This thick and creamy pumpkin soup made with fresh pumpkin requires only 3 ingredients and 20 minutes. It is healthy, super creamy, and keeps you cozy. The natural flavor of pumpkin tastes delicious so you will not need many other ingredients.

Austrian pumpkin soup

This easy pumpkin soup is precisely how we prepare it in Austria: Simple, thick and creamy, yet full of flavor.  

Styria, one of the nine states in Austria, is known for the cultivation of pumpkins, mostly for making pumpkin seed oil. And yes, this is where Arnold Schwarzenegger is from ;-) Most of the time you will find traditional pumpkin soup drizzled with pumpkin seed oil to make it even tastier.

Recipe for easy pumpkin soup

Cut pumpkin in half and remove the seeds and guts with a spoon. You can use any type of edible pumpkin. In my opinion, Hokkaido (used here), butternut squash, sugar pie, or kabocha taste best.

Chop pumpkin into wedges. Peel the pumpkin, slice into thinner wedges, then chop into 3/4 to 1-inch (2 cm) cubes. Set aside.

In a large pot or a high rim pan, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat and add a chopped onion. Sauté until softened and translucent, about 2 minutes. 

Add the pumpkin cubes and sauté for another 5 minutes over high heat stirring often until pumpkin starts to brown. This extra step maximizes the flavor. Make sure the onions do not brown too much otherwise they can taste bitter (add broth if they do).

Add broth. Bring to a simmer and let cook, covered, until the pumpkin is soft, about 10-15 minutes. The time depends on the kind of pumpkin and cube-size.

Blend the soup either with a stick blender or in a blender until smooth. Add cream and add salt to taste.

Serve topped with some whipped cream and a drizzle of pumpkin seed oil – this is the Austrian way. A topping of roasted pumpkin seeds tastes great too!

Creamy Pumpkin Soup (3 ingredients)

Yield: 4-5 cups

This thick and creamy pumpkin soup made with fresh pumpkin requires only 3 ingredients (pumpkin, onion, cream) and 20 minutes. It is healthy and keeps you cozy. This is precisely how we serve pumpkin soup in Austria: with a dollop of whipped cream and a drizzle of pumpkin seed oil.

Recipe: Ursula | lilvienna.com

Ingredients

Soup:
• One small pumpkin (2 lb /900 g, 4 cups chopped) *
• 1 small yellow onion (80 g, 1/2 cup chopped)
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 cups (480 ml) vegetable broth (you can substitute water and a pinch salt)
• 1/3 cup (80 ml) heavy cream**
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
To finish, optional but recommended:
• Whipped cream
• Pumpkin seed oil

Instructions

1. Cut pumpkin in half, remove the seeds and guts with a spoon, and chop into wedges. Peel the pumpkin, slice into thinner wedges, then chop into 3/4 to 1-inch (2 cm) cubes. Set aside.
2. Peel and chop onion. In a large pot or a high rim pan, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat and add the onion. Sauté until softened and translucent, about 2 minutes.
3. Add the pumpkin cubes and sauté for another 5 minutes over high heat stirring often until pumpkin starts to brown. This extra step maximizes the flavor. Make sure the onions do not brown too much otherwise they can taste bitter (add broth if they do).
4. Add broth. Bring to a simmer and let cook, covered, until the pumpkin is soft, about 10 minutes. The time depends on the kind of pumpkin and cube-size.
5. Blend the soup either with a stick blender or in a blender until smooth.
6. Add cream and add salt to taste.
7. Serve topped with some whipped cream and a drizzle of pumpkin seed oil.

Notes

* Pumpkin:

You can either buy a small 2-lb pumpkin, peel it, remove the seeds, and chop it yourself, or buy fresh pre-packed pumpkin that is already peeled and cubed to make this a quick midweek meal. For the latter you would want to buy roughly 19 oz (535 g) of pumpkin, which is 4 cups chopped. You can use any type of edible pumpkin. In my opinion, Hokkaido (used here), butternut squash, sugar pie, or kabocha taste best.

** Cream:

If you don’t have cream on hand, you can use half and half or a dollop of crème fraiche. The cream adds some extra richness to the soup and balances the flavors but you do not necessarily have to add it (it does not thicken the soup).

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https://www.lilvienna.com/creamy-pumpkin-soup/