It's become a tradition - something we do every year. We buy a pumpkin, cook it up, bag it, and stock the freezer with it. Then my husband makes his amazing Healthy Pumpkin Soup (without cream)! But this year we almost didn't get a pumpkin...
Full of wholesome ingredients, this Healthy Pumpkin Soup with bacon and mushrooms is made without cream, tastes gourmet, and is Weight Watchers friendly. It's very popular during the fall season, but great any time of year!
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I also followed him around the kitchen while he cooked this year, measuring ingredients, capturing the process, and writing it all down because not only do I want my kids to have this recipe, but also future generations. And it's too good not to be shared with the rest of the world!
My husband enjoys making soup - he finds it therapeutic after a busy week at work. And he is damn good at it! He learned a lot working as a cook, including some useful soup-making tips from some talented chefs he had the opportunity to work with and learn from. And the taste of this soup is testimony to that.
🥘 Ingredients
I consider this a gourmet pumpkin soup because not only is it outstanding, but it's also pretty involved. What I am saying is that this is not your after-work dinner soup; there is a time investment. But I guarantee you - your taste buds will be rewarded with amazing gourmet flavor.
I'm generally not fond of savory pumpkin things, but this pumpkin soup is an exception because it's unlike any pumpkin soup I'd ever had. It really is the best pumpkin soup recipe ever! It's that good! Made with bacon and mushrooms and no heavy cream, this pumpkin soup tastes gourmet, but is actually Weight Watchers friendly! This is a naturally dairy-free pumpkin soup (without the feta cheese garnish).
You will also need:
- bacon and turkey bacon * I use pre-cooked bacon. It takes less time and it's less messy to prepare. I buy it at Costco because the packages are larger and less expensive and you can pull out what you need while keeping the rest of it in the freezer
- carrots
- celery
- mushrooms- white
- garlic
- soup stock (bouillon and water)
- Cajun seasoning
- cumin
- pumpkin purée *Do NOT use pumpkin pie filling
- white onion
- white wine - use any white wine, but a dry wine is best (sauvignon blanc, for example)
- red pepper
- feta cheese (optional garnish- not shown)
*See recipe card for quantities
🔪Instructions
Prep: Chop bacon and fry turkey and regular bacon separately until crisp. Set aside.
Dice carrots, celery, and onions. Mince garlic.
Sautee sliced mushrooms in bacon fat (optional) or in a little olive oil. Set aside.
In a large, 6-quart pot, caramelize onions with garlic and olive oil for 5 minutes.
Deglaze pot with 2 tablespoon white wine (see video in NOTES on how to deglaze)
Then add carrots, celery, and a dash of salt, cover with a lid, and cook for about 10 minutes over medium heat on the stovetop, stirring occasionally to prevent burning.
Add water and bouillon to vegetables in pot and bring to a boil.
Add pumpkin and continue on a rolling boil until vegetables are soft (and a fork can easily go through them). Add cumin and Cajun seasoning.
Add ¼ cup wine.
Add enough water to fill the pot to 2 inches below the rim.
Remove vegetables with a slotted spoon (see equipment) and place in food processor.
Puree mixture in blender or food processor. * You may have to do this in small batches
Return pureed vegetables to pot.
Add mushrooms and chopped regular and turkey bacon, and add additional bouillon to taste, if needed.
Sautee red pepper.
Garnish: Top soup with crumbled feta and red pepper (if desired) and serve.
📖 Variations
- bacon - I use a combo of turkey bacon and regular bacon, but you can use one or the other. * Use only turkey bacon to further reduce WW points/calories
- pumpkin puree- fresh pumpkin is best, but you can substitute canned pumpkin
- dairy-free - leave off the feta cheese garnish
- Cajun seasoning - you can substitute cayenne pepper
- soup stock - you can use vegetable stock instead of chicken stock, store-bought or homemade
- pumpkin purée - you can use fresh pumpkin or canned pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
🔢WW Points
This Healthy Pumpkin Soup recipe without cream is Weight Watchers friendly @ only 5 WW points, per 1.5 cup serving (with BACON!) And it's the best ever Weight Watchers Pumpkin Soup ever! You can reduce the points even further by eliminating the regular bacon and only using turkey bacon.
And although it has no cream, it's rich and has a wonderful creamy texture. This is because all the ingredients are pureed once it's cooked, making it a super light and healthy and a really WW friendly meal.
🎃Best Pumpkin for Pumpkin Soup
It's recommended you use special cooking pumpkins, generically labeled sugar pumpkins, or pie pumpkins, (specifically named Baby Pam, Autumn Gold, Ghost Rider, New England Pie Pumpkin, Lumina (which are white), Cinderella, and Fairy Tale) when cooking with pumpkin. You can read more about cooking pumpkins You can read more about cooking pumpkins HERE.
However, I don't think this is necessary to buy expensive sugar pumpkins. We ALWAYS buy the exact same type of pumpkin as we would for carving jack-o' lanterns (from the big bin outside the grocery store) and they always taste amazing!
The key is that you puree the heck out of it before you bag it or it's too stringy! And then you drain off as much water as you can. Personally, I'm not going to pay a lot more money for a cooking pumpkin (and get something a lot smaller), but the choice is yours. You can also use canned pumpkin for this recipe, but it's not going to be nearly as good. See how to cook a whole pumpkin (and make pumpkin puree HERE).
🎥 Video
Video: How to deglaze a pan
🍽Equipment
You will need a food processor (or immersion blender or hand blender) and a 6 quart pot. (affiliate links) for this easy pumpkin soup recipe.
🌡️Storage
Store this healthy pumpkin soup in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days. This soup freezes well for up to 3 months.
