This Pumpkin Tomato Soup is an elevated version of the fall classic! It combines canned tomatoes with homemade pumpkin puree (or store-bought!) for a quick meal that comes together in 35 minutes. Perfect to serve with my provolone grilled cheese on the side!
If you've tried and loved my Meditteranean tomato soup in the past, you'll love this elevated version. It's slightly sweet from the addition of pumpkin puree and super creamy from blending raw cashews instead of using heavy cream.
For more cozy soup recipes, check out my carrot sweet potato soup, broccoli pea soup, and dairy-free potato leek soup.
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Ingredient You'll Need
- Pumpkin puree: I like to use my homemade pumpkin puree made with boiled pumpkin, but you could also use canned if you want to take a shortcut, it will still be just as delicious.
- Canned diced tomatoes: Use plain canned tomatoes with no other spices or flavorings. If you want to add a smoky flavor, you can use fire-roasted tomatoes.
- Raw cashews: Most recipes for tomato soup call for heavy cream or half and half to make the soup creamy. I wanted to keep mine dairy-free and that's why I'm using raw cashews. When blended, they give the soup an incredibly rich and silky texture without the need for dairy. This is a hack I learned over the years working as a chef and I use it to make things like tofu curry without coconut milk or creamy pastas like this silken tofu pasta sauce and kimchi pasta.
- Tomato paste: For even more tomato flavor, I decided to add tomato paste. Double-concentrated is best, but regular can also work.
- Vegetable broth: I like to use my homemade vegetable broth that I make from scraps, but you can also use store-bought or even a bouillon cube or paste that is diluted in water.
- Onion and garlic: I use a yellow onion, but shallots or a red onion can also work.
- Salt and black pepper: For seasoning the soup to taste.
See the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients and exact measurements.
Variations
- With fresh pumpkin: If you don't want to use pumpkin puree for some reason, you can substitute it with the same amount (425g or ~1lb) of fresh cubed pumpkin.
- No cashews: Want to make this recipe nut-free? No problem! You can use a number of things. Your first option is to leave them out, the soup turns out just as good without them, although less creamy. The third option is to use a can of full-fat coconut milk that you add at the end of cooking. The third is to use ½ cup of cream (either heavy cream or vegan cream of choice such as oat or soy)
- With fresh tomatoes: To replace the canned tomatoes, use the same amount of peeled fresh tomatoes that have been chopped into small pieces.
- Oil-free: Use vegetable broth instead of oil to saute the aromatics.
How to Make Pumpkin Tomato Soup
Step 1: In a large Dutch oven heat the olive oil until hot. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, until translucent. Add the garlic and saute for 1 more minute.
Step 2: Add the tomato paste and stir. Let it cook for 2 minutes, or until it darkens in color and caramelizes. Make sure to stir often to prevent burning.
Step 2: Add the vegetable broth, pumpkin puree, canned tomatoes, raw cashews, and season with salt and black pepper.
Step 3: Bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the cashews are soft.
Step 4: If you have an immersion blender go ahead and blend the soup until creamy. However, I find that it gives me smoother results to use a high-speed blender. Carefully transfer the soup to the blender the blend until smooth.
Step 5: Pour the soup back into the pot and give it a taste test. Add more salt or black pepper if needed. Serve!
👩🏼🍳 Petra's Tips
- Caramelize the tomato paste before adding the liquid. It's important to saute the tomato paste with the aromatics to allow it to darken in color and caramelize. It makes it sweeter and less acidic and gives the soup a better flavor. I use this tip whenever I'm cooking with tomato paste, whether that's making a soup or something else like my beyond meat bolognese, garam masala curry, or this spicy white bean stew.
- Use raw unsalted cashews. They give the best creamy texture and natural flavor and you can't even taste them after blending.
- Choose low-sodium vegetable broth. This will help you avoid oversalting your soup. If you're using full-sodium broth, omit the salt in the recipe.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, butternut squash will make an excellent substitute for the pumpkin in this recipe. You can either make it into a puree ahead of time or cube it and add it raw to the soup then simmer until soft.
Yes! Tomato compliments the sweetness of the pumpkin well by adding acidity and umami. The result is a sweet and tangy soup that is truly irresistible!
No, you'll need all of the juices as well as the diced tomatoes to make the soup.
Yes, this soup is great for freezing and perfect for meal prep! Let it cool to room temperature then transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months (and sometimes longer). Let thaw overnight in the fridge before serving.
Let the soup cool to room temperature then transfer to an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Serving Suggestions
I love pairing this with grilled cheese like my provolone grilled cheese with honey, but it's also delicious with my cornbread without buttermilk, garlic ciabatta bread, or some pan-fried crispy chickpeas.
For a lighter option, choose a side salad like my spinach arugula salad, risoni pasta salad or fall roasted sweet potato beet salad.
More Cozy Soup Recipes
If you tried this Pumpkin Tomato Soup or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting today!
📖 Recipe
Pumpkin Tomato Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- 425 g pumpkin puree 1 can
- 800 g canned diced tomatoes 2 cans
- ½ cup raw cashews
- 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven heat the olive oil until hot. Add the onion and season with a pinch of salt. Saute over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly golden brown. If it starts to burn at any point, deglaze with a splash of water. Add the minced garlic and saute for 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until fragrant.1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 medium yellow onion, diced, 3 garlic cloves, minced
- Stir in the tomato paste. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring often to prevent burning, or until it darkens in color and caramelizes.¼ cup tomato paste
- Add 1 cup of vegetable broth to deglaze the pot. Scrape off any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the rest of the broth, alongside the rest of the ingredients.425 g pumpkin puree, 800 g canned diced tomatoes, ½ cup raw cashews, 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to medium to a simmer. Cook for 17 to 20 minutes, or until the cashews are soft.
- Using an immersion blender, blend until creamy and smooth. (If are using a standard blender it's important to let the soup cool a bit before transferring it. Don't fill the jar more than halfway and make sure that you leave the hole in the lid open so that heat can escape).
- Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed, adding more salt or black pepper to taste. Serve!
Notes
- Caramelize the tomato paste before adding the liquid. It's important to saute the tomato paste with the aromatics to allow it to darken in color and caramelize. It makes it sweeter and less acidic and gives the soup a better flavor.
- Use raw unsalted cashews. They give the best creamy texture and natural flavor and you can't even taste them after blending.
- Fridge: Let soup cool to room temperature. Transfer to a container with a lid. Store in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Freezer: Let soup cool to room temperature. Transfer to a freezer-safe container with a lid. Freeze for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the fridge before serving.
- Stovetop: Add soup to a pot and heat over medium heat for 5 minutes or until warm. Add a splash of water if it's too thick.
- Microwave: Transfer soup to a bowl and microwave for 1-2 minutes or until warm.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated with third-party calculations without including the optional ingredients.
Kyle says
Made it and it turned out delish! Used store-bought pumpkin puree to save some time and it was great.
Petra says
Thank you for the review, Kyle! Glad you liked it!