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This Pumpkin Tomato Soup is one of my favorite Fall recipes. It’s made with canned pumpkin puree and diced tomatoes, so there’s minimal chopping before you get started. Spiced with cinnamon and sage, it has Fall flare, but still tastes perfect with a grilled cheese sandwich.
For added protein, top this soup with my Italian turkey sausage or sweet potato turkey meatballs, or pair it with my Pear Gorgonzola Salad.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love this Pumpkin Tomato Soup
- It’s delicious. Inspired by my Tuscan Pumpkin Pasta Sauce, which I want to eat directly with a spoon, I figured we could do that if we turned it into a soup!
- It’s fast to prepare. The only thing you have to chop is an onion (and maybe garlic, if you don’t use a microplane like I do). As soon as everything’s hot, it’s ready to serve.
- It’s dairy-free. If you’re serving someone with special dietary needs, this soup uses coconut milk as a dairy-free alternative to heavy cream. (But cream works, if you prefer.) It’s also gluten-free, Paleo, and vegan!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Pumpkin Puree. I use an entire can of pumpkin to keep things as easy as possible. If you prefer to cook a whole pumpkin, you can do that, too.
- Diced Tomatoes. I use canned diced tomatoes because it’s a common pantry ingredient; I’m hoping you won’t have to run to the grocery store to make this recipe! If you have a can of tomato sauce (without sugar added) that would work here, too.
- Dried Spices. Again, to keep things easy. Ground cinnamon and sage help add a Fall flare, and I like to add a pinch of cayenne pepper for some spice. (But that’s optional.)
- Coconut Milk. Adds dairy-free creaminess without significant coconut flavor. If you would rather use heavy cream instead, that is fine!
- Onion & Garlic. These are the only two things you’ll need to chop or mince to get started. I like to use a microplane to finely grate the garlic. If you want to add a little fresh ginger, that would be nice here, too!
For serving this soup, you might want to make a batch of roasted chickpeas for a crunchy topping, or add a little freshly minced sage on top.
How to Make Pumpkin Tomato Soup (Step by Step)
- Heat a 4-quart pot over medium-high heat, then add a drizzle of olive oil. Cook 1 chopped yellow onion for about 8 minutes, or until it’s soft and translucent.
- Add 2 minced garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon of ground sage, and 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional). Stir briefly, just until the spices smell fragrant.
- Add 1 cup of water to the pot and use a spatula to scrape the bottom. This will make sure none of the spices stick!
- Transfer the cooked onion, spices, and water to a high-speed blender. Add a 15-ounce can of diced tomatoes (including the juices) and pumpkin puree.
- Season the soup with 2 teaspoon of salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and up to 2 tablespoons of maple syrup. Secure the lid and blend until smooth.
- Taste the soup and adjust as needed. I usually add another 1/4 teaspoon of salt, but you can add this later. Pour the soup back into the pot and heat until it’s piping hot. Stir often.
- Pour 1/2 cup of coconut milk into the pot once the soup is hot. Stir well, then taste the soup again and make any necessary adjustments. If the soup is too sweet, you can add a squeeze of lemon juice. If it’s too salty, add a little more sweetness.
- Once you’re happy with the flavor, the soup is ready to serve warm with any toppings you love. Try crispy roasted chickpeas for a plant-based topping.
Pumpkin Tomato Soup Recipe FAQs
Yes, shockingly well. Since tomatoes are acidic and pumpkin leans sweet, they balance each other out in this soup. It still feels like you’re eating a savory tomato soup, but with a hint of Fall flavor. (It does not scream “pumpkin pie” at all.)
The secret to any good soup recipe is hitting all 5 flavors– sweet, salty, tangy, bitter, and umami. This one does a good job by adding a spicy element (cayenne), plus acidic tomatoes, savory spices, and sweetness from a touch of maple syrup. If you end up adding too much of something, you can usually balance it out! For example, if you make it too sweet, you can add more tangy or salty flavor. If you make it too salty, you can add more broth to dilute it, or sweetness to balance the saltiness.
Absolutely not. If you’ve ever tried my famous Chicken Vegetable Soup, Curry Chicken Soup, or Healthy Zuppa Toscana, you know you can make a flavorful soup without broth. Simmering water with veggies and spices is all you need.
More Healthy Pumpkin Recipes
If you try this Pumpkin Tomato Soup recipe, please leave a comment and star rating below to let me know what you think. Thanks for visiting!
Pumpkin Tomato Soup (Dairy-Free!)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion , chopped
- 2 garlic cloves , minced
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground sage (or freshly minced)
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper (omit for no spice)
- 1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes (don't drain)
- 1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin puree
- 2 cups water
- 2 teaspoons fine sea salt
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- ½ cup coconut milk
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a 4-quart pot over medium-high heat and sauté the onion until tender, about 8 minutes. Add the minced garlic, cinnamon, sage and sauté until fragrant, about one more minute.
- Pour 1 cup of the water into the pan and scrape the bottom with a spatula, just to make sure no spices stick. Then transfer this mixture to a high speed blender.
- Add the canned tomatoes, pumpkin, remaining 1 cup of water, salt, and maple syrup to the blender. Then secure the lid and blend until smooth, about 60 seconds.
- Pour the blended soup back into the pot and heat it up over medium-high heat. Stir often, so the heat is distributed evenly. Once the soup is starting to bubble, stir in the coconut milk. Taste the soup and add extra salt and black pepper, as desired. (I usually add ¼ teaspoon each of salt and black pepper.)
- Serve warm as soon as you're happy with the flavor. This pairs perfectly with a grilled cheese for dunking, or you can add roasted chickpeas for a crunchy topping.
Notes
Nutrition
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I used Agave instead of syrup. Also I put everything in my Vitamix, chopped fresh tomatoes, garlic, dried onion, cinnamon, some lemon basil, almond milk (what I had), sage, lemon juice. I eliminated the water since I had fresh tomatoes.
Delicious!!!
Ha! I was just getting on here to ask if you could make a soup based on your Tuscan Pumpkin Pasta Sauce because I find myself eating it by the spoonful out of the jar. So happy to find you already did!
I made this with slight modification of adding Cheyenne pepper and basil. Delicious 😋
Love this I’m vegan
….
I used fresh acorn squash instead of pumpkin, fresh garden tomatoes, turmeric, salt, cinnamon, maple syrup. Tasted delicious.
Made this today and it’s so easy and so yummy!!! Ate it as soup today and can’t wIt to use the leftovers as pasta sauce.
Delicious! Quick and easy for soup and sandwiches dinner.
Loved this soup! Can it be frozen?
I dreamed this one up cooked it and loved it at dinner with my wife I then found this site so I’ll share my version.
1/4 jap pumpkin
2 orange carrots
2 potatoes
Plenty fresh garlic 1 knob Spanish I used
1 Onion
2 fresh Jalapeno chillies mild
Himalayan salt to taste
Cooked it all in electronic pressure cooker 6 minutes with stainless steel inner pot no teflon here!!! blended with stick blender … you’ve gotta love one pot recipie.
Smoothed it out with half quart or 600mls buttermilk could have used coconut cream No extra heat.
Yum more than enough for 3 adults.made about 2.5 litres served it up with spinach leaves in the bottom of the soup bowls.
Thanks for sharing!
Perfect as per recipe, it came out beautifully, very tasty. Thanks,
I’m on the Whole30 and the maple syrup is a no-no. Can I do without it? Or will the soup lose a necessary dimension?
It’s definitely better with it, flavor wise, but I think if your taste buds adjust to being sugar-free during your whole 30, it might be okay without it. Or maybe you could try adding something like an apple for sweetness?