Roast Pumpkin Sweet Potato Soup Recipe
This roasted pumpkin sweet potato soup is the simplest and easiest soup recipe that you can make. Also, roasting the veggies brings out the sweetness of the vegetables and adds to the velvety texture of the soup.
Pumpkin, a member of the squash family, is celebrated for its vibrant orange color and slightly sweet, earthy flavor. Pumpkins are commonly used in both sweet and savory dishes, from classic pumpkin pie to hearty stews. Their smooth, creamy texture, when cooked, makes them perfect for purees and soups, adding a comforting, autumnal touch to any recipe.
Sweet potatoes are a nutrient-dense root vegetable known for their natural sweetness and rich, orange flesh. Sweet potatoes are incredibly versatile and can be prepared in various ways, including baking, boiling, and roasting. Their sweet, caramelized flavor and creamy texture make them a popular choice for both savory dishes and desserts. They pair well with a variety of spices, enhancing their naturally delightful taste.
Roasting pumpkin and sweet potato is a fantastic way to bring out their natural sweetness and deepen their flavors, making them an excellent base for a delicious soup. The caramelization that occurs during roasting adds a rich, complex taste that elevates the soup beyond the ordinary. Simply cut the pumpkin and sweet potatoes into chunks, toss them with olive oil and your favorite spices, and roast until tender and slightly golden. Once roasted, blend them with vegetable or chicken broth and a touch of cream or coconut milk for added richness. The result is a velvety, flavorful soup that is both comforting and nutritious, perfect for warming up on a cool day.
Why make this homemade soup?
- Nutrient-Rich and Healthy: Both pumpkin and sweet potatoes are packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Pumpkin is rich in vitamin A, which supports eye health, while sweet potatoes provide a good amount of fiber and vitamin C. This soup is a wholesome way to boost your nutritional intake.
- Rich, Comforting Flavor: Roasting the pumpkin and sweet potatoes enhances their natural sweetness and adds a depth of flavor to the soup. The caramelized edges and slightly smoky taste create a rich and comforting dish that is perfect for cozy meals.
- Easy to Make: Homemade roast pumpkin sweet potato soup is straightforward to prepare. Simply roast the vegetables, blend them with broth and spices, and simmer until all the flavors meld together. It’s a minimal-effort recipe that yields delicious results.
- Versatile and Customizable: This soup can be easily adapted to suit different tastes and dietary needs. Add a splash of coconut milk for creaminess, spices like cinnamon and nutmeg for warmth, or a bit of chili for heat. It can also be made vegan or gluten-free, making it a versatile option for various dietary preferences.
Ingredients and substitutes
- Pumpkin – The best pumpkin for soup is, of course, sugar pie pumpkins. If you use another pumpkin, you can add a tablespoon of honey or maple syrup to enhance the flavor.
- Sweet potatoes – I like using orange sweet potatoes, which enhance the soup’s pretty color, but any variety works.
- Onion – I love to use Spanish red onion for my soups. And, roasting them further brings out their sweetness.
- Garlic – A little goes a long way with fresh garlic. And yet, the moment you roast them, they turn from pungent to sweet, so instead of 1 raw garlic clove, you can use 3 roasted garlic cloves!
- Dairy – I’m using regular full-fat 3% milk. But you can use half-and-half, 20% cream, and skimmed milk. If you want to make this a vegan soup, simply replace the milk with coconut milk.
- Butter – Enhances the flavor of our soup. I like a little more butter when it comes to a sweet potato, but feel free to reduce it.
- Stock – I’m using homemade stock. And yet, you can use store-bought as well. If you do use store-bought stock, make sure to under-season the soup as carton stocks have salt added to them.
Step-by-step: Roasted pumpkin sweet potato soup
Roast veggies
- Preheat the oven to 325°F/165 °C/Gas Mark 3. Line a baking tray with aluminum foil and spray with oil to prevent sticking.
Pro tip – You can also use parchment paper. Lining the tray makes cleanup easy. - Clean and cut the sweet potato in half lengthways. Peel and chop the pumpkin into large chunks. Slice onions and leave the garlic skin on.
Pro tip – Use a sturdy chopping board and a sharp chef’s knife, and be careful, as these are tough veggies to cut. - Place the veggies (pumpkin, sweet potato, onions, and garlic) on the baking tray. Drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.
Pro tip– Do not crowd the baking tray. I used two medium baking trays instead of one.
- Roast in the oven for about 40 to 60 minutes or until the veggies are soft and tender.
Pro tip – The edges should be slightly caramelized. The onions and garlic will be softer, darker, and caramelized, which is very delicious. - Let the veggies cool for 10 minutes. Then, peel the sweet potato and garlic.
Pro tip – The garlic will be soft, so just squeeze the pulp out instead of peeling. You can also use a spoon to scoop all the flesh away from the sweet potato skin.
Make soup
- Add all veggies to a large pot or stockpot along with the butter, bay leaves, and stock.
Pro tip – Because we roasted everything, we do not need to saute the veggies. - Place on medium heat and simmer for about 5 to 7 minutes until it comes to a boil.
