How to make Pumpkin and Ginger Soup

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Misty fog outside the windows, golden leaves on the trees and the smell of woodsmoke in the air? It must be my favourite time of year, autumn! And what better recipe to celebrate the fall than my delicious Pumpkin and Ginger Soup?

Table of Contents

A bowl of pumpkin and ginger soup from above with a swirl of Greek yoghurt on top.

It’s soup season!

Summer is drawing to an end, which means the internet is awash with all things pumpkin related in the lead up to Halloween. Pumpkins and squash are some of my favourite vegetables, so I’m always looking for ways to cook with them.

While pumpkins are tasty simply roasted or cooked up into a traditional Pumpkin Risotto, I think they are most delicious when blended up into a silky-smooth, brightly coloured soup like this one.

What makes this pumpkin soup recipe so tasty?

I like to give my pumpkin soup a lift by including plenty of warming fresh ginger and bright and zesty orange. When it is grey and cool outside, Pumpkin and Ginger Soup is like sunshine in a bowl.

Generously dolloped with tangy Greek yoghurt and served with crusty toasted bread, it is the ideal recipe to welcome in the season.

Sliced pumpkin and red onion on a chopping board.

Ingredients

To make my easy Pumpkin Soup recipe, you’l need the following main ingredients:

Pumpkin: The most important ingredient! For simplicity I like to use a pumpkin or squash that has edible skin such as Hokaiido or Red Kuri.
Onions, Ginger and Garlic: I use red onions in this recipe to add to the glorious colour. Garlic and ginger can be added to taste. PRO TIP: Keep your ginger in the freezer and grate it from frozen!
Orange juice and zest: Orange adds a lovely citrus note to this soup, and avoids the dreaded baby-food flavour.
Thyme, Chilli and Fennel: These aromatic herbs and spices pair beautifully with pumpkin.
Broth or Stock: A good quality liquid broth or stock will make the most delicious soup, but don’t worry if you only have powder or cubes, they are delicious too! Just keep an eye on the salt.

The complete ingredient list and detailed instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of the page.

Which are the best pumpkins for soup?

I love cooking with the dark orange Hokkaido or Red Kuri pumpkin. This sort of pumpkin is cooked and blended up with the skin on, which gives the resulting soup a stunning colour.

Otherwise, this recipe works very well with butternut pumpkin too, though it won’t be quite such a vibrant orange colour.

Prepare in advance

Through the cooler months of the year, I always have a pot of soup on the go. Soup is wonderfully frugal, can easily feed a crowd and is great for batching up and preparing in advance.

Pumpkin soup is fantastic for freezing, so it’s worth making a double batch and freezing some for later.

Important soup making equipment

A large saucepan or a large pot: Soups need plenty of space, so be sure to use a nice big pot.
An immersion blender: anyone who has ever had a hot-soup-blending explosion kind of disaster (I am totally guilty of this) will be very suspicious of blending soup ever again.

The trick is to use an immersion or stick blender so you can blend the soup right in the pot. Unlike using a standard blender there is no vacuum created, which means the soup stays in the pan instead of on the ceiling.

You can also puree the soup in batches in your food processor.

Pumpkin Orange and Ginger Soup in a bowl.

Variations

I like to add a dollop of yoghurt or sour cream to the top of my soup for a tangy creaminess, but if you are wanting to go dairy-free, blend in a little coconut milk instead. Coconut and pumpkin are super tasty together.

I’ve used some of my favourite spices in the recipe below, but you can feel free to mix and match depending on what you have at home.

Want to make a vegan pumpkin soup? Replace the butter with olive oil and use coconut cream or milk as directed above.

What to serve with pumpkin soup?

I think soups always need a good loaf of crusty bread to make a complete meal. If you fancy making your own, why not try my No Knead Multigrain Bread? This deliciously chewy loaf is perfect for soup.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Do I need to remove the pumpkin skin to make Pumpkin Soup?

No, there is no need. Hokkaido or Red Kurt pumpkin have edible skin. If you are cooking another variety of pumpkin you will need to check if the skin is edible, though most popular pumpkin types these days have edible skin.

Can I freeze Pumpkin Soup?

You sure can! This is a fantastic soup to prepare in advance so cool and and freeze in an airtight container until you need it. Make sure to not add any yoghurt until after the soup has been reheated as it can split.

My pumpkin soup is too thick or too thin! How can I fix it?

The perfect pumpkin soup has a beautiful, velvet texture, but if yours is too thick or thin it is easy to fix.

TOO THICK: This is an simple fix, simply thin the soup with a little more stock or water and blend until smooth.
TOO THIN: The easiest and quickest way to thicken a watery soup is to use cornstarch/cornflour. Mix 2 tsp of cornstarch/cornflour with 4 Tbsp cold water in a small bowl. Heat the soup until it is nearly boiling, then drizzle in the cornstarch mixture a little at a time, stirring until the desired consistency is reached.