Pumpkin Soup with Maple Bacon Onions

This classic pumpkin soup recipe is quick and easy to make and so delicious. It’s been our go-to pumpkin soup for years now. We love it because it’s creamy (but without using cream) and full of flavor. The maple bacon caramelized onions really take it to the next level.

It’s officially pumpkin soup season, and this is the pumpkin soup recipe I make every single year. It’s creamy, cozy, and topped with the most unbelievable maple bacon onions. It’s very similar to my curried pumpkin soup with maple ginger caramelized onions, but this version leans more classic in flavor—and yes, it has bacon. Enough said.

What really makes this pumpkin soup special are those maple bacon onions (they’re honestly hard not to eat straight from the pan). The soup itself is rich, creamy, and full of fall flavor, with just a touch of curry powder and fresh ginger to complement the pumpkin without overpowering it. I also sneak in an apple as it cooks, which adds a gentle sweetness without any sugar. From start to finish, you can have a warm, comforting bowl on the table in about 35 minutes—including the time it takes to make those magical onions.

Is canned or fresh pumpkin better to use in soup?

Peeling and cutting a pumpkin is a big pain in the neck. While we usually opt for fresh ingredients around here, canned pumpkin is so much easier to prepare (just open the can!) and works just as well as fresh pumpkin. This is the canned pumpkin that we always use.

Pumpkin soup toppings

Our all-time favorite pumpkin soup garnish is the maple-bacon onions in this recipe. They are sweet with a light ginger zing and salty bacon goodness. It’s a little like the Best Bacon Jam recipe, which, if you haven’t tried it yet, you definitely should.

Other toppings that we like are:

• Salted pumpkin seeds (or the salty soy pumpkin seeds that we use to top our Creamy Pumpkin Hummus)
• A dollop of pesto
• Crumbled blue cheese

Topping this pumpkin soup with different toppings is a great way to switch things up so it tastes new and fresh each time you make it. (Although in full disclosure, we go back to the maple bacon onions again and again. They are just too good!)

Tap stars to rate!

5 stars (24 ratings)

Pumpkin Soup Recipe

Prep: 5 minutes mins

Cook: 30 minutes mins

Total: 35 minutes mins

Rate Recipe Print

• Pin

SaveSaved!

Add us as a preferred source

This classic pumpkin soup recipe is quick and easy to make and so delicious. It’s been our go-to pumpkin soup for years now. We love it because it’s creamy (but without using cream) and full of flavor. The maple bacon caramelized onions really take it to the next level.

4

Ingredients

Maple Bacon Onions

• ▢ 4 slices bacon
• ▢ 1 large onion (thinly sliced)
• ▢ ¼ cup maple syrup
• ▢ 1 tablespoon finely minced ginger

Pumpkin Soup

• ▢ 1 large onion (chopped)
• ▢ 1 apple (peeled, cored, and diced)
• ▢ 4 cloves garlic
• ▢ 3 tablespoons minced ginger
• ▢ 1 teaspoon curry powder
• ▢ A pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
• ▢ 4 cups chicken stock
• ▢ 15 ounce can of pumpkin (see notes for using fresh pumpkin)
• ▢ Juice from 1 orange (about ¼ cup)
• ▢ 1-2 teaspoons sea salt (see notes)

Instructions 

• Cook the bacon in a large frying pan over medium-high heat until crispy, about 10 minutes. Once it’s crispy, remove it from the pan and pour half of the bacon oil into a large pot.
  4 slices bacon
• Add the thinly sliced onion to the pan and cook it until it is quite soft, about 5 or 6 minutes. Add the maple syrup and ginger to the pan and continue to cook until the onions are thick and caramelized, about 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, crumble the bacon over the onions, and stir to mix them together.
  1 large onion, ¼ cup maple syrup, 1 tablespoon finely minced ginger
• While the onions are cooking, begin the soup. Add the onion and apple to the pot with the bacon oil and cook over medium-high heat for 5 mintues. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for 1 minute. Add the curry powder and, if using, the red pepper flakes, and cook for 1 minute.
  1 large onion, 1 apple, 4 cloves garlic, 3 tablespoons minced ginger, 1 teaspoon curry powder, A pinch of red pepper flakes
• Add the chicken stock, can of pumpkin, and orange juice to the pot and simmer for 5 minutes. Blend the soup (using an immersion blender or in batches in your blender) until creamy. Season to taste with sea salt.
  4 cups chicken stock, 15 ounce can of pumpkin, Juice from 1 orange, 1-2 teaspoons sea salt
• Serve the soup topped with the maple bacon onions.

Video

Notes

To use fresh pumpkin, choose a 2 lb. cooking pumpkin. Do not use the kind you carve, they’re bland! Peel it, remove the seeds, and chop it. Follow the recipe instructions but increase the cooking time to about 15 minutes, or until the pumpkin is soft.

The amount of salt you need will depend on the type of chicken stock you use and personal preference. Start with 1 teaspoon and add more, if needed.

If you choose to make this soup without the maple bacon onions, I suggest adding a tablespoon of maple syrup to the soup.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 ½ cups, Calories: 341kcal (17%), Carbohydrates: 48g (16%), Protein: 11g (22%), Fat: 12g (18%), Saturated Fat: 4g (25%), Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 22mg (7%), Sodium: 1083mg (47%), Potassium: 798mg (23%), Fiber: 6g (25%), Sugar: 29g (32%), Vitamin A: 16630IU (333%), Vitamin C: 22mg (27%), Calcium: 89mg (9%), Iron: 3mg (17%)

© Author Kristen Stevens

We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.