This Pumpkin Sweet Potato Soup recipe is the perfect fall comfort food. Creamy coconut milk gets paired with cozy fall spices in this warm dish, made even easier by using canned pumpkin instead of fresh. Cook up this healthy meal for lunch or dinner, or serve it at your Thanksgiving table. (gluten free, dairy free, paleo, Whole30)
This soup is the perfect dish for fall – it’s warm, cozy, creamy, and tastes like autumn.
The pumpkin in this soup is there, but subtle and mellowed out a bit by the sweet potato. So if you’re a pumpkin fan you’ll get just enough, but if you’re not a fan it’s not overwhelming.
While this soup would be great for a light lunch or as part of dinner, it would also be fun to serve in soup shooters or as a part of Thanksgiving dinner. Any way you serve it, it’s bound to be a hit.
Why you’ll love this sweet potato pumpkin soup
- The soup has amazing flavor – it’s bascially fall in a bowl (or cup!).
- It’s rich and creamy without being heavy, thanks to using coconut milk instead of heavy cream.
- The recipe is very versatile – you can use different veggies, different toppings, serve it as an appetizer or with lunch or dinner.
Ingredients
- Canned pumpkin – make sure to get pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling.
- Sweet potato – any kind will do, though I used the type with the orange flesh.
- Broth – vegetable or chicken broth work for this recipe. Use vegetable broth to make this soup vegan.
- Coconut milk – use full fat to make the soup creamy. Light coconut milk won’t work as well. You could also use a can of coconut cream instead.
- Oil – coconut oil works great in this soup, but avocado or olive oil work well too.
- Onion – any type you have is fine.
- Spices – I used ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and ground black pepper. And though it’s techinically not a spice, I also used a bay leaf to lend flavor.
- Kosher salt – I always use Diamond Crystal brand. If you’re using a different brand start out by adding a little less then tasting the soup at the end and adding more if necessary. See this article on the differences of salt by Cooks Illustrated to learn more.
- Pepitas (aka pumpkin seeds) – I used these as a garnish. You could also use toasted pecans.
I’ve written condensed directions here including pictures so you can see how to make this recipe. The full set of detailed instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
Before you scroll through, there is important information throughout this post.
How to make this paleo pumpkin soup
- Heat the oven to 400F. Slice a sweet potato in two and roast it for 30-40 minutes. When done, set aside to cool for 10 minutes.
- While sweet potato is cooling, dice about ½ cup of an onion.
- Put a large pot over medium heat and add 1 tbsp of coconut oil. Dump in the diced onion and ⅛ tsp of kosher salt.
- While the onion is cooking, peel and roughly chop the roasted sweet potato.
- Measure out the ground cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg and add them to the pot, along with the sweet potato. Stir to incorporate.
- Pour in the chicken broth and canned pumpkin puree and stir. Add in a bay leaf and bring to a boil over high heat. Decrease the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Remove the pot from the heat and let cool 5-10 minutes. Take out the bay leaf then use an immersion blender to combine everything together.
- Add 1 cup of full fat coconut milk and blend again until the soup reaches a smooth consistency. Add ground black pepper and more kosher salt until the soup tastes as you like it (start in ½ tsp increments for the salt). Spoon into bowls and serve.
What to serve with pumpkin soup
You can use this soup as a main course, as a side, or serve just a cup as an appetizer. Either way there are lots of great options to serve with or after pumpkin soup! Here are just a couple.
- Bread or rolls – just make sure they are gluten free.
- Crackers – our family love the Simple Mills almond flour ones.
- A salad – you can serve a light one like this pear salad recipe, or you can do a heartier version like this chicken salad with pears.
- Grilled meat – particularly pork. Grilled pork tenderloin or even smoked pork chops would both work well with this soup.
- Stuffing! This soup works great as part of a Thanksgiving meal and a gluten free stuffing would go great after this soup.
FAQ
Check out these answers to commonly asked questions about pumpkin soup.
What's the best pumpkin to use for soup?
The best pumpkin for soup is canned pumpkin! If you want to use fresh, use a sugar pumpkin (also called a pie pumpkin). They are smaller than regular pumpkins, with a slightly sweeter flavor and a less grainy flesh texture.
How long will this soup keep?
This soup will keep 3-5 days when stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
What part of the pumpkin do you use for the soup?
If you’re going to use a fresh pumpkin instead of canned, you’ll want to roast it with the sweet potato. Cut it in half, scoop out the seeds, then cook it in the oven until the flesh is tender enough to stick a fork all the way through. Scoop out the flesh and add it to the pot at the same time as the sweet potato. You may need to add more broth as roasted pumpkin won’t be as thin as canned pumpkin.
What kind of toppings can you add?
I like to top this soup with pepitas (pumpkin seeds). You could also top it with toasted nuts like pecans, walnuts, or pine nuts. Or you could simply drizzle a little coconut milk on top and add a twist of freshly ground black pepper.
Recipe tips and substitutions
- You could sub in another root vegetable if you’re out of sweet potato – carrots, Japanese yam, or even beets would work.
- If you can’t find canned pumpkin, try using a different type of canned squash like butternut, acorn, or kabocha.
- To make this soup vegetarian and vegan, use vegetable broth insted of chicken stock.
More cold weather, comfort food recipes to check out:
- Homemade Meat Sauce (GF, DF, Paleo, Whole30)
- Kabocha Squash Soup (GF, DF, Paleo, Whole30)
- Instant Pot Chicken Thighs & Rice (GF, DF)
- Curry Chicken Zoodle Bowl (GF, DF, Paleo, Whole30)
- Curried Butternut Squash Soup (GF, DF, Paleo, Whole30)
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Pumpkin Sweet Potato Soup (GF, DF, Paleo, Whole30)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp coconut oil melted
- ½ c diced onion
- ⅝ tsp kosher salt divided (plus more to taste)
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ginger
- ⅛ tsp nutmeg & cloves
- 1 lb sweet potato roasted
- 15 oz canned pumpkin
- 2 c chicken or veggie broth
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ tsp kosher salt + more to taste (in ½ tsp increments)
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- 1 c full fat coconut milk
- Pepitas or pecans toasted or raw (optional, for garnish)
Instructions
- Heat oven to 400 F. Use a sharp knife and cutting board to cut a sweet potato in half lengthwise. Set on a baking sheet with parchment paper and cook for 30-40 mins, until soft all the way through in both halves. Let cool for 10-15 minutes, then peel the skin away and cut the potato into chunks. Set aside.
- Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add in diced onion and ⅛ tsp kosher salt and stir with a wooden spoon, cooking for 3-4 minutes until onion is cooked through and translucent.
- While onion is cooking, measure out the ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves into a small bowl and stir to combine. Once onion is cooked through, add the spices to the pot. Add in the cut sweet potato and stir together for a minute or two.
- Pour in the canned pumpkin and broth, stirring to combine. Add in the bay leaf then increase to high heat to bring the pot to a boil. Reduce heat to low and let simmer for 15 minutes.
- When the 15 minutes are done, remove the pot from the heat and let cool for 5-10 minutes. Remove the bay leaf then use an immersion blender to combine everything together.
- Add in the full fat coconut milk and continue using the immersion blender until the soup reaches a smooth consistency. Add ground black pepper and more kosher salt until the soup tastes as you like it, starting in ½ tsp increments for the salt. Serve with a swirl of additional full fat coconut milk, some freshly cracked pepper, and a sprinkle of pepitas or pecans!
Lori
Pumpkin soup is my fav and I love the addition of sweet potatoes in this one!! So creamy and good!!
Taryn Solie
Yay, thank you Lori!