Mediterranean Pumpkin Soup Recipe

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Here is a delicious Mediterranean pumpkin soup recipe that you can make with fresh pumpkin or home-canned pumpkin. It’s super healthy and simple to put together. It’s also very easy to turn this Mediterranean pumpkin soup into a vegan pumpkin soup by using olive oil instead of butter and vegetable stock instead of chicken broth.


There is nothing like a large pot of soup simmering on the stovetop in a cold winter or fall night. It literally gives the whole house this cozy, comfortable atmosphere.

Soups are also pretty simple to make and this Mediterranean Pumpkin soup recipe is no different.

A little bit of chopping and a little bit of stirring and you have a healthy, hearty meal for a cold and cozy night at home.

Mediterranean Pumpkin Soup Recipe…

A simple and delicious Mediterranean pumpkin soup recipe that is healthy, creamy, and filling. Garnish with parsley, cilantro, or celery leaves. Serve with croutons and roasted pumpkin seeds.

Pumpkin soup is a regular soup around here during the fall and well into the winter simply because of the availability of pumpkins.

There are so many of them around and there are so many great ways to use them. I love making feta and pumpkin salad, pumpkin and beetroot salad, low-sugar pumpkin bread, and this amazing pumpkin cheesecake.

And I love making this delicious pumpkin soup. This recipe is inspired by my home country, Israel, where we eat a whole lot of fresh vegetables with just about every meal.

It’s healthy and creamy and filling. I make a large pot and if I have any leftovers I usually freeze them in jars or in a ziplock bag for later.

Canned Pumpkin or Fresh Pumpkin?

Homemade canned pumpkin.

I always prefer using fresh vegetables or vegetables that I canned myself. In this recipe, I used my own canned pumpkin.

I used 8 cups of canned pumpkin cubes. If you are using fresh pumpkin, use the same exact amount, 8 cups of diced pumpkin. There is no need to roast the pumpkin before you make the soup. Just peel your pumpkin, clean it from seeds, and dice it. You will add it to the recipe the same way as I do below.

I do recommend that you make this soup with fresh pumpkin or with your own canned pumpkin (or you can use frozen pumpkin puree). The variety of pumpkin that you use doesn’t matter. You can use a pie pumpkin or a carving pumpkin.

Ingredients for Mediterranean Pumpkin Soup…

As with pretty much every Israeli dish we are going to start with diced onion and some garlic cloves. These two give pretty much every dish a great taste.

To my Mediterranean pumpkin soup, I also add some carrots and one sweet potato. They add to the orange color of the soup and they make it sweeter.

I love frying the vegetables in butter and adding chicken broth to this soup. If you’d like to make it a vegan soup it’s an easy change. Just use olive oil or coconut oil instead of the butter and vegetable stock instead of the chicken stock.

As far as seasonings go, I prefer keeping it simple with just salt and black pepper. With the flavor of the butter, onions, garlic, vegetables, and chicken stock, there is already so much great flavor going on in this pumpkin soup that I don’t feel the need to ruin it with fall spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, and such.

Tools That We Are Going to Use…

Let’s gather just a few things to make this Mediterranean soup happen…

Cutting board and knife – to dice the vegetables.

Soup pot – this can be any pot that is large enough. It’s always better to use a heavy-bottomed pot.

Wooden spoon – to stir things around.

Immersion blender – to blend the soup into smooth goodness.

How to Make Mediterranean Pumpkin Soup…

Diced onions.

I start by dicing one large onion…

Diced garlic cloves.

Then I peel and dice six garlic cloves…

Diced carrots.

And then I peel and dice four carrots.

Peeled and diced sweet potato.

Lastly, I peel and dice one large sweet potato.

All of the diced vegetables ready for soup.

Once all the vegetables are ready it’s time to cook this pumpkin soup!

Melting butter in the pot.

I start by adding three tablespoons of butter to the soup pot. I turn the heat to high and let the butter melt all the way before I start adding the vegetables.

Frying onions.

First, I add the diced onion. I turn the heat to medium-high and stir the onions frequently. We want to cook the onions for 10 minutes or so, until they are translucent, just before they start browning.

Adding garlic to the diced onions.

Next, I add the garlic, stir and let it cook for a couple of minutes…

Adding vegetables.

After a couple of minutes, I add the carrots and sweet potatoes and stir them in. I cook them for five minutes or so…

Adding chicken broth to the pot.

Before I add 8 cups of chicken stock.

Getting ready to add the canned pumpkin.

