Pumpkin and Sweet Potato Soup (Creamy and Roasted)

Pumpkin and sweet potato soup is a creamy fall soup made with roasted vegetables, chicken stock, and a splash of heavy cream. Maple syrup, cinnamon, and nutmeg bring out its natural sweetness, while a sprinkle of roasted pepitas adds a little crunch.

I like to serve this Fall soup as a light meal, but it also makes a lovely Thanksgiving starter. Serve it with a slice of buttermilk cornbread for supper, or try my creamy sweet potato soup recipe if you don’t have a pumpkin.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Your oven does most of the work. Once the vegetables are tender, the soup comes together on the stovetop.
• No peeling raw pumpkin. Roast it with the skin on, then easily peel off the skin with your fingers once it’s cool enough to handle.
• It’s versatile. Serve it for a warming Fall lunch, a light supper, or a small first course at Thanksgiving.

Key Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

A complete list of ingredients with measurements is listed in the recipe card

• Pie or sugar pumpkin: Use a pumpkin weighing about 3 pounds. Choose one that feels heavy for its size and has no soft spots. Small cooking pumpkins give you better flavor and texture than the large pumpkins sold for carving.
• Sweet potato: Use one medium or large sweet potato. A medium one is about 8½ ounces as a size guide, but a larger one works too; there’s no need to match the weight exactly. It adds body and natural sweetness. An orange-fleshed sweet potato gives the soup its warm fall color.
• Chicken stock: I’ve made this with both homemade rotisserie chicken stock and purchased stock, and both work well. Vegetable stock is an option for a vegetarian version.
• Heavy cream: Adds richness to the blended soup. Half-and-half is an alternative already included in my recipe card, though the soup will be a little less rich.
• Pure maple syrup: Use 100% pure maple syrup. It complements the pumpkin and sweet potato, so taste the finished soup before adding more.
• Cinnamon, nutmeg, and kosher salt: These are divided between roasting the vegetables and finishing the soup. Keep the second portion handy so it doesn’t all end up on the baking sheet.
• Optional toppings: Crème fraîche and roasted pepitas add creamy tang and crunch. Sour cream can replace the crème fraîche.

Recipe Variations and Shortcuts

• Canned pumpkin shortcut: Replace the fresh pumpkin with 2-3 cups of plain canned pumpkin puree. Do not use pumpkin pie filling. Roast the sweet potato as directed, then add the puree to the pot with the roasted sweet potato, stock, and maple syrup. You’ll miss some of the roasted-pumpkin flavor, but it saves the cutting and roasting of a whole pumpkin.
• Dairy-free option: Substitute unsweetened canned coconut milk for the heavy cream and omit the crème fraîche or sour cream. Coconut milk can change the flavor. Unsweetened almond milk is another option from my original notes, but it gives a less rich result.
• A different topping: Try chopped stovetop candied pecans instead of pepitas for a sweet, crunchy finish.

How to Make Pumpkin and Sweet Potato Soup

1. Prepare the vegetables. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Wash and dry the pumpkin and sweet potato. On a stable cutting board, carefully cut the pumpkin into quarters or smaller pieces. Scrape out the seeds and stringy fibers with a spoon; a serrated grapefruit spoon is handy here. Cut the sweet potato in half lengthwise. Leave the skins on.

2. Season for roasting. Place the pumpkin and sweet potato on a rimmed baking sheet with the exposed flesh facing up. Brush the flesh with the olive oil. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, and ¼ teaspoon nutmeg. Reserve the remaining seasonings for the soup.

3. Roast until tender. Bake for 30-45 minutes, or until a fork slides easily into both vegetables. Larger pieces may take longer. If one vegetable finishes first, remove it and let the other keep roasting.

4. Remove the skins. Let the vegetables cool until you can handle them comfortably. Pull away the skins or scoop the flesh out with a spoon.

5. Place in a Dutch oven. Transfer the flesh to a large saucepan or Dutch oven and mash the larger pieces with a potato masher.

6. Add the stock and syrup. Add the chicken stock and maple syrup. Cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mixture begins to simmer.

7. Blend until smooth. Remove the pot from the heat and use an immersion blender to puree the soup. Keep the blender head submerged to prevent splashing. If using a countertop blender, let the soup cool slightly and blend in small batches, following your blender’s instructions for warm liquids and steam venting. Return the soup to the pot.

8. Finish and serve. Over low heat, stir in the cream and the remaining 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, and ¼ teaspoon nutmeg. Heat gently until warmed through. Taste before adding more seasoning or syrup. Ladle into bowls and, if desired, top with crème fraîche and roasted pepitas.

Sharon’s Tips

• Use tenderness as your guide. Firm pumpkin or sweet potato won’t blend into a velvety soup. Check both before removing them from the oven.
• Adjust the thickness at the end. Pumpkin size and moisture vary. If the soup is thicker than you like, stir in a little additional stock at a time.
• Keep the heat gentle after adding cream. Stir regularly to keep the thick soup from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
• Taste before adding extra sweetness. The recipe already includes maple syrup, and the vegetables contribute sweetness too.
• Add toppings to individual bowls. This keeps the pepitas crunchy and lets everyone choose their own finishing touch.

From My Kitchen

I make this soup with homemade stock when I have it, but purchased stock works well too. I’m a big fan of Better Than Bouillon Roasted Chicken Base. I’ve also made this soup with a russet potato instead of sweet potato, and I’ve left the potato out entirely. Both were still good, but the sweet potato version gives you that lovely combination of creamy texture and natural sweetness.

What to serve with Pumpkin and Sweet Potato Soup

• For a light lunch or supper, pair a bowl with broccoli cheddar cornbread muffins or a fall harvest salad with apples and sweet potatoes.
• For Thanksgiving, serve smaller portions as a first course, with the crème fraîche and pepitas added just before the bowls go to the table. A little soup leaves room for the rest of the feast, and we all know my old-fashioned cornbread dressing deserves the lion’s share of plate space.

Make-Ahead, Storage, and Reheating

• Make ahead and refrigerate: Divide the soup into shallow containers and refrigerate promptly, within 2 hours of cooking. Store covered for up to 3-4 days. Add the toppings when serving.
• Freeze: Freeze in airtight, freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months for best quality, leaving room for expansion. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Cream-based soup may separate slightly after freezing; stir or briefly blend it after reheating to help restore the texture.
• Reheat: Warm on the stovetop over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until it reaches 165°F. Add a splash of stock if it has thickened. Reheat only the portion you plan to serve.

Pumpkin and Sweet Potato Soup FAQs

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Join the Conversation

Did you serve this soup for a Fall supper or as a holiday starter? Leave a comment and a star rating below. I’d love to hear how it turned out, what you served it with, and which toppings you chose!

More Easy Soup Recipes with a Little Southern Comfort in Each Bowl

If you’re a soup fan like me, you might also like my other quick, easy, and delicious Fall soup recipes.

Final Thoughts

A little time in the oven gives this simple soup its roasted flavor, and the toppings make it feel special without much extra work. It’s a simple way to bring pumpkin and sweet potato to the table beyond the usual pies and casseroles.