A creamy, umami-rich Pumpkin Sausage Soup that comes together quickly and satisfies those fall cravings.
Dinner (or lunch!) is rich, savory, satisfying, and perfectly seasoned in this Pumpkin Sausage Soup. It's also lower in carbs, abounding with delicious fresh vegetables, and is ready in a snap (seriously!-- it will be on your table in less than 35 minutes). Read on for my notes about the best pumpkin and chicken stock to use for the results. Happy soup season, everyone!
Guys! I finally made a soup that Chris likes. This blanket soup discriminator not even asked to have this Pumpkin Sausage Soup for dinner, but also had seconds, too.
And thankfully it's Monday, so I can go into my week with victory.
What makes this soup so good even Chris will eat it, you ask? He told me that the creamy base and hearty chunks of chicken sausage made it feel like he was doing more than just drinking a bowl of water with veggies. The pumpkin base, too, he said would be delicious just served over steamed rice.
His only complaint (in full transparency)? "Too many veggies."
LOL. Believe me, I've heard that one before. So... feel free to reduce the amount of greens or mushrooms in there if you have a picky veggie eater on your hands, or do like I do and cook it with the standard amount of veggies and leave them to pick out or leave whatever they don't like.
Because those veggies are part of what make this low carb pumpkin soup filling and satisfying. And all of those veggies also make the pumpkin soup healthy and help you check off up to 3 servings of vegetables in one meal.
And one final thing: you may ask how a creamy soup is still healthy. Whereas I have tried this soup with coconut milk, I'd be lying to say that flavor went well with chicken sausage (insert one more LOL). So, I went back to consider other ways I could bring that mouthfeel to the soup without the heft, saturated fat, and excess calories that loads of heavy cream would bring.
The answer: adding just a moderate amount of half & half to the soup. Being that half & half is part heavy cream and part whole milk, it still has that richness but doesn't weigh down the dish, keeping it still as a healthy fall soup recipe.
So, slice your mushrooms, crack open your can of pumpkin, pull out your chicken broth, find your tastiest baby greens, and have yourself a steaming hot bowl of this hearty soup on the table in under 35 minutes tonight.
This Pumpkin Sausage Soup is...
- Creamy
- Hearty
- Savory
- Meaty
- Full of veggies
- Lower in carbs
- High in protein
- Ready in under 35 minutes
- The perfect leftover dish
It's the perfect fall soup recipe to make for dinner on a Monday night and then enjoy the leftovers throughout the week. The soup reheats beautifully and satisfies for subsequent weekday lunches or quick dinners.
Pumpkin sausage soup ingredients:
- Canned pumpkin - I prefer canned over baked or roasted pumpkin for this recipe
- White onion - adds layers of flavor and some more vegetables to the soup!
- White or cremini mushrooms - the meatiness of the mushrooms goes so well with the sausage and pumpkin
- Raw or bulk sweet Italian chicken sausage - sweet Italian sausage has the perfect seasonings for this soup. You might be surprised how well it goes with the creamy pumpkin!
- Chicken broth - see my notes below for my recommended broth brands
- Half & half - half and half provides enough richness to add some creaminess to the soup without adding all the heaviness of straight cream.
- Salt -- this, along with a good broth or bouillon, is the secret to a great soup!
- White wine vinegar - a little vinegar mixed in before serving brightens up all the soup flavors!
- Baby greens (kale, spinach, chard, or all three) - sweet baby greens are the perfect complement to the richness of the sausage and cream.
- Hard shaved cheese blend (asiago, parmesan, romano, or just one) - take the umami flavors of the soup up just a notch more with a sprinkle of savory cheese. You'll be glad you did!
Ingredient substitutions you can make for this recipe:
- Yellow onion for white onion -- either type of onion is just fine for this recipe
- Baby portabella mushrooms for white or cremini mushrooms - any type of heart mushroom will be just fine for this soup recipe
- Pork Sweet Italian Sausage for Chicken Italian Sausage - the pork sausage lends more saturated fat to the recipe, making it a bit richer, but it has all the same great flavors.
- Distilled white vinegar for white wine vinegar - white wine vinegar adds a more refined flavor, but distilled white vinegar will also work just fine for this recipe.
- Heavy cream or whole mile for half & half - heavy cream will make the soup richer and heavier so you may only need to use 2-3 tablespoons for a similar flavor.
Can you use canned pumpkin for this soup recipe?
Yes, in fact I recommend it! It's so much easier and less fuss than roasting and blending your own pumpkin and the flavor and texture just seem to work easier in soup.
