Creamy Pumpkin Soup (3 ingredients) » Little Vienna (2025)

This easy pumpkin soup is precisely how we prepare it in Austria: Simple, thick and creamy, yet full of flavor.

Styria, one of the nine states in Austria, is known for the cultivation of pumpkins, mostly for making pumpkin seed oil. And yes, this is where Arnold Schwarzenegger is from ;-) Most of the time you will find traditional pumpkin soup drizzled with pumpkin seed oil to make it even tastier.

Cut pumpkin in half and remove the seeds and guts with a spoon. You can use any type of edible pumpkin. In my opinion, Hokkaido (used here), butternut squash, sugar pie, or kabocha taste best.

Chop pumpkin into wedges. Peel the pumpkin, slice into thinner wedges, then chop into 3/4 to 1-inch (2 cm) cubes. Set aside.

In a large pot or a high rim pan, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat and add a chopped onion. Sauté until softened and translucent, about 2 minutes.

Add the pumpkin cubes and sauté for another 5 minutes over high heat stirring often until pumpkin starts to brown. This extra step maximizes the flavor. Make sure the onions do not brown too much otherwise they can taste bitter (add broth if they do).

Add broth. Bring to a simmer and let cook, covered, until the pumpkin is soft, about 10-15 minutes. The time depends on the kind of pumpkin and cube-size.

Blend the soup either with a stick blender or in a blender until smooth. Add cream and add salt to taste.

Serve topped with some whipped cream and a drizzle of pumpkin seed oil – this is the Austrian way. A topping of roasted pumpkin seeds tastes great too!