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A creamy and comforting pumpkin soup made with pumpkin puree, carrots, onion, warming spices, and finished with crispy bacon bits and crunchy croutons.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 4 slices bacon, cooked and chopped (save 2 tablespoons bacon fat)
  • 2 tablespoons bacon drippings (or butter as needed)
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • ½ cup shredded carrot (about 1 medium carrot)
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 2½ cups chicken broth
  • 1 teaspoon brown sugar
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 sprigs fresh thyme (or ¼ teaspoon dried thyme)
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree (make sure it’s puree, not pie filling)
  • ½ cup heavy whipping cream (plus extra for garnish) — or coconut milk for dairy-free
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, divided
  • ½ cup croutons (optional, for topping)

Instructions

  1. Cook bacon in a large pot over medium-high heat until crisp; transfer to paper towel and reserve 2 tablespoons bacon fat in the pot, adding butter if needed.
  2. Reduce heat to medium and add diced onion; cook until softened, about 3 minutes.
  3. Stir in shredded carrot and minced garlic; cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
  4. Add chicken broth, brown sugar, bay leaf, thyme sprigs, salt, pepper, and nutmeg; bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes.
  5. Stir in pumpkin puree and cream; simmer gently for 2–3 minutes.
  6. Remove the bay leaf and thyme stems.
  7. Puree the soup with an immersion blender (or in batches in a countertop blender) until smooth and silky.
  8. Stir in 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley.
  9. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with extra cream, croutons, crispy bacon, and remaining parsley. Serve warm.

Notes

Always use pumpkin puree, not sweetened pumpkin pie filling, to maintain savory balance., Sauté onion, carrot, and garlic in reserved bacon fat or butter for smoky depth., Keep soup at a gentle simmer after adding cream to avoid curdling., Use a regular blender if no immersion blender is available; vent lid slightly to release steam., For vegetarian/vegan version: skip bacon, use coconut oil or vegan butter, swap chicken broth for vegetable broth, and use coconut milk instead of cream., Adjust soup thickness by adding broth if too thick or simmer uncovered to thicken; adding cooked sweet potato adds body., Soup can be refrigerated up to 4 days or frozen up to 8 weeks., Garnish with cream or coconut milk, crispy bacon crumbles, crunchy croutons, and fresh parsley.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://gingerbaking.com/pumpkin-soup/