Pro tip – The veggies will be very mushy, and the soup will be very thick and chunky, which is ok. - Remove bay leaves and use a hand mixer to blend everything until smooth.
Pro tip – If using a stand blender, cool the soup for a few minutes and be very careful, as the hot soup can splash out and cause serious burns.
- Next, add the milk or cream and stir well. Season with salt and pepper. If necessary, add more water to bring the soup to a soupy consistency.
Pro tip – If using milk, do not overheat the soup as it can cause the milk to split. Alternatively, adding 1 tsp of cornstarch to the milk will prevent the milk from splitting. - Remove from heat. Serve in soup bowls with toasted croutons or bread. Top with a drizzle of cream or a dab of butter.
Pro tip – The soup gets thicker as it cools, so you may need to adjust consistency again before serving by adding a little more hot water.
Tips for Success
- Roasting veggies caramelizes the sugars and brings out the natural sweetness in the vegetables.
- If possible, make your own homemade stock. This makes a huge difference to homemade soups.
- If you use store-bought stock, make sure to under-season your vegetables, as commercial stocks often contain a lot of salt.
- You don’t always need butter or cream for every soup. Vegetables with high fiber, like potatoes, sweet potatoes, pumpkins, and butternut squash, become very creamy when cooked and pulsed. This means you can eat them more often if you make them healthier.
- Often, a tab of butter or cream on the top adds that touch of flavor you need in a soup. So add just that 1/2 tsp of butter or 1 tbsp of cream on the top as garnish.
- Yogurt and milk are great alternatives to full-fat cream. Having said that, both milk and yogurt can split when added to soups. So add them warm and at the last minute. Then, turn the heat off. OR
- A teaspoon of cornstarch in every cup of milk will prevent the milk from splitting.
- While yogurt is a great low-fat addition to soups, it can add a bit of tang, which may or may not work with all vegetables.
- Cream of Cauliflower Soup or Cream of Broccoli Soup
- Ground Beef Soup or chicken pot pie soup
- Green Pea Soup Recipe or Split pea soup
- Roast Butternut Squash Soup
- See all soup recipes
Frequently asked questions
Keep it stored in an airtight container; the soup should last 3-5 days in the fridge. You can also keep it in the freezer for up to 3 months. Always thaw in the fridge overnight for best results.
You can roast the sweet potato and pumpkin 2 to 4 days ahead and save them in the refrigerator or freeze them for up to 3 months.
Yes, most pumpkins will work for soup. However, sugar or pie pumpkins are ideal as they are sweeter and less watery than the large carving varieties.
You can blend in some cooked cauliflower or use coconut milk for a dairy-free creamy alternative.
Some popular toppings include roasted pumpkin seeds, croutons, fresh herbs, a drizzle of olive oil, or a dollop of sour cream or yogurt.
While you can blend the soup to a very smooth consistency, be cautious not to blend so long that it becomes too frothy or incorporates too much air.
For our family, a side salad or sauteed veggies with some homemade fresh bread on the side makes a complete meal. Try
garlic sesame asparagus, parmesan asparagus, or sesame green beans. Some cheesy baked eggplant slices, lemon rosemary potatoes, or roasted dill potatoes
Roast Pumpkin Sweet Potato Soup
This roast pumpkin sweet potato soup is the simplest and easiest soup recipe that you can make. Also, roasting the veggies brings out the sweetness of the vegetables and adds to the velvet texture of the soup.
Video
Ingredients
- 1 lb (450 g) Pumpkin cut into 4 inch cubes
- 1 lb (450 g) Sweet potato Cut in half lengthways
- 1 cup Onion roughly sliced
- 3 cloves Garlic skin-on
- 1 tbsp Olive oil for drizzling on veggies
- 2 tbsp Butter
- 2 cups (470 ml) Stock vegetable or chicken
- 3 Bay leaves
- 2 cups (470 ml) Milk or half and half or cream
- ½ tsp Salt
- ½ tsp Pepper
Method
- Preheat oven to 325°F/ 165°C/ Gas Mark 3. Line a baking tray with aluminum foil and spray with oil to prevent sticking. Pro tip – you can also use parchment paper. Lining the tray makes for easy cleanup.
- Clean and cut the sweet potato in half lengthways. Peel, and chop pumpkin in large chunks. Slice onions and leave the garlic skin on. Pro tip – Use a sturdy chopping board and a sharp chef's knife and be careful as these are tough veggies to cut.1 lb Pumpkin, 1 lb Sweet potato, 1 cup Onion, 3 cloves Garlic
- Place the veggies (pumpkin, sweet potato, onions, and garlic) on the baking tray. Drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.Pro tip– Do not crowd the baking tray. I used two medium baking trays instead of one.1 tbsp Olive oil, ½ tsp Salt, ½ tsp Pepper
- Roast in the oven for about 40 to 60 mins or until the veggies are soft and tender. Pro tip – The edges should be slightly caramelized. The onions and garlic will be softer, darker, and caramelized, which is very delicious.