I love Trader Joe's canned pumpkin for this recipe, but if you can't find that, just use the Libby's -- or whatever other higher quality brand you can find -- in this recipe. Whatever you do, just please don't use a sweetened or seasoned canned pumpkin pie mix. 🙂
What brand of chicken broth is best for soups?
Chicken broth can make or break your soup. In fact, I believe that broth and salt are the two biggest factors in making a delicious soup.
The more watery and tasteless your broth is, the more watery and tasteless your soup will be, so take care in your broth selection if you can. If you can make your own homemade broth, go for it. Otherwise, I like:
- Pacific Foods Organic Free Range Low-Sodium Chicken Broth
- Whole Foods 365 Organic Low Sodium Chicken Broth
- Trader Joe's Organic Low-Sodium Chicken Broth
I also like to use the Better Than Bouillon Low Sodium Chicken concentrate because it's easy to keep on hand and I love the flavor. I just add a teaspoon of bouillon to each cup of boiling water, whisk until the bouillon is dissolved and I'm ready to go.
How long do pumpkin sausage soup leftovers stay fresh?
This soup will last covered in the fridge 3-5 days.
Can you freeze creamy pumpkin soup?
Yes, you most definitely can freeze creamy pumpkin soup. Just place it in a freezer-safe container and it will last for up to 2 months.
What goes well with pumpkin sausage soup?
Pumpkin sausage soup is pretty hearty, so you usually don't need to serve a lot of side dishes with it.
If you're extra hungry, however, this soup would be great served over rice, with bread, or along with a hearty green salad.
Is pumpkin soup healthy?
Yes! Pumpkin soup is healthy if it is made without any preservatives or other processed foods and uses healthy fats (oils, coconut products, etc.) and/or just a moderate amount of dairy fat to make it creamy.
Is canned pumpkin healthy?
Yes! Canned pumpkin is healthy if it is canned in a BPA-free can and is still within the fresh-by date. The process of cooking the pumpkin that the packers do to can it preserves vitamin A, fiber, and other health benefits that pumpkin brings, making it a healthy way to enjoy pumpkin.
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How do you season pumpkin soup?
There are so many ways to season pumpkin soup. You can use garlic and ginger if making a coconut-based pumpkin soup, or simply use Italian chicken sausage if making this pumpkin sausage soup. Either way, make sure to season your soup with adequate salt as that can make or break your soup, regardless of what other seasonings you have in it!
Tools needed to make this pumpkin sausage soup:
More quick and healthy dinner recipes:
- Sheet Pan Sausage & Veggies
- Pumpkin Parmesan Chicken
- Pumpkin Pasta Sauce
- Pressure Cooker Black Bean Soup
- Pressure Cooker Spiced Red Lentil & Butternut Squash Soup
- Minestra Soup
- Easy Turkey Meatballs
- Minestra Soup
- Cheesy Mushroom Farro Risotto
- Turkey Farro Risotto
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Pumpkin Sausage Soup
Email FacebookIngredients
- 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small white onion diced to ⅛ inch
- 16 oz. white or cremini mushrooms sliced
- 1 lb. bulk raw sweet Italian chicken sausage or de-cased raw sweet Italian chicken sausage
- 1 14 oz. can pumpkin
- 1 quart chicken broth
- ½ cup half & half
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 5 oz. baby kale spinach, chard, or a combination of all three
- freshly cracked pepper
- ½ cup shaved cheese blend* to garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large dutch oven over medium-high heat, or until the oil sputters when flicked with water.
- Add the mushrooms and onion and saute for 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently as you cook it, or until the onion is translucent and the mushrooms are expelling their juices.
- Add in the chicken sausage and cook for 4-5 minutes, crumbling as you cook it, or until the meat is cooked through.
- Add pumpkin and broth and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium, cover the soup, and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes or so to make sure nothing is sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- Turn heat to low and add the half & half, greens, extra salt, black pepper, and vinegar and heat, stirring gently, until the greens are wilted but are still bright green.
- Serve immediately in soup bowls and garnish with shaved cheese if desired.
Nicole says
Yummy! I used bone broth instead of stock and I think it made it way creamier and more satisfying! With 9 gm protein per cup of bone broth (compared to zero in stock or broth) I don't mind the additional calories. I also added refrigerated tortelli for the last two minutes before the cream. I added about half an 8 oz bag of baby spinach after turning off the heat. This is a keeper. Perfect for the fall and this rainy night! Oh, and I used turkey Italian sausage instead of chicken.