Slow Cooker Pumpkin Soup

Slow cooker pumpkin soup will be your new favorite autumn recipe! It’s cozy, super simple to whip together, and loaded with flavor!

I don’t know why I don’t use my slow cooker more! I love recipes that come together when you’re not even thinking about them! It’s a multitasker’s dream!

This soup requires you to just dump everything into your slow cooker and then blend it. The effort level is around zero… ok, maybe one. And the best part? Leftovers reheat deliciously!

This soup is great for meal prep or make ahead meals and you can really dress it up and top with with whatever goodies you like!

Ingredients & Substitutions for Slow Cooker Pumpkin Soup

• Vegetable Broth. This is the base of the recipe! It keeps the recipe vegan/vegetarian, but if you’re in a pinch and don’t mind, you can use chicken broth.
• Pumpkin Purée. This is what makes the whole pumpkin soup pumpkin! We’re using a whole can of pumpkin but if you have homemade pumpkin purée, that works too! Just measure it out and use about 15 oz.
• Onion. I feel like any good soup has some onion in it. It adds so much flavor and is just so delish and adds a perfect balance to the sweet pumpkin.
• Carrots. The carrots add to the orange color and some more veg sweetness to this soup!
• Coconut Sugar. The pumpkin is pretty sweet but the coconut sugar adds a really perfect balance to this soup. It’s not an overly sweet soup so don’t worry about adding a bit more sweetness with the coconut sugar. If you don’t want coconut sugar, you can use another granular sweetener or even a sticky sweetener like honey, maple syrup, or agave nectar would work!
• Garlic. Always. Garlic.
• Ginger. Mm it adds the perfect spice and brightness to this soup! I like to keep my ginger in the freezer so I can just break off a nub or grate it whenever I need.
• Chili Powder. We’re not using a lot, but it adds the best kind of spice to this soup. It’s definitely not a spicy soup, but this chili powder adds a delicious depth to the flavor palette.
• Cinnamon. So cozy and autumn-y! Cinnamon and pumpkin are such a delicious combo and make this pumpkin soup recipe so comforting and cozy!
• Salt. You need some salt to bring out all the flavors and have them come together!
• Unsweetened Coconut Cream. We’re going to stir this in after it’s slow cooked and blended. It lightens up the soup, adds a creaminess, and balances the sweet and spice! If you don’t have coconut cream you can use regular dairy cream or whole milk.

How to Make Slow Cooker Pumpkin Soup

1. Slow cook. Add all the ingredients to the slow cooker and give it a stir. Slow cook it on high for 2 hours or low for 4 hours.
2. Blend. Use an immersion blender or transfer everything to your standing blender and blend until smooth.
3. Stir. Stir in the coconut cream. You can either blend it again to incorporate it or just stir it with a spoon.
4. Bowl it. Ladle the pumpkin soup into bowls.
5. Top it! Sprinkle the soup with nuts, seeds, fried sage, grated cheese, a drizzle of cream, croutons, whatever you like!
6. Enjoy!! Eat it immediately or store it in an airtight container and save it for later 🙂

Variations

Switch the squash. I mean it is pumpkin soup and pumpkin soup is pretty great in this because it’s seasonal, sweet, and a beautiful color. But, you can definitely use cubed butternut squash or acorn squash instead.

Use heavy cream. I’m using coconut cream in this recipe but you can definitely stir in heavy cream instead! It will make it super indulgent and rich.

Swap spices. We’re using chili powder and cinnamon but you can also add some turmeric, cumin, and paprika!

What to Top My Slow Cooker Pumpkin Soup With:

The possibilities for topping this soup are endless! The soup is so creamy and smooth that the garnish can really add some fun texture and extra flavor to this soup.

• Nuts & Seeds. I used pecans, but pumpkin seeds, toasted pine nuts, toasted slivered almonds, hemp hearts, and more!
• Puffed Quinoa. I’m obsessed with puffed quinoa. Typically I use it in desserts but it’s such a fun texture and totally plays on savory dishes as well!
• Cheese. Grate some Parmesan cheese or shredded cheddar on top.
• Sour Cream or Crème Fraîche. Add a counterpoint to the sweet spiced soup with a tart sour cream or crème fraîche!
• Croutons. I mean, tell me a crusty, cheesy, garlic piece of sourdough or homemade croutons doesn’t sound amazing?
• Cream. Drizzle the top of your soup with cream or coconut cream. Not only is it so beautiful but really fun way to add some creaminess to eat bite.
• Bacon. I mean, how amazing does it sound to fry up some bacon pieces and top this soup with it? Swoon!
• All the above. I mean, go crazy! Pick three of the above (I feel like three is good) and have fun topping your soup with the different combos!

How to Store Leftovers

Fridge. Store the soup in an airtight container for about 1 week. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop until heated through and reaches your desired temperature.

Freeze. You can also freeze this soup in an airtight container for about 3 months. Reheat it in the microwave or on the stovetop until heated through and reaches your temperature.