- Let the veggies cool for 10 minutes. Then, peel the sweet potato and garlic. Pro tip – The garlic will be soft, so just squeeze the pulp out instead of peeling. You can also use a spoon to scoop all the flesh away from the sweet potato skin.
- Add all veggies to a soup pot or stockpot along with the butter, bay leaves, and stock. Pro tip – because we roasted everything we do not need to saute the veggies.2 tbsp Butter, 3 Bay leaves, 2 cups Stock
- Place on medium heat and cook for about 5 to 7 minutes until it comes to a boil. Pro tip – The veggies will be very mushy and the soup will be very thick and chunky which is ok.
- Remove bay leaves and use a hand mixer to blend everything until smoothPro tip – If using a stand blender, cool the soup for a few minutes and be very careful as the hot soup can splash out and cause serious burns.
- Next, add the milk or cream and combine well. Season with salt and pepper. If necessary add more water to bring the soup to a soupy consistency. Pro tip – If using milk do not overheat the soup as it can cause the milk to split. Alternatively, adding 1 tsp of cornstarch to the milk will prevent the milk from splitting.2 cups Milk
- Remove from heat. Serve in soup bowls with toasted croutons or bread. Top with a drizzle of cream or dab of butter. Pro tip – The soup gets thicker as it cools, so you may need to adjust consistency again before serving by adding a little more hot water.
Notes
- Roasting veggies caramelizes the sugars and brings out the natural sweetness in the vegetables.
- If possible make your own homemade stock. This makes a huge difference to homemade soups.
- If you use ready-to-use store-bought stock make sure to under season your vegetables as commercial stocks have tons of salt added to them.
- You don’t always need butter or cream for every soup. Vegetables with high fiber like potato, sweet potato, pumpkin, and butternut squash, become very creamy when cooked and pulsed. This means you can eat them more often if you make them healthier.
- Often a tab of butter or cream on the top adds that touch of flavor you need in a soup. So add just that 1/2 tsp of butter or 1 tbsp of cream on the top as garnish.
- Yogurt and milk are great alternatives to full-fat cream. Having said that both milk and yogurt can split when added to soups. So add them warm and at the last minute. Then, turn the heat off. OR
- A teaspoon of cornstarch in every cup of milk will prevent the milk from splitting.
- While yogurt is a great low-fat addition to soups, it can add a bit of tang which may or may not work with all vegetables.
Equipment you will need
Nutrition
Tried this recipe?
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I followed this recipe to the letter, including the pro-tips, with the exception of half-n-half instead of cream. The roasting of the vegetables, pumpkin and sweet potato, took nearly twice as long as indicated and still did not get to a texture that mixed well. I even used a Ninja mixer to ensure it would be creamed appropriately. I believe the final product had too much milk. The color was almost beige rather than rich orange color of pumpkin and sweet potato. The flavor of the vegetables was hardly noticeable. It was also extremely runny. For the effort it took to make this recipe, combined with the final texture and flavor, I wouldn’t recommend this to anyone. Very disappointed.
I’m sorry to hear that Joni but 4 cups of liquid for 2 pounds of veggies is not a lot. As you can see in the video the soup is thick!!
I made it yesterday and it was soo delicious , I didn’t measure the potato and the pumpkin , and forgot to add butter but it was yummy . Thanks for the recipe and for the clear instructions too ^^
Thank you, Hanane for the lovely feedback. I am so happy your family enjoyed this soup.
Soo yummy, its become a staple in our household. love the flavors. I used coconut milk instead of cream this time and it still turned out great. Like you mentioned in your tips, cream isnt even needed. We usually just puree it as is without cream/milk and it turns out great.
Thank you, Manjini. I am so happy to hear that
Made this soup last year was so good had to come looking for the recipe again. Love the new look on your blog. Love how you explain your recipes so beautifully. Thanks
Thank you, Saniya. So happy you had success with this soup recipe and enjoyed it since last year. Thanks for coming back to write this comment. Appreciate feedback. Have a great day.
I like that This soup is healthy but still has just a little bit extra to be indulgent too with butter and cream/milk. Pumpkin and seeet potatoes are a great soup combo – I also have soup recipe featuring these two vegetables
Thank you Julia.. You are right.. this is the perfect combo for soup and so comforting during winters. Truly a comfort food and not to heavy.
Homemade soups are always so good. Love the simplicity of ingredients that make such a flavourful dish. Perfect for this cold weather. Awesome leftovers too.
It sure is perfect for this weather now – It’s really cold over here Gloria. Thanks
This soup sounds fantastic Veena! And pretty healthy too. I should make some of this for my family this week, with coconut milk instead of cream since we have dairy allergies 🙂
Oh I love the sound of coconut milk in that instead of cream. I usually use Almond milk instead. Aadi love coconut but can’t always handle it in everything. Thanks Sarah
Sounds like a wonderful combination! I love roasted pumpkin soup, and I love sweet potatoes so I think that I’m gonna love this.
I bet you gonna love this… Do give it a try and let me know. Thanks Diana
What a cozy and delicious fall/winter soup! I love it!
It sure is a comforting soup Valentina. Thanks