Now is the time to add 8 cups of pumpkin. If you are using home canned pumpkin like me, make sure to drain it before you add it to the soup. If you are using fresh pumpkin, just go ahead and add it.

Cooking the mediterranean pumpkin soup.

Once I had everything in there I cover the pot and bring it to a boil. Then I lower the heat to keep a gentle, rolling boil for 30-45 minutes until the carrots and sweet potatoes are soft. 

Using an immersion blender to puree the soup.

Once the vegetables are soft, remove the pot from the heat and let it sit for a couple of minutes before blending it.

You don’t have to blend this soup, you can leave large chunks of vegetables if you prefer. But one of the best things about pumpkin soup is its creaminess in my opinion. This soup is especially creamy because of the sweet potato so I like to use my immersion blender and blend it.

Cooking the pumpkin soup a little more.

Now, all we have left to do is to season this delicious Mediterranean pumpkin soup with salt and pepper to taste.

Serving Mediterranean Pumpkin Soup…

Serving Mediterranean Pumpkin Soup Recipe.

I had some old bread on hand so I also made simple croutons. I diced the bread and placed it on a baking sheet then covered it lightly with olive oil, garlic powder, salt, and pepper and baked it in a 350 degree Fahrenheit preheated oven for 15 minutes or so. 

We also love adding some cream to each serving. It adds even more richness to the soup.

And lastly, for garnish, I love to add some chopped fresh parsley, cilantro, or some celery leaves if I can get my hands on them. Roasted pumpkin seeds are another great addition.

You can serve this soup with a toast as a meal or you can serve it as a first course. It’s so rich and filling though, so for us it’s usually a meal.


I hope that you’ll give this recipe a try! Let me know in the comments below how it turned out for you. I’d love to get your feedback!

If you liked this recipe, you might also like my pumpkin salad with lentils or try my Israeli yellow split pea soup which is one of my favorites. We all need a good bean soup recipe on hand and make sure to make this simple no-knead artisan bread along with the soups.

Mediterranean Pumpkin Soup Recipe

Mediterranean Pumpkin Soup Recipe

Yield: 12 - 12 bowls
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes

A simple yet rich and delicious Mediterranean pumpkin soup recipe.

Ingredients

  • 8 cups diced fresh pumpkin or home-canned pumpkin
  • 1 large onion diced
  • 3 tablespoons of butter (or vegan oil of some sort if you want to make this soup vegan)
  • 6 garlic cloves peeled and diced
  • 4 carrots peeled and diced
  • 1 sweet potato peeled and diced
  • 3 tablespoons salted butter
  • 8 cups of chicken stock
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Optional for Serving...

  • Croutons and/or cream
  • Garnish with chopped cilantro, parsley, or roasted pumpkin seeds

Instructions

  1. Add the butter to a soup pot and turn the heat to high. Let the butter melt.
  2. Add the diced onions and turn the heat to medium-high. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Fry the onion until it is translucent, just before it starts browning.
  3. Add the garlic and stir. Let it cook for a couple of minutes.
  4. Add the carrots and sweet potato. Stir them in and let cook for five minutes.
  5. Add 8 cups of chicken stock and the pumpkin. Stir and bring to a boil.
  6. Lower the heat and simmer for 30-45 minutes or until the vegetables are soft.
  7. Remove from the heat and let the soup cool a little bit. Then, use an immersion blender to blend the soup until smooth.
  8. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  9. Serve with croutons or a piece of garlic toast. Garnish with chopped cilantro, parsley, or celery leaves. Roasted pumpkin seeds are also a great addition.

Notes

I used 8 cups of canned pumpkin cubes. If you are using fresh pumpkin, use the same exact amount, 8 cups of diced pumpkin. There is no need to roast the pumpkin before you make the soup. Just peel your pumpkin, remove the seeds, and dice it.

I do recommend that you make this soup with fresh pumpkin or with your own canned pumpkin. The variety of pumpkin that you use doesn't matter. You can use a pie pumpkin or a carving pumpkin.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1 bowl
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 172Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 15mgSodium: 312mgCarbohydrates: 21gFiber: 4gSugar: 8gProtein: 7g

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3 Comments

  1. As I was on my vegan diet, it saddened me think that I would miss out on so many good recipes now! But to my surprise, things turned out pretty good for me with the Mediterranean pumpkin soup recipe that I found out here. If you are fan of pumpkins just like me then of course, you should try out this one!

    1. I’m so glad that you liked it! There are so many amazing vegan dishes!

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