Roast Pumpkin Soup

An easy and delicious Roast Pumpkin Soup with sweet potato, and lightly scented with cinnamon. Roasting the vegetables first gives the soup more depth and flavour. I recommend making a double batch!

roast pumpkin soup in saucepan with small plate of chopped herbs and fresh squash

A Comforting Pumpkin Soup

The following recipe for Roast Pumpkin Soup with sweet potato is inspired by one from Nigella Christmas, a book which is always a great source of comfort and inspiration to me at this time of the year.

Nigella Christmas is a colourful and calorie-filled collection of recipes which are ideal at Christmas, but also for parties and entertaining in general.

Oftentimes throughout the year, I find myself cooking from this book whenever we have a large gathering, particularly since a lot of the recipes are in the “serves 16-20 people” category. Though, most of the recipes can easily be scaled down to accommodate more sensible headcounts.

Pumpkin Soup Recipe

This Roast Pumpkin Soup is the perfect soup to make as soon as pumpkins and squash come into season.

What makes this pumpkin soup recipe particularly special is that the vegetables are first roasted to intensify their flavour.

You could certainly make this soup using just pumpkin, but using a mix of pumpkin, squash and/or sweet potato gives the soup a nice thickness, as well as added sweetness.

I also like to add quite a few red onions and garlic cloves for added savouriness.

You should treat the pumpkin soup recipe below as merely a blueprint – change the quantities of vegetables as you wish.

roast pumpkin soup in saucepan with white tea towel and fresh herb in white pot

How to Make Pumpkin Soup

The vegetables for this Roast Pumpkin Soup are first roasted in the oven with a sprinkling of cinnamon and nutmeg which later lend a gentle spiciness to the soup.

As I could quite happily sit down to a tray of roast vegetables as a meal, I had to resist helping myself to a more than a few golden chunks of pumpkin and sweet potato as they came out of the oven.

I had initially thought that roasting the vegetables would be an unnecessary step, particularly in terms of washing up.

But whilst roasting the vegetables would take a little longer than if you were to simply cook the vegetables in the stock, the end result is absolutely worth it; the flavours are more robust and the colour of this pumpkin soup is more intense.

And, to be honest, hardly any effort is required of you to stick a tray of chopped veges into the oven.

tray of chopped pumpkin and sweet potato about to go into the oven to roast

What to Serve with Roast Pumpkin Soup

I love to serve this pumpkin soup with a Bacon and Cheese Savoury Cake, which is delicious served warm and thickly sliced.

Other suggestions include:

Butterzopf

Easy No-Knead Bread

Savoury Waffles with Gruyère and Thyme

roast pumpkin soup in small saucepan with fresh squash on wooden table
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Roast Pumpkin Soup

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5 from 11 reviews

  • Author: Thanh | Eat, Little Bird
  • Prep Time: 15 mins
  • Cook Time: 1 hour 30 mins
  • Total Time: 1 hour 45 mins
  • Yield: Serves 4
  • Category: Soup
  • Method: Oven, Stove
  • Cuisine: British

An easy and delicious Roast Pumpkin Soup with sweet potato, and lightly scented with cinnamon. Roasting the vegetables first gives the soup more depth and flavour. I recommend making a double batch!

Ingredients

  • 700 g (1 1 /2 lb) pumpkin
  • 500 g (1 lb) sweet potatoes
  • 1 large red onion
  • olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
  • 1 litre (4 cups) vegetable or chicken stock
  • salt & pepper
  • fresh parsley, finely chopped

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/390°F.
  2. Peel the pumpkin and sweet potatoes and chop them into large chunks, about 5 cm (2 inches) in size.
  3. Peel the onion and cut it into quarter wedges.
  4. Place the vegetables onto a large baking tray.
  5. Drizzle the olive oil over the vegetables, and sprinkle over the ground cinnamon and freshly ground nutmeg.
  6. Roast the vegetables for about 1 hour until they are golden and cooked through.
  7. When the vegetables are nearly done, bring the vegetable or chicken stock to the boil.
  8. Place the roasted vegetables into a large saucepan, and pour over just enough stock to cover the vegetables.
  9. Bring the saucepan to a gentle simmer.
  10. Take the saucepan off the heat.
  11. Use a stick blender to purée the soup. Alternatively, purée the vegetables with some stock in a blender, though you will have to do this in a few batches.
  12. If the soup is a bit thick, add some more stock or hot water to thin out the soup to your liking.
  13. Heat the soup until it is gently simmering and taste for seasoning.

Kitchen Notes

TYPES OF PUMPKINS
Feel free to use pumpkin, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, or a combination.

SERVING SOUP AS A STARTER
I once served this soup as a starter at a cocktail party and it was an instant hit. Poured into little espresso cups, they were a dainty surprise to our guests and it set the tone nicely for the canapés which followed. Allow guests to top up with a big jug of soup nearby.

