Rich, creamy pumpkin and sweet potato soup is full of flavor and super simple to make. Sweet potatoes, apples, onions, and pumpkin puree blend together to make a delicious bowl full of fall flavors (but it's easy to enjoy year-round).
I love to have a soup recipe on the table for Thanksgiving and this on is just perfect for that occasion. Especially since it's easy to switch up and accommodate vegan, elimination, and paleo diets.
If you like this recipe, you'll love the butternut squash soup recipe here. I love to make this a meal by pairing it with lemon herb roasted chicken or pear cranberry chicken salad.
Ingredients
If you're looking to accommodate a certain diet, head down to the "variations" section for easy substitutions.
- Olive oil. You can pick you favorite cooking fat: coconut oil, avocado oil, ghee, or butter.
- Maple syrup. Honey or brown sugar are good alternatives here.
- Salt and pepper. I always use Mortens Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper, but all
- Fresh thyme leaves. Substitute ½ teaspoon dried if you can't get fresh, but nothing beats fresh thyme!
- Nutmeg
- Cinnamon
- Chopped onion. Substitute with 1 large leek, if needed.
- Peeled and chopped apple. I used Honeycrisp, but Granny Smith will give a sweeter flavor if you're avoiding the syrup.
- Milk. I used 2%, but I've also used coconut milk and cashew milk and they're both delicious dairy free options.
- Pumpkin puree. Be sure not to use pumpkin pie filling!
- Broth. I always use a good quality chicken broth, but I love veggie broth with this recipe too.
- Chopped and peeled sweet potatoes. If you get about 2 pounds, you should get the 4 cups you need once they're peeled and chopped.
QUICK TIP: I always use Morton Coarse Kosher Salt and fresh ground pepper. In my experience, different brands and different types all yield a different flavor and level of saltiness. So I always recommend quantities on the low end and have your taste, and add more at the end to get it to the amount you prefer.
>>See the recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
STEP 1: Sauté the apple and onion. In a large dutch oven or stockpot, heat the oil over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the onion, apple, and thyme. Sauté the mixture for 5 minutes or until the onion edges become golden.
STEP 2: Boil and simmer. To the pot with the apples and onions, add the broth, sweet potatoes, salt, black pepper (see my note about quantities above), maple syrup, cinnamon, and nutmeg to the pot.
Stir everything together and bring the mixture to a boil. Once the broth is boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover the soup, and continue simmering for 20 minutes or until the sweet potatoes are very soft.
STEP 3: Puree. Either using an immersion blender or a food processor, puree the mixture until completely smooth. Add the pumpkin and milk and pulse the mixture a couple more times until everything is incorporated.
STEP 4: Serve. Give the soup a taste and season the soup with additional salt and pepper, if needed. Top with roasted pumpkin seeds and serve immediately.
Top tip
Thicken your soup: If your soup is a bit thinner than you usually like it, no worries. Simply simmer the soup a little bit longer until you get it reduced to your desired thickness.
Thin your soup: If you end up needing to simmer your potatoes for a bit longer, you may lose a bit of liquid in the process and have a pretty thick soup. Simply add a bit more milk, or a bit more broth about ¼ cup at a time, and stir until you get that perfect creamy consistency.
Variations
If you're trying to accommodate a certain diet, don't worry, the great thing about soups is how highly versatile they are.
- Vegan - Use vegetable broth and your favorite nut milk.
- Paleo - Use nut milk.
- Whole30 - Ditch the syrup and grab a granny smith apple to naturally pump up the sweetness and use nut milk.
Storage
Allow the soup to fully cool, then store it in the fridge for up to 6 days in an airtight container. Add the pumpkin seeds only just before serving.
You can freeze pumpkin and sweet potato soup for up to two months, so feel free to make a double batch so you can have some later.
📖 Recipe
Pumpkin and Sweet Potato Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion (chopped)
- 1 small apple (peeled and diced)
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 4 cups sweet potato (peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces)
- salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 milk or nut milk
- 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
- ¼ cup roasted pumpkin seeds (for serving)
Instructions
- SAUTE THE ONION AND APPLE: In a dutch oven or stock pot, heat the oil over medium. Once the oil is hot, add the onion, apple, and thyme. Sauté for 5 minutes or until the onion edges become golden.
- BOIL AND SIMMER: Add the broth, sweet potatoes, 1 teaspoon of salt, ¼ teaspoon of black pepper, maple syrup, cinnamon, and nutmeg to the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, cover, and continue simmering for 20 minutes or until the sweet potatoes are very soft.
- PUREE: Either using an immersion blender or a food processor, puree the mixture until completely smooth. Add the pumpkin and milk and pulse the mixture a couple more times until everything is incorporated.
- SERVE: Season the soup with additional salt and pepper, if needed. Top with roasted pumpkin seeds and serve immediately.
Notes
- Make it Vegan - Use vegetable broth and your favorite nut milk.
- Make it Paleo - Use nut milk.
- Make it Whole30 - Ditch the syrup and grab a granny smith apple to naturally pump up the sweetness and use nut milk.
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