This Easy Pumpkin Soup Recipe for One with Pumpkin Spice is rich and creamy with complex savory flavor, and comes together in just 20 minutes!
Pumpkin soup is one of my favorite seasonal comfort foods and I make several different varieties of it. This one is fairly basic but aromatic with onion, garlic and fresh ginger, and complex-flavored because of the addition of pumpkin pie spice mix. I don’t add any sweetener here; instead, I use touch of a spice called fenugreek to add a hint of caramel-y maple flavor without adding sugar. This will become your go-to recipe when you have just half a cup of pumpkin left in the bottom of the can!
Canned Pumpkin
Is Canned Pumpkin Healthy?
In general, fresh fruit and vegetables are a healthier, more nutritious choice than canned; however, that is not the case with pumpkin! Canned pumpkin is loaded with nutrition, such as vitamins (vitamin A in particular), minerals (like potassium and iron), and fiber. (Read more about canned pumpkin on Mayo Clinic and Doctor Oz.)
Difference Between Canned Pumpkin and Pumpkin Pie Filling
Both canned pumpkin and pumpkin pie filling are sold in a can. Canned pumpkin is cooked, pureed pumpkin, while pumpkin pie filling is cooked, pureed pumpkin with added ingredients, such as pumpkin pie spice and sugar.
Do I Have to Cook Canned Pumpkin?
Canned pumpkin is pumpkin that is cooked and pureed; it doesn’t need to be cooked further. However, you can use it to make any number of things that are cooked, such as breads, cakes, cookies, pasta sauce, etc.
What to Make with Canned Pumpkin
One of the things I love most about canned pumpkin is its versatility; it’s great in both sweet and savory recipes! In addition to this Easy Pumpkin Soup Recipe for One, here are a few more of my favorite recipes that utilize canned pumpkin:
- Pumpkin Spice Latte Snack Cake with Brown Butter Buttercream
- Spiced Pumpkin Mac and Cheese with Brown Butter, Sage, and Pecan Topping
- No Bake Vegan Spiced Pumpkin Tart with Chocolate Ganache (Paleo)
- Spiced Pumpkin Scones with Cinnamon Pumpkin Cream
How to Eat Healthy on a Budget
What Foods are Cheap and Nutritious?
We all remember our college days when getting the most bang for your buck in terms of healthy, inexpensive food was crucial! Here are a few staple foods that are relatively nutritious and reasonably priced:
- Canned tuna
- Canned beans
- Canned tomatoes
- Canned pumpkin
- Frozen vegetables, such as green beans, cauliflower, broccoli, peas, spinach, etc.
- Potatoes
- Green cabbage
- Oatmeal
- Cottage cheese
- Yogurt
- Eggs
- Chicken drumsticks, thighs, or whole chicken
Inexpensive Meal Ideas
- Whole grain pasta with a jar of marinara sauce and browned ground beef
- Fried rice (brown rice with frozen mixed vegetables, egg, and soy sauce)
- Vegetarian refried bean tacos
- Chicken sausage sauteed with bell peppers and onions
Cheap Healthy Snacks
- Celery sticks with cream cheese
- Apple with peanut butter
- Carrot sticks with hummus
- Deviled eggs
- String cheese
Cooking for One
A lot of people tell me they either don’t know how to cook for one person, or don’t enjoy cooking for one. Here are few simple tips to make it as easy as possible:
- Plan ahead so you can make leftovers and store them in individual portions in the freezer
- Make enough protein so you have it ready for multiple meals, but only have to cook it once (for example, roast a chicken and have roast chicken dinner the first night, BBQ chicken salad another night, and chicken noodle soup after that)
- Wash and chop produce on the day you grocery shop and store it in the fridge, so during the week you’re ready to cook with it
More Savory Pumpkin Recipe Ideas:
- Savory Pumpkin and Cheese Stuffed Shells from An Edible Mosaic
- Pumpkin Ravioli with Brown Butter Sauce and Pecans from Julia’s Album
- Spicy Roasted Pumpkin Wedges from Where Is My Spoon?
- Sweet and Savory Pumpkin Empanadas from Katie’s Cucina
Easy Pumpkin Soup Recipe for One with Pumpkin Spice
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1/2 medium onion diced
- 1 small clove garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh-grated ginger
- 3/4 cup chicken bone broth or vegetable stock
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree canned or homemade; not pumpkin pie filling
- 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice mix
- 1 pinch fenugreek optional; see Note
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream
- 1 tablespoon roasted salted pumpkin seeds for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Add the butter to a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until starting to soften, but not brown, about 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and ginger and cook 1 minute more, stirring constantly.
- Add the broth, pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice mix, fenugreek, and a pinch of salt and black pepper. Bring to a boil, and then turn the heat down and simmer 5 minutes. Turn off the heat.
- Carefully puree the soup in a blender or using an immersion blender. Add the cream.
- Taste and add additional salt and black pepper as desired. Serve with the pumpkin seeds on top.
Faith's Tips
- Fenugreek: This spice adds subtle caramel and maple flavor notes without adding sugar. You can omit it if you like, and instead use 1 teaspoon pure maple syrup.
- To make this paleo, use ghee or olive oil instead of butter, and full-fat coconut milk instead of heavy whipping cream.
Nutrition
Disclosure: This post contains Amazon affiliate links to products I believe in, which means that even though it doesn’t cost you anything extra, I will receive a small amount of money from the sale of these items. Thank you for helping to support An Edible Mosaic!
I’m Faith Gorsky, the writer, cook, and photographer behind An Edible Mosaic. My goal is to inspire you to get in the kitchen and try something new! Feel free to 
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