👪 Serving Size
This creamy pumpkin soup recipe makes 16 servings. However, you can half, double, or triple the recipe by clicking on the blue serving number and selecting the number of servings you'd like. The ingredient quantities will automatically adjust.
🥗 Side dishes
If you're not sure what to serve with this delicious pumpkin soup I recommend any kind of bun, bread, croutons, or crispy fried onion topping. Here are some suggestions:
- Onion & Olive Bread Machine Bread (shown below)
- Dinner buns
- Everything Bagel Cloud Bread Recipe - 0 WW points
- Bread Machine Italian Breadsticks
💭 Top Tips
Allow your soup to cool at room temperature before sealing and storing (but not longer than 2 hours, as that's when bacteria generally start to grow). *This prevents it from tasting sour. Divide it into smaller containers to cool, as it cools faster and it's easier to store.
* I use pre-cooked bacon. It takes less time and it's less messy to prepare. I buy it at Costco because the packages are larger and less expensive and you can pull out what you need while keeping the rest of it in the freezer!
💭The Great Pumpkin Shortage
And as I mentioned, we were lucky to get a pumpkin at all this year because there was a shortage! Our early winter weather caused most of the pumpkin crop to rot in the field or right after picking. Sadly, some weren't as lucky as us. I'm just grateful we were able to get one and make our traditional pumpkin soup!
❔ Frequently Asked Questions
Puréeing the vegetables, along with using pureéd pumpkin thickens the soup, without using cream.
Pumpkin soup can taste bland without enough spices or salt. Liven up the taste by adding more salt, spice, or wine.
This Healthy Pumpkin Soup is made without cream and is not only Weight Watchers friendly, although it takes time, it's still easy to make and tastes gourmet. And even though it can be eaten as a side, it's hearty enough for a meal!
And if you are looking for additional healthy pumpkin recipes, try my Weight Watchers Crustless Pumpkin Pie (shown), my Sheet Pan Pumpkin Pie Pancakes, my Pumpkin Biscotti, my Healthy Pumpkin Bran Muffins, and my Dairy-free Pumpkin bread!
Looking for more healthy fall soups? Check out these 31 Healthy Fall Soup recipes!
⭐ Reviews
Did you LOVE this homemade pumpkin soup recipe? Please leave a 5-star rating and comment below!
Here's what others are saying:
"This is so thick and creamy on its own. I love the bacon and mushroom too. It makes it a whole meal.!"⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
📋 Healthy Pumpkin Soup (without cream) recipe
Ingredients
- 6 oz turkey bacon * ½ -12 oz pkg
- 6 oz bacon * ½ -12 oz pkg
- 5 carrots
- ½ bunch chopped celery
- 3 cups sliced mushrooms
- 3 cloves garlic
- 8 cups water
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon cajun seasoning
- 4 cups pumpkin puree * fresh pumpkin (*canned can be substituted)
- 1 onion
- 1 red pepper
- ½ tbsp + 1 teaspoon cajun seasoning (tsp added to mushrooms) *black pepper or cayenne can be substituted
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoon white wine
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- ⅔ cup -container of chicken or vegetable bouillon ½ a container approximately- add to taste
- water to fill pot
- nutmeg to taste (optional)
Garnish
- red pepper, finely diced and sauteed
- feta cheese, crumbled
Instructions
NOTE: The photos in this recipe card will NOT print unless you set them to print by selecting "recipe image"
- Prep: Chop bacon and fry turkey and regular bacon separately until crisp. Set aside.Dice carrots, celery and onions. Mince garlic.
- Sautee sliced mushrooms in a little olive oil. Set aside.
- In a large, 6 quart pot, carmelize onions with garlic and olive oil for 5 minutes.Deglaze pot with 2 tablespoon white wine (see video in NOTES on how to deglaze)
- Then add carrots and celery and a dash of salt, Cover with lid and cook for about 10 minutes over medium heat on stove top, stirring occasionally to prevent burning.
- Add water and bouillon to vegetables in pot and bring to a boil.
- Add pumpkin and continue on rolling boil until vegetables are soft (and a fork can easily go through them). Add cumin and Cajun seasoning.Add ¼ cup wine.Add enough water to fill the pot to 2 inches below rim.
- Remove vegetables with scoop and drain spoon/slotted spoon.
- Puree mixture in blender or food processor. * You may have to do this in small batches.
- Return to pot, add mushrooms and bacon and add additional bouillon to taste, if needed.
Garnish
- Sautee red pepper for topping, if desired. Garnish: Top soup with crumbled feta and red pepper and serve.
- Freeze remaining soup, as required. It freezes well!
Notes
Nutrition
🥣More Healthy and WW Friendly Soup Recipes!
And if you're looking for savory pumpkin recipes, give my Pumpkin Coconut Chicken a try!
Jenn
Ohhh, pumpkin soup sounds yummy Terry! Didn’t realize Dave is so talented with cooking. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Terri Gilson
Yes he is very talented, Jenn! I have learned a lot from him!
Julia
What a delicious recipe and that olive and onion bread sounds amazing!
Terri Gilson
Thanks, Julia! Yes, the bread is our fave accompaniment!
Amanda Wren-Grimwood
This is so thick and creamy on its own. I love the bacon and mushroom too. It makes it a whole meal.
Terri Gilson
Thanks, Amanda! It definitely is a meal!
Rebecca
Great idea adding bacon! I love everything in this soup
Terri Gilson
Thanks, Rebecca! Yes, bacon makes everything better!
sue
I love that you didn't add cream to this recipe, I always fell like it dilutes the flavor of a great soup.
Terri Gilson
I agree, Sue! And it adds calories!