Spicy Pumpkin Soup
by Sommer Collier — last updated on Aug 8, 2025 
This Spicy Pumpkin Soup recipe is satisfying and nutritious, bold and rich with southwest flavor. Made silky smooth without cream, my vegan and gluten-free pumpkin soup is a comfort to the soul.
Sommer’s Recipe Notes
A good bowl of soup can be as comforting as a silent prayer. A warm blanket. A letter from a friend. And this spicy pumpkin soup is the definition of wholesome and seasonal.
I love this particular pumpkin soup recipe because it’s rich and zesty with deep earthy undertones. Strong southwest flavors of onion, garlic, jalapeno, cumin, and oregano mingle with the savory-sweet pumpkin, to create a rustic soup, hearty enough to be a stand-alone meal.
Why You’ll Love Spicy Pumpkin Soup
- Nutritious – This recipe is naturally vegetarian and with a few changes, you can easily make it vegan.
- Bold flavors – From the savory spices to the creamy pumpkin base, every spoonful of this soup is loaded with impressive flavors.
- Easy to make – Ready in less than 1 hour, this soup required just a handful of easy-to-follow steps.
Oh, and did I mention that this pumpkin soup recipe uses canned pumpkin, so there is no need to roast a full pumpkin!
Ingredients and Tips
- Pumpkin purée – Make your life easier and use canned, pure pumpkin puree!
- White beans – For protein, use the canned variety.
- Jalapeño – Remember to remove the seeds!
- Onion and garlic – Use white onion and whole cloves of garlic.
- Honey – Use a high-quality honey to add a hint of sweetness.
- Spices – You’ll need a blend of cumin, dried oregano and cayenne.
- Garnishes – Use pepitas (pumpkin seeds) and French fried onions like French’s.
Recipe Variations and Dietary Swaps
- Vegan – Swap the honey with agave or a little bit of maple syrup.
- Creamy – Stir in some coconut milk or heavy cream.
- Protein boost – Add a handful of chickpeas or shredded chicken.
How To Make Spicy Pumpkin Soup
Tips for success – An immersion blender is nice to have for this recipe, but you can use a standard blender as well.
Find the full Spicy Pumpkin Soup recipe with detailed instructions and storage tips in the printable form at the bottom of the post!
Storage Notes
- Storing Leftovers – Place in a leftover container and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Freezing Leftovers – Store in a freezer-safe bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw before reheating.
- Reheating Leftovers – Reheat in a pot over medium heat or in the microwave in short bursts.
Serving Suggestions
This spicy pumpkin soup is a meal in itself but there’s so many sides to enjoy it with!
Pair it with this Gourmet Grilled Cheese or this Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread. You can also enjoy it with a light and simple green salad.
Spicy Pumpkin Soup Recipe
Ingredients
For the Spicy Pumpkin Soup:
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 large onion, peeled and chopped
- 5 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
- 1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
- 1 1/2 tablespoons ground cumin
- 1 1/2 tablespoons dried oregano
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 8 cups vegetable stock
- 29 ounces pure pumpkin puree
- 15 ounces white beans, drained
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons honey
For the Toasted Pepita Topping:
- 1/2 cup pepitas pumpkin seeds
- 1 cup french fried onions like French’s
- Cayenne
- Salt
Instructions
- Place a large sauce pot over medium-high heat. Add the oil, onion, garlic and jalapenos. Saute for 3-5 minutes until soft. Stir in the cumin, oregano and salt. Saute another 2 minutes.
- Add the stock, pumpkin puree and beans to the pot. Simmer for 20 minutes, uncovered. Then add the vinegar and honey and simmer another 3-5 minutes.
- Use an immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth. *You can also use a regular blender, but be careful! Open the vent in the lid and place a towel over it to protect from hot splashing liquid.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Spread the pepitas and onions out on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with a dash or two of cayenne pepper and a little salt. Toast for 3-4 minutes.
- Serve the soup warm, sprinkled with toasted pepitas and onions.
Notes
Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions
Definitely! You can roast your own pumpkins or winter squash for this recipe and use the flesh as the pumpkin puree. The medium-sized pumpkin are easiest to slice and roast and have a good amount of flesh in the middle.
If you need the soup to be thicker, add a bit of extra canned pumpkin puree and it will thicken right up! Start with 1-2 tablespoons and continue adding if you need to, to create a thick and creamy pumpkin soup.
YUM! Sounds fabulous
this was so good! saved in my bookmarks!
So glad you liked it, Luna!
I never leave comments but just have to on this. I followed the recipe exactly. Honestly, it tastes awful. Made it for a soup bash tonight, and will not take it.
It is not thick , like the picture shows. It is very watery and tastes like nothing in particular, especially pumpkin. The liquid is spicy. though.
I wonder if it was a mistake in the recipe to use 8 cups veggie stock. That sounds like too much.
Hi Camille, So sorry it didn’t turn out!
I’ve made this more than a dozen times and everyone always loves it. It’s hard to say what might have happened without seeing or tasting it, but is there a chance you covered the pot while cooking and it wasn’t able to reduce?
Kitchen table wisdom with healthy deliciousness…”body and soul.” To my mind, an evolution and a revolution. Count me in.
This recipe is great! I’m making it today with 2 leftover pumpkins that weren’t carved for halloween.
I really like your writing style and photography.
Thanks so much! Great recipe–I used it as the healthy/adult alternative to a small Halloween get together where pizza was the main dish. A friend begged for the leftovers. :)
I need last minute help! Just wanted to double check that the cumin and oregano were tablespoons and not teaspoons. This recipes looks so delish, thank you!
Yes, the proportions in the recipe are correct. Let me know how it turns out. :)
I forgot to ask! What is the serving recommendation for this recipe? Is it for one, two, three or four? Meaning, how much does this particular recipe make?
It serves 8! (Shown at the top of the recipe.) :)
Looks really good but how do I find out the calories or WW points plus?
Hi Laurie, I don’t really focus on calories or WW points, but try this nutritional fact calculator: http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-calculator.asp
I bet it will give you a pretty good idea! :)
So, what is the actual recipe? All we have here is images. No actual listing of ingredients, proportions and instructions. Is there a list somewhere, or this hosted elsewhere to show the recipe?
Hi Phillip! Sorry about that… I had a little glitch on my site this morning. Try clearing your browser “cache” and you should be able to see it.
Perfect!
Thank you so much. We are looking to eat more healthy, as a family, as I have been having some major medical issues over the last few years. This is one very awesome sounding soup, so we want to give it a try.
Appreciate all you do!
Awe, thanks Phillip! :)
By the way, French Fried Onions are NOT Gluten Free….
Although the recipe looks really good I would like to point out that French’s Fried onion are not gluten free. I am sure there are gluten free fried onions but if you are making this for a friend which gluten sensitivity you should read the ingredients on the fried onions and omit if necessary. Thanks
Yes, I am strictly gluten free (not by choice) and fried onion rings are not gluten free (they cannot be picked off either because they contaminate the soup) and honey isn’t vegan. Leaving them out and replacing honey with maple syrup would work well to make it actually vegan and gluten free.