Honey Roasted Butternut Pumpkin Soup

This Honey Roasted Butternut Pumpkin Soup is silky, sweet, and savory all at once. Butternut pumpkin is roasted with honey and nutmeg until the edges caramelize, then blended with onion, garlic, celery, and rosemary into a cozy bowl of pure autumn comfort.

As much as I love warm weather, I rejoice when the first cool, rainy day finally rolls around, because that means soup weather. A hot Brisbane summer is no time for a steaming bowl of soup, so this roasted pumpkin soup is always the first thing I make when the days start to turn. It takes about 15 minutes of hands-on work, and the oven does the rest.

While you're here, be sure to grab our FREE 5-Day Meatless Meal Plan. It's packed with tasty recipes to make vegetarian cooking easy and delicious!

Key Ingredients & Substitutions

• Butternut pumpkin. Butternut pumpkin is simply what Australians call butternut squash, so it's the exact same vegetable, just a different name. Its dense, nutty-sweet flesh roasts beautifully and blends up velvety smooth. Other pumpkins work well too: sugar (pie) pumpkin, kabocha, Kent (Jap) pumpkin, or Queensland Blue all make a lovely soup. Sweeter varieties may need a little less honey, and wetter ones may need a splash less stock. Skip large carving pumpkins, which tend to be stringy and bland. New to prepping squash? Here's how to roast butternut squash step by step.
• Honey. Tossing the pumpkin in honey before roasting gives it caramelized, golden edges and a gentle sweetness that balances the savory aromatics. A mild, runny honey like Nate's raw honey is easiest to toss. For a vegan version, use maple syrup instead (see Variations).
• Nutmeg and rosemary. Freshly grated nutmeg adds warmth without tasting like dessert, and fresh rosemary brings a woodsy, savory note. If you only have dried rosemary, use about 1 teaspoon and crumble it finely.
• Onion, garlic, and celery. These build the savory base of the soup. Brown onions are the same as yellow onions, and a leek makes a nice, milder swap.
• Vegetable stock. Use a good-quality store-bought stock or make your own vegetable broth from kitchen scraps. A low-sodium stock lets you control the salt.
• Cream. Just a couple of tablespoons stirred in at the end makes the soup rich and silky. Coconut cream, cashew cream, or a splash of oat milk all work, or you can leave it out entirely since the roasted pumpkin is already creamy.
• Olive oil. Used for roasting the pumpkin and softening the onions. Any neutral oil works, but extra virgin olive oil adds the best flavor.

Helpful Tips

Cut the pumpkin into even pieces. Chunks of about 1 inch (2.5 cm) roast evenly in 35 to 40 minutes. Larger wedges work too, but they take longer and the thin ends can scorch before the thick middles are soft.

Use a sheet pan and give it space. Spread the pumpkin in a single layer on a large rimmed sheet pan so it roasts instead of steams. Lining the pan with parchment paper is worth it here, because honey loves to caramelize onto bare metal.

Roast until caramelized, not just soft. Toss the pumpkin halfway through roasting, and wait until the edges are golden and a knife slides through the thickest piece easily. Those browned bits are where most of the flavor comes from.

Blend safely. An immersion blender lets you purée the soup right in the pot with minimal mess. If you prefer a countertop blender for an extra-silky texture, blend in batches, fill the jug no more than halfway, remove the center cap, and cover the opening with a folded kitchen towel so steam can escape.

Adjust at the end. Pumpkins vary a lot in sweetness and moisture. After blending, thin the soup with a little extra stock or water if it's too thick, then taste and add salt, pepper, or a squeeze of lemon juice to brighten it up.

Variations

• Vegan maple roasted pumpkin soup. Swap the honey for the same amount of pure maple syrup and use coconut cream or cashew cream instead of dairy cream. Maple adds a lovely, slightly smoky sweetness.
• Warm spiced. Add ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground ginger, and a pinch of cloves to the pumpkin along with the nutmeg for a cozy, pumpkin-spice-style soup.
• Smoky and savory. Roast the pumpkin with 1 teaspoon smoked paprika and ½ teaspoon ground cumin, and finish with a pinch of chili flakes.
• Curried pumpkin soup. Stir 1 to 2 teaspoons of curry powder into the onions and finish with coconut milk instead of cream. If you love that direction, try this Thai Pumpkin Soup with Coconut Milk.
• Sage and roasted garlic. Roast a whole head of garlic alongside the pumpkin, squeeze the soft cloves into the pot, and swap the rosemary for fresh sage.
• Extra veggies. Roast a couple of carrots or a sweet potato with the pumpkin for a deeper orange color and even more sweetness.

