Homemade Pumpkin Soup Recipe: A Cozy Fall Favorite at Davidson Strength & Fitness

• Pumpkin soup is our go-to fall comfort meal — nourishing, cozy, and affordable.

• Packed with nutrients: pumpkin, garlic, carrots, and roasted seeds full of healthy fats and protein.

• Under $6 for two meals that feed a family of four.

• Make it sweet, spicy, or savory — you can’t go wrong!

Pumpkin Season Done Right

Fall weather certainly brings with it some of the best meals we’ve ever had. Though we emphatically support the truth that pumpkin is not a spice and does not belong in your coffee, we do love pumpkin for what it is.

It is sweet and earthy at the same time. It is homey and comforting. It is nostalgia. Pumpkins are often overlooked in cooking or relegated to the shelves of sweet treats, heavily masked by cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and the ever-present sugar. Pumpkins don’t need it.

Too many times pumpkins are simply seen as a carvable canvas. How many of those carved pumpkins even produce baked pumpkin seeds?! We say it is a crying shame.

Why Pumpkin Deserves More Love

The orange meat inside is nourishing and filling. The seeds are little magic sources of protein, fiber, healthy fats (including omega-3 fatty acids), magnesium, zinc, iron, and antioxidants. They’ve been shown to help lower blood pressure and fortify bones.

Oh, and they’re super yummy baked with whatever dry seasoning you can imagine!

Our Favorite Fall Meal: Pumpkin Soup

Our FAVORITE way to have pumpkin is as a soup. Not only is it delicious and hearty, it is also extremely cost effective and can provide two whole meals for our family of four for less than $6.

In the fall, when whole pumpkins are on sale for between $4–$6, we buy a couple and process them, freezing the roasted meat to use throughout the winter.

You Will Need:

• 1 pumpkin

• 1 onion, diced

• 4 cloves of garlic, minced

• 6 carrots, peeled and chopped

• 4 cups of stock

• 1 cup of milk or cream of your choice

• Optional sweeteners: brown sugar, honey, or maple syrup

• Spices: cinnamon, clove, paprika, chili flakes, salt, etc.

Instructions

1. Prep the pumpkin:
Cut the pumpkin in half and scrape out the seeds. Save the seeds for roasting later!

2. Roast:
Place pumpkin on a lined sheet tray and roast at 350°F for about 45–60 minutes. Pumpkin will be done when you can press a finger on it and it’s soft. Be careful not to push through the rind.

3. Cool and scoop:
When done, take out of the oven and flip the pumpkin over to release steam and cool. When cool enough to touch, scrape the flesh out.

4. Cook the soup:

Take a large crock pot and place half of the pumpkin with the carrots, onion, garlic, stock, salt, and pepper.
Using homemade chicken stock adds extra protein — just make sure everyone knows it’s not vegetarian if you use it.

Add your spices and sweeteners of choice. You can go traditional and sweet, or give it a kick with ginger and chili powder. Go nuts!

After the carrots are soft, blend with an immersion blender or transfer to a regular blender. Pour back into the crockpot and add cream or milk of choice.
If using dairy-free milk, you may need a thickener for consistency. Simmer until combined and season to taste.

Serving Suggestions

This recipe makes a lot of soup. We typically split it into two meals and freeze one for later.

We have a vegetarian in the house, so we always keep this one vegetarian — though it’s also delicious with sausages or pan-fried tofu on the side.

We love topping the soup with our homemade roasted pumpkin seeds and serving it with crusty bread.

It’s about as perfect as a meal can get — there’s really no way to go wrong with this soup. Enjoy! 🧡