This easy and delicious vegan pumpkin soup without cream is made with seven simple ingredients (plus salt and pepper) and is ready in 15 minutes. It’s a perfect soup to serve at Thanksgiving or an easy weeknight meal with a side salad.
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The other morning I made my kids this pumpkin smoothie for breakfast. When I came home in the evening, I still had a large portion of leftover canned pumpkin puree. I didn’t want it to go to waste, so I finally pulled together this vegan pumpkin soup recipe!
If you love pumpkin season, check out this collection of pumpkin recipes!
I hadn’t been to the store, so I dug around in my pantry and spice rack to find what I needed to make a quick homemade pureed soup without cream.
This soup will take longer if you roast your pumpkin in the oven. But using canned pumpkin puree makes this a 15-minute meal. I’m a mom of two, and my boys have no patience to wait when they’re hungry, so I take shortcuts when I can! This is a great recipe for busy weeknights!
Top it with pumpkin seeds, another nutrient-dense food source, and you’ve got a heart-healthy meal!
💗 Why You’ll Love This Vegan Pumpkin Soup!
- 15-minute recipe for busy weeknights!
- Healthy and Flavorful
- Vegan
- Dairy-Free Pumpkin Soup
- Gluten-Free
- Comforting soup for cold days!
- It tastes even better the next day!
- Easily Customizable
🥣 Ingredients and Notes
Pumpkin Puree: You’ll need one 15-ounce can of pure pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling). Or, if you are roasting your pumpkin, you’ll need about 2 ½ cups of pureed roasted pumpkin.
Vegetable Broth and Coconut Milk: I used a combination of vegetable broth and coconut milk. I like creamy soups as much as the next person, but I use 1 cup of reduced-fat coconut milk with vegetable broth to keep the calorie count down and eliminate cream. You could use full-fat coconut milk for an even creamier pumpkin soup without cream, but I promise this soup still turns out great with the reduced-fat version.
Yellow Onion and Garlic Cloves: When it comes to the soup I almost always start with a combination of onion and garlic. You can’t go wrong when you start there. Instead of using olive oil to soften the onions and garlic, I used a ¼ cup of vegetable broth.
Spices: I wanted to spice this soup with flavors that make me think of autumn, so I chose thyme. Thyme is not an overpowering spice. It has flavors of lemon and mint which complement the pumpkin flavor nicely. Plus, you’ll want to add salt and black pepper.
Pumpkin Seeds: The pumpkin seeds add a nice crunch and texture when sprinkled on top of the soup, and a few turns of freshly cracked pepper give it just a little extra kick.
Scroll down to the bottom of the post to the recipe card for complete measurements.
🛠 Tools and Equipment You’ll Need
You will need a countertop blender or immersion blender to blend the ingredients which makes it extra creamy! I recommend the Vitamix if you’re in the market for a high-speed blender or the Cuisinart if you’re looking for a standard countertop blender. An immersion blender is another easy and affordable way to create creamy soups like this one.
👩🏻🍳 How to Make Vegan Pumpkin Soup
- Chop onion and mince garlic. Sauté in a medium saucepan with ¼ cup of vegetable stock on medium-low heat.
- Add pumpkin puree, vegetable broth, coconut milk, thyme, salt and pepper. Stir to combine ingredients. Heat on medium for 5 minutes or until heated through.
- Transfer soup to blender. Puree until all ingredients are combined, and you achieve your desired consistency.
- Pour into four bowls. Sprinkle with pumpkin seeds and black pepper.
❓ Recipe FAQS
Yes, this vegan pumpkin soup is healthy! It has no oil and healthy fats from organic coconut milk. Pumpkin is full of nutrients. It’s from the squash family after all! Pumpkin is rich in vitamin A, it’s high in antioxidants, and it has numerous vitamins that boost immunity.
Pumpkin is a nutrient-dense food that is low in calories making it excellent to eat if you’re goal is health, longevity, and weight loss.
