Maple Roasted Pumpkin Soup

It’s pumpkin season which means now’s the perfect time of year to make a batch of maple roasted pumpkin soup! This homemade soup has a rich, creamy flavour, a perfectly thick luxurious consistency and is incredibly easy to make. Essentially all that is involved is roasting pumpkin wedges in the oven whilst you make the soup base on the stove then you blend it all together before finishing with cream.

A good pumpkin soup really doesn’t need lots going on! It’s best to keep things simple and use ingredients that complement each other. For my soup, I roasted the pumpkin with maple syrup for extra caramelisation. And the soup itself is made with coconut milk, stock, plenty of garlic and fresh sage.

Now I served my pumpkin soup with a generous amount of crispy pancetta and toasted pumpkin seeds but this one’s a great base for a wide range of toppings, so I’ve given some suggestions for my favourite combinations. I’ve also given the option to make this soup completely vegetarian if you’d prefer.

Check out our collection of lunch recipes for more dishes to try! Here you’ll find sausage rolls, sandwiches, salads, scotch eggs & lots more…

Ingredients For Maple Roasted Pumpkin Soup

• Pumpkin – I used half of a Crown Prince pumpkin for my soup but other winter squashes, sweet eating pumpkins or butternut squash will work. I wouldn’t recommend using a carving pumpkin as they have a stringy texture and not much flavour.
• Veg Base – I make my pumpkin soup with brown onions, carrots and fresh garlic.
• Coconut Milk – The creamy flavour of coconut milk works great with the rich, sweet flavour of the roasted pumpkin. For the best flavour, I’d recommend using full fat coconut milk.
• Stock – I use chicken stock for my soups as I find it gives a deeper flavour. Vegetable stock will also work though if you wanted to keep the soup vegetarian.
• Double Cream – A generous amount of double (or heavy) cream gives pumpkin soup a richer, creamier flavour. Feel free to leave this out if you’d prefer though. If you do leave the cream out, you may need to thin your pumpkin soup out with a small amount of extra stock.
• Sage – Sage and pumpkin are a fantastic combination, so I’ve added fresh sage leaves into the tin with the roasted pumpkin, to give it a deeper, more intense flavour.
• Maple Syrup – The roasted pumpkin is drizzled with maple syrup as it roasts, to give the soup a caramelised flavour. Honey will also work.

How To Make Maple Roasted Pumpkin Soup

Roasting pumpkin is an easy way to add a deeper, caramelised flavour to soup. You get loads more flavour roasting the pumpkin compared to simply boiling it in the soup. It doesn’t take much longer either, as you can get the soup on the go as the pumpkin roasts in the oven.

1. Maple Roasted Pumpkin

First, you need to prep the pumpkin. To do this, chop it in half, scoop out the seeds with a spoon then cut into evenly sized wedges. Once chopped, add the pumpkin wedges into a large mixing bowl along with a splash of vegetable oil and a teaspoon of smoked paprika & ground cumin. Season generously with salt and pepper then toss to coat. If you’re using a large pumpkin like a Crown Prince, you’ll only need half of it for this recipe. The rest can be stored in the fridge and used for another dish.

Now the pumpkin needs to roast at 180°c/356°f for around 40-50 minutes until tender. To check if the pumpkin is cooked, poke the flesh with a small knife or a skewer and it should slide in with little to no resistance.

Once roasted, drizzle maple syrup over the pumpkin, scatter over some picked sage leaves then roast for another 5-10 minutes until nicely caramelised. When ready, let the pumpkin cool for a few minutes, so it’s cool enough to handle.

2. Soup Base

Whilst the pumpkin is roasting, you can get on with the soup. To start, thinly slice brown onions then cook over a medium-low heat in a pan, with a splash of veg oil for around 10 minutes, until soft.

Next, add roughly chopped carrots into the pan then continue cooking for another 5-10 minutes, until they’re just starting to soften. At this point, add in some grated garlic, cook for another 2 minutes then add in warm chicken (or veg) stock, a tin of coconut milk and a good amount of salt & pepper. Gently simmer the soup base whilst you scoop the pumpkin out of the skin.

3. Add Pumpkin To Soup

Next, use a spoon to scoop the roasted pumpkin out of the skin then add just the flesh into the soup. Then continue cooking for another 5-10 minutes until the pumpkin has started to break down. Use a wooden spoon to break the pumpkin up as it cooks!

4. Blending

Once your soup is cooked, let it cool for a few minutes then blend smooth using a jug blender. Or a stick blender if you haven’t got one. It’s key to let the soup cool slightly if you’re using a jug blender, otherwise it will go everywhere. Once blended, add the soup back into a large pan.

5. Add In Cream

To finish, set the pan of soup over a low heat then stir in some double cream. Let the soup warm up slightly (but don’t let it boil!) then serve. If the soup is a bit thick, you can adjust the consistency by stirring in a splash of stock or warm water.

Topping Ideas For Pumpkin Soup

Pumpkin soup is a great base for loads of different toppings, so you can go with pretty much whatever you like! I went with some crispy pancetta and a sprinkle of pumpkin seeds that I toasted in the pancetta fat. Plus a drizzle of olive oil and a few cracks of black pepper. Here’s some topping combinations that would really well with this pumpkin soup. Crusty bread on the side goes without saying, of course!

• Garlic Bread Croutons – Bake croutons in the oven then toss with garlic butter.
• Sage Pesto – Make a classic pesto with sage leaves instead of basil.
• Pepita Salsa – A Mexican salsa made with pumpkin seeds, oil, garlic and chillies.
• Parmesan Crisps – Grate parmesan onto a lined baking tray then bake in the oven until golden and crisp.
• Whipped Feta – Blend cream cheese and feta together with a spoonful of honey then dollop onto warm soup.

Pumpkin Soup Tips And Tricks

• Roast the pumpkin instead of boiling it, for extra flavour.
• Pour maple syrup over the pumpkin as it roasts, to give the soup a rich caramelised flavour.
• Sage and pumpkin are a classic combination, so I added fresh sage into my soup!
• Let your soup cool for a few minutes before blending in a jug blender, to prevent hot soup from going everywhere.
• Don’t let your soup boil once you’ve added in the cream to keep it from curdling.