OVEN TEMPERATURES
All recipes on this website state temperatures for a regular oven (i.e. a conventional oven without fan). If you have a convection oven with a fan, please consult the manufacturer’s handbook on how to adjust the temperature and baking time accordingly.

CONVERSIONS
To convert from cups to grams, and vice-versa, please see this handy Conversion Chart for Basic Ingredients.

Did you make this recipe?

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Update

This recipe was first published on 21 December 2011 and has since been updated with new photos.

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39 comments

  1. At Anna's Kitchen Table 21 December 2011

    You’re right- the soup is a lovely, rich colour. I must try it.

    Merry Christmas to you and your family!

    Reply
    • eat, little bird 23 December 2011

      Merry Christmas to you and your family also! All the best with the Christmas cooking!

      Reply
  2. manu 22 December 2011

    I love this soup is so prange and beautiful!
    Merry Christmas xoxox

    Reply
  3. Liz Headon 22 December 2011

    The colour always says autumn to me rather than Christmas, but I certainly wouldn’t refuse a bowlful ! I can’t see any reason not to freeze: maybe my palate isn’t very sensitive but I rarely notice any flavour difference in soups after they’ve been frozen. You’re right about starting with roasting – now that really *does* make a difference to the flavour.

    Reply
    • eat, little bird 23 December 2011

      Thanks, Liz! I don’t have much experience with the freezer so I’m never too sure when I can freeze something. I really loved this soup and wouldn’t mind having some stashed away in the freezer!

      Reply
  4. Anita Menon 24 December 2011

    Soups can be frozen but when you thaw them there is slight change of flavour. But that can resolved with a little seasoning and heating up. Having said that, I still prefer having fresh soups.

    Lovely pictures.. and this soup looks lovely.

    Reply
    • eat, little bird 25 December 2011

      Thanks, Anita. I guess I will just have to try, though there is nothing wrong with re-seasoning upon heating as I tend to do that anyway. But I agree that nothing beats freshly-made soup!

      Reply
  5. Julia Levy 24 December 2011

    This is not a favourite of mine simply because two sweet vegetable togeter make it a smidge too sweet for me. With the nice blue cheese dressing Nigella makes might indeed cut thru that sweetness. Perversely i do enjoy a very similar soup myself (Delia’s butternut squash and sweetcorn) which is also sweet but not quite as much as mind tells me this one may be. LOL strange i know! Anyway, I just made a batch and two bagfuls are happily sitting in my freezer awaiting later meals (with cheese and ham muffins of course) and it freezes beautifully and tastes no different just as i imagine this wouldn’t.

    i make and freeze all sorts of soups, in fact my christmas ham stock will soon be turned into Nigella’s wonderful split pea soup and frozen too!

    Reply
    • Julia Levy 24 December 2011

      ps – stunning photos again of course.

      Reply
    • eat, little bird 27 December 2011

      Hi Julia,

      Thank you!! 🙂

      That’s interesting that you say that this soup is too sweet. I initially wondered the same but quite like the combination of pumpkin and sweet potato. I have yet to try it with the blue cheese dressing, mainly because I’m worried that it will spoil a good soup!

      Pea soup with ham stock is always a winner. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to find ham hocks in Zurich, though I should see if I can order it from the butcher. Hope you are enjoying the festive season!

      Reply
  6. Sherry 10 January 2012

    Ooh. I will have to try this. I love, love, love all things pumpkin and sweet potato. I’ve also been roasting veggies more often and it is so easy, especially when you line the pan. Now if I can get Lyla to enjoy these veggies.

    Reply
    • eat, little bird 10 January 2012

      Hi Sherry! Lovely to see you here!

      This soup is super easy, and I agree with the tray liners – definitely use those here as the pumpkin and sweet potato both caramelise on roasting which can make the cleaning up a bit of a bother. I made this for our New Years Eve dinner and our friends’ 2 yr old loved the soup! I guess it is sort of baby food texture (so easy to eat) and sweet at the same time, so hopefully Lyla will like it 🙂

      Reply
  7. Emma 31 January 2012

    Fine to freeze soup. Funny story – I am presently commuting to work in our nation’s capital (1 hr 30 mins each way (I have a driver- – poor man must think that I don’t have a bathroom – even cleanse, tone and moisturise in the car!!) so have been cooking extras and freezing them – so the freezer was full of all sorts of meals to save me cooking when I get home each eve. On a recent trip to oz, I told G that he could eat a couple of things from the freezer while I was away. I got a txt msg from him after I’d only been away for several days telling me that he’d eaten EVERYTHING and how lovely I was to show him my love by leaving so much food for him!! How could I get cross at that?! So our freezer is empty. And we are eating a lot of sashimi from our local : )

    Reply
    • eat, little bird 2 February 2012

      Aww how sweet!! Ha ha … sounds like something my hubby might do also! But then, I’m not as organised as you to cook so much in advance. Sashimi doesn’t sound so bad though 😉

      Reply
  8. Tania 29 September 2012

    I freeze soups all the time they are a great standby for lunch, or when your day has gotten away with you and dinner time is looming or just when you can’t be bothered. I freeze in specific cup lots so two cups (good lunch for 1) 4 cups dinner for two etc. Will try this one I have done a roasted tomato soup before and that was delish so I am sure this will also be yum.

