Love This Recipe:

You will love this pumpkin sweet potato soup because:

• It is a healthy filling soup that is easy to make.
• It is mildly sweet in flavor and satisfying to eat, making it perfect for chilly fall weather. 
• This recipe is vegan-friendly, low-calorie, gluten-free, and almost fat-free.
• It is a thick full-bodied soup made with plenty of healthy vegetables.
• It’s budget-friendly when you make when it is in season in the fall.

Ingredients In This Recipe

The printable recipe further down the page has the complete list of ingredients, including quantities and step-by-step instructions.

Olive oil – or use a light flavored oil like vegetable oil.

Brown onions – these are roasted and give a luscious flavor to the soup.

Pumpkin – We prefer butternut squash because it has a natural sweetness. However, you can use another variety.

Sweet Potatoes – use sweet potato with orange flesh.

Carrots – the addition of carrots is a great way not only to sneak in extra vegetables but also helps to make a thicker and heartier soup. 

Also, being an orange vegetable, it won’t change the color of the soup when pureed.

Garlic when roasted adds a nice subtle flavor to the soup. If you don’t like garlic, you can leave it out.

Water, vegetable, or chicken stock depending on your diet.

Milk powder – gives the soup a creaminess without thinning it down. It can be left out to make vegan or dairy-free, or a splash of plant-based milk such as soy milk, coconut milk, or nut milk.

Equipment

• Kitchen scales
• Measuring jug
• Measuring spoons
• Large sharp knife
• Cutting board
• Vegetable peeler or small sharp knife
• Large deep saucepan with lid
• 2 x baking trays with sides
• Immersion blender (or sturdy wire sieve)

Step By Step Instructions

This recipe uses two different cooking methods roasting and stovetop cooking. 

• Roasting is the first method. It will bring the sweetness out of the vegetables and helps add depth and flavor to the soup. 
• Boiling is the next. Boiling will ensure that every vegetable is fully cooked and soft, which is essential if you what a velvety smooth soup.

Step 1 - Remove the skin and seeds from the pumpkin and cut them into 2-3 cm (1 inch) thick slices. Peel and cut the carrots into quarters lengthwise. 

Place the pumpkin and carrots in a large bowl, drizzle over one tablespoon of olive oil, sprinkle on a little salt, and toss well. 

Transfer the vegetables to a baking tray lined with baking paper.

Peel the sweet potato and slice it into a similar thickness as the pumpkin. Peel and quarter the onions. 

Peel the garlic cloves and leave them whole.

Place these into a large bowl, and toss in one tablespoon of olive oil and a little salt. 

Transfer to a second baking tray lined with baking paper and roast the vegetables for about 50 – 60 minutes in a preheated hot oven.

Step 2 - Transfer the roasted vegetables and juices into a large pot.

Tip: Don’t worry if the carrots are still a little firm at this stage. They will continue to cook in the next step.

Add two liters (2.11 quarts, 8 cups) of water (or stock) to the pot and bint to a boil over high heat. Cover with a lid, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for twenty minutes.

Step 3 - Remove from the heat, and add four tablespoons of milk powder (if using). Use a stick blender to puree the vegetables until smooth, and season with salt to taste.

Serving Size

A serving size is one-eighth of the recipe.

Calories Per Serve

There are about 180 calories in one serving of this pumpkin sweet potato soup.

Serving Suggestions

This pumpkin and sweet potato soup is very thick and can support heavy garnishes without having them sink to the bottom of the bowl.

• Garnish the soup with a swirl of cream before serving, or dollop on some sour cream or Greek yogurt.
• Sprinkle on roasted pumpkin seeds and or sesame seeds.
• Top with freshly grated parmesan cheese.
• Sprinkle over finely chopped parsley or chives.
• Drop some croutons on top of the soup.

What to eat Pumpkin soup with

Our family loves this pumpkin and sweet potato soup with our puff pastry sausage rolls. These bite-sized sausage rolls are mildly spicy and the perfect flavor match for this soup.

You could also serve it with toasted sandwiches, crackers, rusks, or baguette crostini. Or serve with any one of these homemade bread recipes:

• No knead bread rolls
• Cob bread
• No knead focaccia
• Spinach feta bread
• Bread machine white bread
• Homemade cheese breadsticks

Variations

Stock

You can use store-bought or homemade vegetable broth or chicken stock instead of water for more flavor.

Bouillon cubes 

You can also use bouillon cubes to make a quick stock. Mix the bouillon curbs in a jug with the water before making the soup. 

You could also crumble the recommended quantity of cubes for 8 cups of water straight into the soup pot.

Extra Vegetables

If you wanted to add another vegetable to the soup you could add a zucchini. Peel the zucchini before adding it to the pot.

If the zucchini skin is left, the soup will end up looking a little green when pureed.

Soup too thick

This soup is very thick and this is how we like it however not everyone likes thick soup. 

If you prefer a thinner soup, make the soup using half the amount of vegetables and this will still be enough to serve 8.

If you have already made the soup and find it too thick. Thin it down with more water or stock to get the consistency you like. 

But be aware watering the soup down like this will increase its volume. 

When adding more liquid to the soup, make sure to adjust the seasoning before you serve it.

Short on time skip the roasting

• Dice the onion, mince the garlic, slice the carrot small and cube the sweet potato and butternut pumpkin.
• Heat the oil in a large deep saucepan and fry the onion and garlic for 3-4 minutes.
• Add the carrot, sweet potato, pumpkin, and water and bring to a boil over high heat. 
• Turn the heat to medium/low and simmer until all the vegetables are nice and soft. It will take about 15 – 20 minutes or more, depending on the size of the cut veggies.
• Use an immersion blender to puree until smooth.

Spice it up 

If you like your food a little spice add ½ a teaspoon of ground white pepper (or to taste), it will just blend into the soup.

Slow cooker variation 

If you want to make this on a day that you know you are going to be busy, make the most of your slow cooker.

Roast and cool the veggies the night before then store them in the fridge. 

The next day, add the veggies and stock to the slow cooker, put the lid on, set it to low and cook for 6 – 8 hours. 

When you come home in the evening, use an immersion blender to puree it.

Storage

The leftover soup should be cooled, transferred to an air-tight container, and stored in the fridge. It will keep for about 4-5 days.

Can you freeze pumpkin and sweet potato soup?

Yes, this sweet potato butternut squash soup freezes very well. Allow the soup to cool completely, then transfer it to freezer save containers.

Don’t overfill containers because you need to leave some room for expansion.

Label and date the containers before freezing. Freeze for up to 6 months.

Reheating

To reheat the soup - warm it in a saucepan over low/ medium heat. Stir it regularly as it warms to stop it from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

You could also reheat individual servings in bowls or cups in the microwave oven.

Meal Prepping

Make this in advance. You can roast the vegetables up to four days in advance. Allow the vegetable to cool and store it in the fridge until needed.

When ready to make, place the vegetables in a large pot with water (or stock) and make the soup as outlined in the recipe card below.

Frequently Asked Questions

More Delicious Fall Recipes

If you like this soup you might also like to try this slow cooker Chinese chicken and sweet corn soup, or this filling hamburger soup with pasta or this light and refreshing Indonesian Me Bakso (meatball soup) or these other soup recipes:

• Beef chilli bean soup
• Beef vegetable soup
• Broccoli and cauliflower soup
• Easy potato soup recipe
• Roasted tomato and red pepper soup
• Slow cooker chicken rice soup