This Slow Cooker Pumpkin Soup is made with pumpkin puree, sweet potatoes, onion and the best sweet and savory blend of fall spices. Simply add the ingredients to a slow cooker in the morning and enjoy a hearty, warm pumpkin soup at night!
Cooking with pumpkin is one of my favorite ways to welcome the cooler weather and change of seasons. It goes well with both sweet and savory recipes and pairs well with some of my favorite warm and cozy spices.
For a sweet pumpkin treat, try my Pumpkin Banana Muffins with Maple Swirl.
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Why You'll Love this Recipe
- Naturally vegan and gluten-free. This pumpkin soup is made with vegetable broth and without cream, making it suitable for most dietary restrictions. If you're vegan, you'll also love my Creamy Vegan Pumpkin Pasta Sauce.
- Can be served as a main or a side. If you are looking to serve slow cooker pumpkin soup as a side dish, serve it with my Pan Seared Chicken, Easy Baked Halibut, or Prosciutto-Wrapped Stuffed Chicken Breasts.
- Freezer-friendly. Since this pumpkin and sweet potato soup does not contain any cream or dairy, you don't have to worry about the soup separating once frozen. Freeze for up to six months for best results.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Pumpkin puree - For the quickest, easiest dinner, make pumpkin soup with canned pumpkin. No need to put in the work to prep and roast your own pumpkins ahead of time! Make sure to use canned pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling.
- Sweet potatoes - Fresh, peeled sweet potatoes add the perfect sweetness to this slow cooker pumpkin soup. I used classic garnet sweet potatoes with orange flesh.
- Onion - The sharp, savoriness of the yellow onion balances the sweetness of the pumpkin and sweet potato. Using fresh onions is essential - substituting onion powder is not recommended.
- Spices - You'll need a blend of salt, pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg paprika, and bay leaves. For a smokier slow cooker pumpkin soup, use smoked paprika in place of the paprika.
See the recipe card below for the remaining ingredients and quantities.
Variations
- Sweet potato substitutions: Try cubed butternut squash, yams or another type of squash like Honeynut squash, acorn squash, or delicata squash.
- Veggie broth substitutions: If you'd like, use chicken broth or beef broth. You could also use a low-sodium variety if you are sensitive to sodium.
- Pumpkin puree options: I used a can of pumpkin puree, however, you can make your own pumpkin puree at home. Alternatively, you can use butternut squash puree.
Instructions
- Prep the sweet potatoes and onion. I recommend peeling the sweet potatoes first to make it extra easy to blend silky smooth. Then, cut the onion and sweet potato into wedges or triangles. It does not need to be very small or the exact same size - it will get blended smooth in the end. A rough chop is completely okay.
- Add all ingredients to the slow cooker bowl. Stir to combine until evenly distributed. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.
- Blend until smooth. Turn off the slow cooker, remove the bay leaf, then blend the soup until smooth with an immersion blender.
- Serve. Serve warm with crusty bread or additional side dishes like roasted vegetables or salads.
Recipe FAQs
This slow cooker pumpkin soup tastes rich and creamy without cream, however, if you'd like to add cream, full-fat coconut milk or heavy cream are the best options to use in pumpkin soup.
If your soup is grainy, chances are your sweet potatoes were not fork-tender. Make sure the potatoes are cooked through all the way to avoid a grainy texture. This pumpkin and sweet potato soup should be velvety smooth.
No, the sweet potato and pumpkin soup can be blended warm. When using an immersion blender to blend a hot soup smooth, start on a very low setting on the immersion blender to prevent splatter. Slowly increase power as needed. This will help avoid making a mess or potentially burning yourself.
Yes, but be very careful and do so in small batches. Read how to puree soup in a blender to learn how to do so safely.
Top Tips
- Know that each slow cooker works differently. Depending on the brand and age of your slow cooker, yours may run hotter or colder than mine. If your slow cooker tends to run on the hotter side, cooking for 6 hours may work best for you. I have not attempted to cook this slow cooker pumpkin soup in the Instant Pot using the slow cooker function. If you choose to do so, adjustments to the cooking time may be needed.
- Cut the recipe in half for a smaller slow cooker. I developed this recipe using a 6 qt slow cooker. If you use a smaller slow cooker, I'd recommend halving the ingredients.
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🍳Recipe
Slow Cooker Pumpkin and Sweet Potato Soup
Equipment
- Cutting board
Ingredients
- 1 yellow onion, cut into wedges
- 1 can pumpkin puree
- 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into large pieces
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 cups vegetable broth
Instructions
- Begin by prepping your ingredients. Cut the onion and sweet potato into wedges or triangles. The pieces don't have to be very small or exactly the same size.
- Add all of the ingredients to a slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours or until the potatoes are fork tender.
- Turn off the slow cooker, blend the soup with an immersion blender and serve.
Notes
- Know that each slow cooker works differently. Depending on the brand and age of your slow cooker, yours may run hotter or colder than mine. If your slow cooker tends to run on the hotter side, cooking for 6 hours may work best for you. I have not attempted to cook this slow cooker pumpkin soup in the Instant Pot using the slow cooker function. If you choose to do so, adjustments to the cook time may be needed.
- Cut the recipe in half for a smaller slow cooker. I developed this recipe using a 6 qt slow cooker. If you are using a smaller slow cooker, I'd recommend halving the ingredients.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.
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