Slow Cooker Pumpkin Soup

Name: Slow Cooker Pumpkin Soup
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 240 min
Total time: 250 min
Ingredients: 30 g butter; 1 tbs olive oil; 1 leek (finely sliced); 1 brown onion (finely diced); 2 tsp minced garlic (or 2 cloves, crushed); 2 kg pumpkin (chopped (butternut or jap etc). ); 1 litre liquid chicken stock; 300 ml thickened cream; fresh chives (finely chopped, to serve)

Jump to Recipe

This nourishing and healthy slow cooker pumpkin soup takes just 10 minutes to prepare, then set and forget... and let the slow cooker do all the work for you!

Serve with homemade bread rolls or savoury muffins to soak up all of the delicious soup!

A white bowl filled with pumpkin soup and garnished with chopped chives.

One of the best things about winter is warming up with a big bowl of soup... and one of my favourites is this rich and creamy pumpkin soup, with the sweetness of pumpkin being hard to resist, and the creaminess making it a true winter comfort meal.

My slow cooker has been getting a good workout lately, and not just with soups, but other family meals as well, with the convenience of prepping a meal during the day, then 'set and forget' until it's dished up for dinner.

But lets get back to soups - I wonder what you favourite is? I like to mix things up with this all time classic pumpkin soup, as well as my quick 20 minute chicken and corn soup, or healthy carrot and lentil soup - all on high rotation lately!

Soups are such an easy way to transform those lovely winter vegetables into a hearty lunch or dinner - soups such as creamy zucchini soup, nutritious cauliflower soup, or potato and leek soup are always winners!

Why You're Going To Love This Recipe

A 'hands off' meal - the slow cooker does all the work, just 10 minutes to prep and then let it cook away with the flavours developing more during the slow cooking time.
It's inexpensive to make! - when there's plenty of pumpkins in season, this is one of the most economical meals you can make.
Feeds a crowd - a bowl of rich pumpkin soup is a satisfying meal, and you can easily bulk it out more by serving with some warm and crusty buttered scrolls or bread.....yum!
Kid friendly - with the natural sweetness of pumpkin, this is one soup that even fussy eaters will love!
Freezer friendly - great to have some in the freezer for lunches or a quick mid-week meal.

A gold spoon holding a spoonful of soup above a bowl.

What You Need

Pumpkins are grown over summer and harvested in autumn here in Australia, so they're abundant and inexpensive over the winter months. And the longer they're stored, the sweeter they become - the perfect vegetable to make soup with!

Note: Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom for the ingredients quantities and full detailed method!

Butter
Olive oil.
Leek - wash and finely slice the white part of the leek, discard the tough green part at the top. Related to garlic, chives, shallots, and onions, leeks have a sweet, oniony flavour that adds taste and depth to soups and casseroles.
Brown onion - one medium brown onion, finely diced.
Garlic - crushed. Use fresh cloves crushed, or store bought minced garlic.
Pumpkin - any type of pumpkin can be used, however I like to use butternut or jap pumpkin for the best flavour.
Chicken stock - such as Campbells liquid chicken stock or similar brand. Or you could substitute the chicken stock for vegetable stock to make this a vegetarian dish if you prefer.
Thickened cream - I recommend using full-fat thickened cream rather than light cream for a richer flavour.
Chives - chopped, to garnish.

Ingredients for pumpkin soup laid out on a bench top.

Equipment Required

Basic kitchen equipment is all that's required for this slow cooker pumpkin soup.

Frying pan - to saute the onion and garlic before adding to the slow cooker (if you have a searing slow cooker, you can saute on the stovetop directly in it!).
Slow cooker - also known as a crock pot. Worth their weight in gold!
Stick blender - to puree the soup when it's finished cooking yet still in the slow cooker - saves dishes! If you don't have a stick blender, you can puree the soup in a blender, food processor or Thermomix (optional).

A bowl of pumpkin soup with a drizzle of cream and chopped chives to garnish.

Step By Step Instructions

Just 10 minutes to prep, then 'set and forget' in the slow cooker.

Note: Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom for the ingredients quantities and full detailed method!

Step 1 - Fry The Onion, Garlic And Leek

Heat the butter and olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the sliced leek, chopped onion and crushed garlic and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until they have softened. Transfer to a slow cooker/crock pot.

Note: If your slow cooker can sear as well, you can saute the leeks, onion and garlic in it on the stovetop instead of using a frying pan.

Sauteed sliced leek, onion and garlic placed into a slow cooker bowl.

Step 2 - Add The Pumpkin And Stock

Add the peeled and chopped chunks of pumpkin and the chicken stock to the slow cooker.

Stock and chunks of pumpkin added to crock pot.

Place the lid on and cook for 4 hours on HIGH or 8 hours on LOW (or until the pumpkin has softened and easily falls apart).

Cooked pumpkin, leek and stock in a slow cooker.

Step 3 - Add The Cream

Using a stick blender, blend the pumpkin in the slow cooker until smooth.

Add 150ml of the cream and stir through.

Note: Be very careful when blending the hot soup!

Cream being poured into a crock pot filled with soup.

Serve with freshly chopped chives sprinkled over bowls of steaming pumpkin soup, and drizzle each bowl with a little of the remaining cream.

Expert Tips

This pumpkin soup is such a classic, however I've listed a couple of variations below that you may like to try... as well as some storage tips.

For a spiced option, add a little curry powder when sauteing the onion, garlic and leek.
Add a little chilli powder and swap half the thickened cream for coconut cream for an asian twist.
Swap cream for evaporated milk for a low fat option.
Substitute the cream for coconut cream for a dairy-free option.
Substitute the chicken stock for vegetable stock for a vegetarian option.
Be very careful when blending hot soup!
Store slow cooked pumpkin soup in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat well to serve.
Freeze pumpkin soup in an airtight container for up to 3 months. You can either thaw and reheat thoroughly before serving or reheat from frozen.

An overhead shot of a white bowl filled with pumpkin soup.

Serving Suggestions

You can substitute the chives for any other fresh herbs such as parsley, thyme, or coriander if you prefer.
Try a dollop of sour cream or greek yoghurt with the herb garnish instead of a drizzle of cream.
Crispy bacon pieces sprinkled on top always add an extra delicious flavour.
Croutons are another tasty option to sprinkle over the top.
And, of course, freshly grated parmesan adds another taste dimension as well (I could add parmesan to anything!)
Lastly, serve your slow cooker pumpkin soup with lots of bread to soak up all the flavour. Try soft fresh bread rolls, a crusty breadstick (buttered well!), or warmed foccacia, toasted ciabatta or Turkish bread!

FAQs

How can I make this pumpkin soup a low-fat meal?

You could replace the cream with evaporated milk or light cream, or you could omit the cream entirely. The taste will not be as rich and creamy, but the leeks and sweetness of the pumpkin will still make this a tasty and nourishing vegetable soup.

Do slow cookers use a lot of power?

A slow cooker is one of the most energy efficient kitchen appliances. The reason for a slow cookers use of very little energy is that they cook at such a low temperature. Research shows that 6-8 hours on low in a slow cooker uses similar power to 35-45 minutes in the oven.

Is a slow cooker and a crock pot the same thing?

Yes, essentially they are the same appliance, both used for slow cooking, although technically, a slow cooker heats only from the bottom, and yet the original Crockpot heats from the sides as well as the base.
The Crockpot made slow cooking popular way back in the 1970s!