Rich and creamy, but made without cream? Yes please! This Pumpkin Soup without cream is full of flavor, gorgeously silky, and really very healthy. Also- that swirl you see in the photo isn't cream- that's a sneaky little tahini drizzle, just for fun.
This deliciously cozy pumpkin soup is perfect to make in Fall and Winter when seasonal squash are ripe and ready. Making it without cream or dairy means it's wholesome enough to eat a giant bowlful anytime you get a craving for soup!
I love making soups and stews, particularly when the weather grows colder. You might want to check out my favourite Swede (Rutabaga) and Carrot Soup or my husband's favourite Lentil and Tomato Soup, or why not try this Spiced Carrot and Parsnip Soup.
To serve with the soup, make some Triple Garlic Flatbreads or my favourite Vegan Garlic Bread in Air Fryer to scoop up the soup with! You won't regret it.
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🎃Ingredients
This pumpkin soup is super creamy without using cream, milk or coconut cream! It also uses simple ingredients but is so flavorful and delicious.
- Pumpkin- for the tastiest you want a pumpkin or squash that is flavourful. I usually tend to end up using a butternut or kabocha squash rather than a big Halloween-style pumpkin.
- Onion- Yellow or white onion, or large shallots for that essential depth of flavour.
- Garlic- I use at least 5 or 6 cloves of garlic, but feel free to add more. One trick is to chop some finely, then leave some skinned garlic cloves whole to sautee and simmer. This creates that extra garlicky flavour profile that is so more-ish. It all gets blended up in the end so there is no need to worry about someone accidentally eating the whole clove.
- Olive Oil- essential for starting the caramelization process with the onions, garlic and pumpkin, and creating all that delicious flavour.
- Thyme- fresh or dried.
- Ground Ginger- a little ground ginger adds heat and flavour.
- Turmeric- mostly to boost the colour and add in a gentle warmth to the flavours.
- Nutmeg- freshly ground nutmeg works beautifully with pumpkin, accenting the natural sweetness without the whole soup becoming overly sweet.
- Chili flakes- for heat! optional
- White Pepper- I like how white pepper creates a savoury subtle base. You can also use freshly cracked black pepper.
- Vegan Boullion powder or Good quality vegetable stock. - Make your own veggie stock, or use good quality vegan bullion powder
- Salt to taste.
See recipe card for quantities.
👩🍳Instructions
Making this healthy pumpkin soup recipe without cream is actually pretty easy. Use the photos below to ensure you create the most flavorful soup!
- Finely chop the onion and half the garlic. Peel the other garlic cloves. Add all to a large pan with the olive oil and gently sweat.
2. Add the pumpkin pieces to the onion and garlic. Saute for a while until the squash gets some colour on the edges. This concentrates the flavour and makes for a more delicious outcome.
3. Add the spices and thyme to the squash and mix on gentle heat. This releases the aromas and flavours of the spices.
4. Make up the boullion with water, or use stock. Add to the pumpkin and simmer until the pumpkin is tender.
Use an immersion blender to blend the soup. If you need to use a jug blender, cool the soup before adding it.
The soup is ready to eat when it is blended and smooth and creamy. You can choose to add a little extra water if needed, and reheat so it is nice and hot.
Serve with croutons, herbs or a tahini drizzle.
Hint: If you struggle to peel and chop a pumpkin or squash, pop it in the oven for 20 mins, or in the microwave for 5 mins. This softens the skin enough so you can chop right through it.
🌶Substitutions & Variations
This yummy soup is already dairy, soy, and gluten-free. Here are some other suggestions as to how you can switch it up.
- Squash- use any kind of rich, deeply orange squash in place of pumpkin. Butternut squash, Kabocha, Hubbard or acorn squash are all good in this soup.
- Spicy -add extra chili
- Curry - the balance of savoury and sweetness in this soup goes well with curry. Add a teaspoon of garam masala when you add in the other spices, omitting the nutmeg.
- Extra Protein- add some cooked chickpeas or lentils to the soup just before serving for an extra protein boost to help you feel fuller for longer.
🔪Equipment
You will need a few key pieces of equipment to make this pumpkin soup without cream.