By keeping this recipe relatively low in fat by using reduced-fat coconut milk and cutting it down to half and subbing vegetable broth, this vegan pumpkin soup is low in calories but still loaded with nutrients.
The best type of fresh pumpkin to use for roasting is a sugar pumpkin. This is the small pie pumpkin you’ll find in your local grocery store.
Using coconut milk is the best substitute for cream. It has an ultra-creamy texture that gives the soup a thick and robust texture.
📝 Expert Tips
- If using a blender to puree your soup, make sure it isn’t filled all the way to the top! The soup will expand when blended, and if the blender is too full, you’ll end up blowing the top off and creating an epic mess!
- If you’d like to make this recipe for a larger group, double it to serve 8. Use a large pot to combine the ingredients, and blend the soup in at least two batches.
- Enhance the flavor with additional aromatics such as leeks that complement the sweetness of the pumpkin.
- A touch of citrus zest, such as orange or lemon, can elevate the soup’s overall flavor profile by adding a zesty and aromatic note.
- Use edible flowers, microgreens, or finely chopped fresh herbs for an elegant and visually appealing garnish.
🍽 How to Serve
When I made this soup for my family we had it with thick slices of whole wheat bread, and this kale and butternut squash salad. This soup is perfect as a starter for your Thanksgiving dinner. If making for a larger crowd double this recipe to serve 8, or triple for a group of 12.
🫙 How to Store and Keep
Allow the soup to cool and come to room temperature. Transfer to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. When ready to reheat, warm in the microwave or on the stovetop over medium heat.
📖 Variations and Substitutions
Cream-Free Milk Options: You can substitute coconut milk for the dairy-free milk you choose, such as almond milk, soy milk, or oat milk. I prefer coconut milk because it’s creamy, and the sweetness compliments the pumpkin.
Extra Creamy: You can also use an additional cup of coconut milk instead of the vegetable broth for a different creamy soup.
More Spices: Add your favorite fall spices. A touch of cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg or pumpkin pie spice will give this soup a beautiful flavor.
More Pumpkin Recipes Without Cream!
Recipe
Vegan Pumpkin Soup Without Cream
Ingredients
- 2 cups pumpkin puree or 15 oz can
- 11/4 cup vegetable broth
- 1 cup reduced fat coconut milk
- 1 small yellow onion
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 4 tablespoon pumpkin seeds
Instructions
- Chop onion and mince garlic. Sauté in medium saucepan with ¼ cup of vegetable stock.
- Add pumpkin puree, 1 cup of vegetable broth, coconut milk, thyme, salt and pepper. Stir to combine ingredients. Heat on medium heat for 5 minutes or until heated through.
- Transfer soup to blender. Puree until all ingredients are combined.
- Pour into 4 bowls. Sprinkle with pumpkin seeds and black pepper.
Video
Notes
- Use whole-fat coconut milk for a creamier texture or light coconut milk for fewer calories.
- Sub an additional cup of coconut milk in place of the vegetable broth for a creamier soup.
- If using a blender to puree your soup, make sure it isn’t filled all the way to the top! The soup will expand when blended, and if the blender is too full, you’ll end up blowing the top off and creating an epic mess!
- If you’d like to make this recipe for a larger group, double it to serve 8. Use a large pot to combine the ingredients, and blend the soup in at least two batches.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Jacquelyn
This is really good! I adapted it (substituted salt with coconut aminos) and it was delicious!! Thank you so much! So easy to make too!
Demeter
Fall is here and the weather just got dreary today so it’s perfect timing that I found your recipe for this delicious soup! Loved it!
Kate
I just love this recipe, it’s so creamy and delicious and quick to make!
Julia
Nothing better than a bowl of warm soup when the weather gets cold outside. Especially, when it’s ready in no time!
Angela
Hands down the perfect soup for fall. The flavors are incredible and it’s so easy to make. Thanks so much for sharing 🙂
Megan Ellam
I love pumpkin soup so much. Thanks Alison for such an amazing recipe!