Serving Ideas

Crusty bread for dunking is a must. Finish each bowl with a swirl of cream or yogurt, a few toasted pumpkin seeds for crunch, a small sprig of rosemary, and a crack of black pepper. A drizzle of honey or a pinch of chili flakes on top is lovely too.

To turn it into a full meal, pair the soup with a melty sandwich like these Maple Sage Apple and Cheddar Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, or keep things lighter with a crisp Kale Avocado Salad. Served in small cups, it also makes an elegant starter for Thanksgiving or a holiday dinner party.

Storing & Freezing

Let the soup cool, then store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 to 5 days. It thickens as it sits, so add a splash of stock or water when you reheat it gently on the stovetop or in the microwave, stirring often.

This soup freezes beautifully for up to 3 months. For the best texture, freeze it before stirring in the cream, leaving a little room in the container for expansion. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then reheat over medium-low heat, whisk until smooth, and stir in the cream just before serving.

More Pumpkin Soup Recipes

If you loved this recipe, here are a few more you might enjoy:

• Lazy Roasted Pumpkin Soup (No Cream!)
• Spicy Butternut Squash Soup
• Pumpkin Cauliflower Rice Soup
• Creamy Curried Carrot Apple Soup

If you love vegan baking, make sure you grab a copy of my free vegan baking cheat sheet while you're here. It's packed with all my favorite plant-based substitutions to help you vegan-ize any recipe!

📖 Recipe

Honey Roasted Butternut Pumpkin Soup

from Oh My Veggies

Butternut pumpkin (butternut squash) roasted with honey and nutmeg, then blended with onion, garlic, celery, and rosemary into a silky, cozy soup. Easy to make vegan with maple syrup and coconut cream.

Print Pin Save Saved!

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 55 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Equipment

• Baking sheet
• large stock pot
• Immersion blender or a countertop blender

Ingredients 

US Customary - Metric

• 1 kg butternut pumpkin, about 2 ¼ lb (aka butternut squash), peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) chunks
• ¼ cup honey, or maple syrup for vegan
• ½ teaspoon grated nutmeg, freshly grated
• 3 tablespoon olive oil, divided
• sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
• 2 brown onions, (yellow onions), chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 sticks celery, chopped
• 1.25 litres vegetable stock, about 5 cups
• 1 tablespoon chopped rosemary, fresh, or 1 teaspoon dried
• 2 tablespoon cream, or coconut cream for dairy-free (optional)

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and line a large sheet pan with parchment paper.
• Place the pumpkin on the sheet pan and add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, the honey, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Toss until the pumpkin is evenly coated, then spread it in a single layer. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, tossing halfway, until the pumpkin is tender and caramelized at the edges.
• While the pumpkin roasts, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large stock pot over medium-low heat. Add the onion, garlic, and celery and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and golden. Lower the heat if the onion starts to brown too quickly.
• Add the roasted pumpkin (and any honey from the pan), the stock, and the rosemary to the pot. Bring to a simmer, then purée with an immersion blender until completely smooth. Alternatively, carefully blend in batches in a countertop blender, filling it no more than halfway and venting the lid, then return the soup to the pot.
• Return the pot to medium-low heat and stir in the cream. Simmer gently for 2 to 3 minutes, then taste and adjust the seasoning. Thin with a little extra stock if the soup is too thick.
• Ladle into bowls and serve with crusty bread.

Notes

Other pumpkins: Sugar pumpkin, kabocha, or Kent pumpkin work in place of butternut. Adjust the honey and stock to taste, since pumpkins vary in sweetness and moisture.

Vegan: Use maple syrup instead of honey and coconut cream instead of cream.

Storage: Refrigerate for up to 4 to 5 days. Freeze for up to 3 months, ideally before adding the cream.

Nutrition (estimated per serving)

Calories: 342kcalCarbohydrates: 58gProtein: 4gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 8mgSodium: 1274mgPotassium: 1045mgFiber: 7gSugar: 28gVitamin A: 27453IUVitamin C: 58mgCalcium: 158mgIron: 2mg

Course: Soup

Cuisine: vegetarian

Diet: Vegetarian

Keyword: Delicious Everyday, honey roasted pumpkin soup, pumpkin soup, roasted butternut squash soup

Craving more veg-friendly recipes? Shop our collection of vegetarian and vegan cookbooks, including our new Vegan Thanksgiving and Vegan Christmas cookbooks!