- A good knife for cutting
- A decent sized heavy based saucepan or stove top safe casserole dish.
- An immersion blender or jug blender to blend the soup for the creamy texture.
🥫Storage
Like most soups, this stores well in the fridge for up to 5 days. It also freezes perfectly for up to 3 months.
Freeze this pumpkin soup in one or two-person portions so you can easily have a quick meal when you need a big comforting bowl of soup. The soup can be reheated directly from frozen.
Top tip
Don't skip the step where you add the spices in and turn in the hot pan, before adding the stock/veggie boullion. Toasting the spices really brings out their flavour, creating the best pumpkin soup!
FAQ
That is tahini mixed with some lemon juice, salt and water, it's not cream! It's pretty and tangy and a delicious alternative to sour cream to drizzle on top of soup.
Yes, this soup has no dairy, no cream and no coconut cream in it.
Yes, make this soup a day or even more ahead. Just reheat it as you need it.
This soup is thick and creamy because pumpkin becomes so creamy when blended. If your soup is a little watery, simmer it for a little while to reduce the water content.
Croutons, herbs such as parsley or toasted pumpkin seeds are all delicious.
📖 Recipe
Pumpkin Soup without Cream
Equipment
Ingredients Note:
For accuracy, I measure all ingredients in metric as standard, then convert and test the recipe for American cup measurements etc.
(Heads up Aussie and UK readers- your measurements in cups are sometimes different, so please use metric or check you have the correct cup and spoon type!!)
Ingredients
- 1000 g (2.2 lb) pumpkin (Peeled, deseeded and chopped into 2cm cubes.)
- 200 g (1 cups) onion (about 2 medium onions)
- 6 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon chilli flakes
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon white pepper
- 800 ml (3 ⅓ cups) vegetable stock (or 2 teaspoons vegetable boullion or stock powder in 800ml water. )
- Flakey Sea Salt to taste
Instructions
- Peel and finely chop the onion and half the garlic. The other garlic cloves, remove their papery skin but leave whole.
- Peel remove the seeds from the pumpkin or squash. Chop into 3cm (1.5") cubes.
- In a large saucepan, add the oil, then sautee the onions and garlic over a low heat.200 g onion, 6 cloves garlic, 2 tablespoon olive oil
- Add the pumpkin pieces. Sautee until the onion is translucent , and the squash and whole garlic cloves are starting to colour a bit on the edges.1000 g pumpkin
- Add all the spices to the pan and stir for a minute. This allows all the flavour of the spices to release their aromas.1 teaspoon ground ginger, ½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, 1 teaspoon chilli flakes, 1 teaspoon turmeric, 1 teaspoon white pepper
- Add the stock/boullion and simmer the whole lot until the pumpkin is soft. Add extra water if you need it.800 ml vegetable stock
- If you are using an immersion blender, gently put the blender in and blend until creamy. If you are using a jug blender, allow the soup to cool, then blend in batches until creamy.
- Now is the time to test for salt and add any extra chilli in if you like. If the soup is too watery, let it simmer some more. If the soup is too thick, add water.Flakey Sea Salt to taste
- Serve hot with crusty bread, croutons and a tahini drizzle if you like.
Notes
- If you struggle to peel and chop a pumpkin or squash, pop it in the oven for 20 mins, or in the microwave for 5 mins. This softens the skin enough so you can chop right through it.
- Don't skip the step where you add the spices in and turn in the hot pan, before adding the stock/veggie boullion. Toasting the spices really brings out their flavour, creating the best pumpkin soup!
Jovita says
This soup looks amazing! It was so delicious and both my kids absolutely loved it. I will definitely make this again!
Rachna says
This pumpkin soup looks so creamy and delicious. Just perfect and healthy too.
Aimee Mars says
Creamy soups do have their place, but honestly, for lunch, I prefer to not have a cream base. Now that the seasons are changing I'm making soup more and more for lunch so I can't wait to add this pumpkin soup to my rotation.
Tara says
Perfectly seasoned and flavored soup! The nutmeg, garlic and pumpkin all come together beautifully.