Easy Keto Pumpkin Soup Recipe
A comforting keto pumpkin soup that’s creamy, delicious and perfect for chilly days! It’s gluten free, sugar free and a breeze to make!
Easy keto pumpkin soup recipe
I love a warm bowl of soup now that the weather is getting colder. I’m excited to bring you one of my favorite soup recipes. This keto pumpkin soup is my go to when pumpkins are in season.
This bowl of creamy goodness is delicious with a spice kick without being yet another boring pumpkin soup.
I love how versatile this pumpkin soup is. There is so many flavors and ingredients you can add to this soup to make your taste buds sing.
And it’s so easy to make. This pumpkin soup with canned pumpkin puree makes it a cinch to make and it comes together in just under 20 minutes.
Is pumpkin keto friendly?
Yes, pumpkin is keto friendly – in moderation.
It’s loaded with vitamins Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin E and other essential nutrients too. A 1/2 cup serving of pumpkin puree contains 6% of the fiber you need in a day.
A half cup of cooked pumpkin has 6 grams of total carbs and about 4.5 to 5 grams of net carbs. So you can easily include pumpkin into your keto diet.
To learn more about pumpkins in the keto diet, check out this article : Is pumpkin keto friendly?
Ingredients
You only need a few pantry staples to make this amazing soup.
- Canned pumpkin – you want to use the pure canned pumpkin puree for this. If you want to use fresh pumpkin see how to prepare below.
- Chicken broth/stock – flavors the soup. A chicken bullion cube also works well instead of broth.
- Heavy cream – use coconut cream for a dairy free version
- Onion – we would use a half of a small onion for the soup. You can skip this and use onion powder. Nothing beats the flavor of sautéed onion in butter.
- Garlic – minced garlic cloves to be sautéed along with onion.
- Butter – I like using butter to sauté the onions and garlic for the soup. But avocado oil, coconut oil or light olive oil would work in a pinch.
How to use fresh pumpkin for the pumpkin soup
I like using canned pumpkin for the ease of use. If you’d like to use fresh pumpkins, look for baking pumpkins like “sugar pumpkins” or “pie pumpkins”. These are small pumpkins ideal for cooking. You want to avoid the big Jack O’ Lantern pumpkins for cooking – leave it for decorating.
Cut the pumpkin in half and discard the seeds and strings. Brush the flesh of the pumpkin with oil and bake in a preheated oven at 375 degree Fahrenheit for about 40 minutes or until it is cooked enough you’d easily be able to mash it. Remove from the oven and let it cool. Scoop out the flesh and mash it.
The seeds can be dried and hulled. You can use these pumpkin seeds called “pepitas” raw or roasted. They make a great snack. Use pepitas to garnish the soup.
You’d need an equivalent amount of fresh pumpkin puree as canned – 15 oz. or 1 3/4 cup.
How to make
I like to sauté the aromatics – onion and garlic – in butter to enhance the flavor of the soup.
When the onions sweat, add the pumpkin puree, broth, salt, pepper and pinch of cayenne pepper.
Stir and once it comes to a boil, simmer for about 10 minutes.
Then use an immersion blender(stick blender) to blend until smooth and creamy. Add the heavy cream and let it heat through.
Serve with pepitas, a splash of heavy cream or sour cream and croutons made with low carb bread.
I like to have my soup with some croutons made out of low carb bread. To make them, cut a few slices of low carb bread into cubes. Toss them with a bit of oil and salt. Air fry them at 350 degree Fahrenheit for about 5 minutes until crisp. Or you can bake them in the oven until nice and crisp.
Variations on keto pumpkin soup
While the plain pumpkin soup is tastes amazing, it’s nice to switch things up by adding other flavors! Here are a few suggestions I like:
- Keto Thai pumpkin soup with coconut milk – If you love Thai flavors you’ll love this take on the soup. Start by sautéing onions and garlic till the onions sweat. Add 1 tablespoon of Thai red curry paste and sauté until fragrant. Add the pumpkin puree, a cup of coconut milk and 2.5 cups chicken stock. Add a pinch of sweetener to taste. Bring to boil and simmer for about 10 minutes. Blend until creamy.
- Keto pumpkin soup with bacon – start by frying one or two strips of bacon until crispy. Remove the bacon and sauté onions and garlic in the bacon grease until onions sweat. Proceed with the rest of the recipe, i.e. add pumpkin puree, chicken stock. Serve the soup with crumbled bacon.
- Curried Keto pumpkin soup – sauté onion in oil. When the onions sweat, add minced garlic and 1 tsp minced ginger. Sauté until fragrant. Add 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp coriander, 1/2 tsp turmeric powder, and 1/4 tsp red chili powder. Sauté the spices for a minute. Take care not to burn them. Then proceed with the recipe. Stir in a pinch of garam masala in the soup before serving.
Storing keto pumpkin soup
Pumpkin soup will keep in the fridge for 4 to 5 days. Or can be frozen for 3 months. Thaw and reheat on the stove top or in the microwave.
Frozen creamy soups have a tendency to separate when reheated. If you plan to freeze the soup, cook the soup without cream and freeze it. The you can add the cream once you thawed the soup and reheat it.
More Keto pumpkin recipes
If you love pumpkin, you’ll love this pumpkin recipes on the blog.
- Keto Pumpkin Cheesecake Fat bombs
- Keto Pumpkin Spice Latte
- The Best Keto Pumpkin Mug Cake
- Keto Pumpkin Cold Brew {Starbucks Copycat}
Recipe
Easy Keto Pumpkin Soup
Equipment
- Immersion blender
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1/2 small onion chopped
- 2 to 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 15 oz. can pumpkin puree
- 3 1/2 cups chicken stock
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
Garnishing
- low carb bread croutons
- pepitas or pumpkin seeds
Instructions
- Heat the butter in a pot. Once the butter is melted, add onions and garlic. Sauté till onions start to sweat.
- Add the pumpkin puree, chicken stock, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper and nutmeg and stir.
- Bring to boil then simmer for about 10 minutes.
- Remove from heat and use a stick blender to blend until smooth.
- Bring the pot to the stove, add cream and heat it through.
- Serve with low carb croutons and pumpkin seeds. You can sprinkle some freshly ground black pepper or chili flakes on top.
Notes
- You can use fresh pumpkin instead of canned. See the post for how to prepare fresh pumpkins.
- You can puree the soup in the blender too. Let the soup cool lightly before transferring to the blender. Blending hot soup will end up in a disaster. Use a kitchen cloth to hold onto the lid and sides of the blender when blending.
- For variations on the pumpkin soup see the post for suggestions and quantities.
- Nutrition data is for one serving with cream and net carbs is 5.4 grams per serving.