    Reply
    • eat, little bird 1 October 2012

      Oh that’s very helpful! Thank you 🙂 I always forget to measure what a good portion is per person. I was thinking of making this soup again recently as pumpkins seem to be coming into season – I can’t wait!

      I’ve also been meaning to post a recipe for roasted tomato soup … as with this pumpkin soup, the flavours are so much more intensified when the tomatoes are roasted, resulting in a really delicious end product. In fact, I won’t make tomato soup any other way now.

      Reply
  9. Paula 5 October 2012

    I’m not the best friend of soups and purees, but if there’s pumpkin, tomato or potato, things change!! And the touch of cinnamon and nutmeg must be perfect!!

    And this one looks great!! It reminds me a Lasagna from Lorraine Pascale with sweet potato and pumpkin that I want to try soon!!

    And the Nigella Christmas always catch my attention (Have I just invented that term???), but I prefer not to buy it, cos I know I wouldn’t do the recipes.
    When it comes Christmas, I tend to follow recipes from some blog, traditional recipes from other books more specific to some country, I don’t know how to explain. I’m a romantic 😛

    I’m sorry, but I have to say again: I love the photos!! Can’t understand you make cute even a soup!!!!

    Reply
    • eat, little bird 5 October 2012

      Thank you, Paula 🙂

      I adore pumpkin soup and this one happens to be really good because roasting the pumpkins and sweet potatoes first really adds a lot of flavour.

      I can understand how you feel about Nigella Christmas, but you would be surprised by how many of the recipes are useful for throughout the year, not just at Christmas. If anything, it’s a good book for entertaining and you can always scale the recipes down for smaller servings. But I am a bit of a researcher too – I like to read about similar recipes from other blogs or cookbooks, see how they differ, what I can do to chop and change things …

      P.S. “catch my attention” is definitely an English phrase which you have used correctly 🙂

      Reply
  10. Dorothée 12 October 2013

    I freeze my soup every week..otherwise I would have to make it every day…:-)
    Merci pour la recette 🙂

    Reply
  11. Madeleine 10 April 2018

    This is an excellent recipe! Roasting the vegetables definitely makes a difference, and I love the addition of cinnamon here. My kitchen smelt so wonderful!






    Reply
  12. Julia 13 April 2018

    Good idea. I really like pumpkin soup.I will try itthis soup






    Reply
  13. Olga 18 March 2019

    Thanh, this looks tasty! These are absolutely mouth watering! It will quickly disappear in our house, very tasty and flavorful!






    Reply
  14. Alyssa 19 March 2019

    Thanh, , thanks! Very tasty soup turned out. Very cool photos!






    Reply
  15. Alina 1 April 2019

    Thanh, nice idea! This soup look absolutely delicious! I need to try it!






    Reply
  16. Elisa 28 September 2020

    can’t wait to try this!

    Reply
  17. Jannet 24 November 2020

    Ur soup was a success. The roasting part was a good tip! Thanx for sharing

    Reply
    • Eat, Little Bird 30 November 2020

      Hi Jannet,
      You’re welcome! So glad you enjoyed this pumpkin soup. Roasting the pumpkins first definitely makes a difference to the taste 🙂

      Reply
  18. Hana 11 April 2022

    If you freeze it will it tastes the same after? As I don`t want to cook it every day

    Reply
    • Eat, Little Bird 12 April 2022

      Hi Hana,
      Yes, you can freeze this soup. I freeze them in batches in ziplock freezer bags, about 500 ml (2 cups) per bag. Simply defrost in the fridge overnight, on the kitchen counter at room temperature, or in the microwave. Generally, most food lose a bit of flavour when you freeze them and then reheat them. But I think soups like this Pumpkin Soup, or other similar vegetable soups, freeze and reheat very well 🙂

      Reply
  19. Alice 1 June 2022

    Beautiful soup recipe! I roasted a lot of pumpkins and sweet potatoes to serve with the Sunday roast, and I used the remainder to make this soup. Absolutely perfect.






    Reply
  20. Renaye 12 June 2022

    What a great pumpkin soup. This is a family favorite.






    Reply
  21. Sophie 7 July 2022

    This was so easy and delicious! My family devoured this soup within minutes – they loved it! Thank you.






    Reply
  22. Jade 29 July 2022

    Perfect, easy and simple. Can never go wrong with roast veges! Thank you!






    Reply
  23. Sally 29 August 2022

    This is a beaut recipe. Very tasty! Thanks for the recipe






    Reply
  24. Roslyn 29 August 2022

    Love it! Thank you for another great recipe, Thanh!






    Reply