This recipe and blog post for Creamy Southwestern Pumpkin Soup were originally published on October 1, 2021. The blog post was updated and republished on November 8, 2024.
Over the years, I’ve eaten countless bowls of pumpkin soup during the fall and winter months, and I have to say I’ve enjoyed every single one of them! Each of those recipes for pumpkin soup were similar as they were all flavorful, pureed pumpkin soups, but no two recipes were exactly the same.
It’s safe to declare that, in general, I’m big fan of pumpkin soup. Yes… BIG fan!
However, I do have an absolute favorite recipe for pumpkin soup, and it’s not sweet… it’s spicy!
A pot of this rich, Creamy Southwestern Pumpkin soup is one way to make any fall supper fabulous because it’s just seriously delicious.
How to make Creamy Southwestern Pumpkin Soup
This soup is made with what I consider to be pantry-staple ingredients: pumpkin puree, potatoes, onion, fresh jalapeño peppers, chicken broth, cilantro, garlic, cumin, chili powder, white pepper, corn starch, a small measure of sugar, and lime juice.
The veggies are cooked in chicken broth until they are are fork-tender, and then this flavorful soup is pureed and served hot. This spicy pumpkin soup is so good as it is, but plating it up with a few extra colors and textures on top really makes the warm amber color of this soup pop. I like to plate the soup with a healthy dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt in the center as well as a sprinkle of crunchy pepitas, and more chopped, fresh cilantro around the rim of the bowl. We really do eat with our eyes first, y’all!! 😉
This soup is an autumnal flavor party with a jazzy little bit of heat mixed in, and I honestly think it’s the best pumpkin soup on the planet. 💘
To date this is the only pumpkin soup recipe I’ve shared on Little Fish, but do keep and a look out for more in the future.
There are so many tasty recipes for pumpkin soup in the world, yet so little time to cook!
Happy eating and happy fall, y’all! 🍲🍂🍁🎃
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Creamy Southwestern Pumpkin Soup
Course: MainCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy8
servings20
minutes30
minutesThis Creamy Southwestern Pumpkin Soup is packed with bold flavors: smoky spices, earthy pumpkin, and a jazzy little bit of heat. A bowl of this flavorful soup will definitely warm you up on a chilly night! This is not your mama’s pumpkin soup! 🙂
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil or butter
1-2 medium jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped (to taste) *see notes below
1/2 cup sweet yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium Russet potatoes, peeled and chopped (about 2 cups)
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4-1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
6 cups chicken broth (or use vegetable broth for vegetarian soup)
2 tablespoons corn starch
1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree
1/4-1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro or fresh Italian parsley, to taste
1 level tablespoon sugar (optional, skip if you prefer this soup to be low carb)
1/2 cup half and half (I use fat free half and half)
2 tablespoon lime juice
- optional ingredients for garnish
fresh cilantro leaves
green onions
sour cream
pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
pickled or fresh jalapeño slices
Directions
- In a large Dutch oven, heat up the olive oil to a medium heat. Add the chopped onion and jalapeno. Sauté for 3 minutes. Add the chopped potatoes and garlic. Sauté all vegetables another 2 minutes stirring often.
- Add in all of the spices and stir well. Add the broth to the pot and bring to a boil. Cook the soup for 10-15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the sugar, canned pumpkin and the fresh cilantro or parsley. Stir until all ingredients are well combined.
- Use a ladle to transfer the soup to the jar of a blender or a food processor (this will likely have to be done in two batches). Add the cornstarch to the soup in the blender jar. Close the lid and process until the smooth. Stop to clean the sides of the blender jar or stir, if necessary. Repeat this process until all the soup is pureed, and then return all the soup back to the Dutch oven. Or, if you prefer to use a stick blender inside the pot, add the corn starch just before you start blending the soup.
- Bring the pot back just to a boil and then remove it from the heat. Stir in the lime juice and then the half and half. Stir the soup very well.
- Ladle the soup into individual serving bowls and garnish as you prefer with the suggested toppings. Serve warm and enjoy!
Notes
- *if you prefer a soup with less hot spice, sub in 1/2 of a medium bell pepper, seeded and chopped in place of the jalapenos.
- Recipe from A Little Fish in the Kitchen Blog at www.atlittlefishinthekitchen.com. All content is owned by Marcelle G. Bolton. Please contact the author for permission to republish.
Marcelle,
looks great!
Hi Charlie, thank you so much!!
Wow that’s quite a list of ingredients. I’ll bet this soup is great!
Yum! Pumpkin makes terrific soup. Love the chile in it. Good stuff — thanks.
This looks fantastic, Marcelle. Pumpkins are coming into the market now here, and I think it would be fun to make the soup with fresh pumpkin.
Creamy, warming and so tasty! A perfect soup for the season.
It’s really flavorful! Thank you, Angie!!