Pumpkin soup is a delicious and nutritious fall and winter soup made from pumpkin puree, onions, garlic, and warm spices like cinnamon and nutmeg. It’s a favorite seasonal soup at many restaurants and homes. But when watching your calorie intake, you may wonder just how many calories are in a typical bowl of pumpkin soup?
What Are The Main Ingredients In Pumpkin Soup?
The primary ingredients in classic pumpkin soup recipes include:
- Pumpkin – Pumpkin provides the base flavor, color, and texture for the soup. A 15-ounce can of 100% pumpkin puree contains about 220 calories.
- Onions – Onions add savory flavor. A medium onion contains around 60 calories.
- Garlic – Garlic provides aromatic flavor. Two cloves of garlic have about 5 calories.
- Chicken or vegetable broth – Broth provides liquid base and savory flavor. One cup of chicken broth has about 40 calories, while vegetable broth has around 10 calories per cup.
- Heavy cream or half-and-half – Cream provides richness and texture. One tablespoon of heavy cream or half-and-half contains about 50 calories.
- Butter – Butter provides richness and more savory flavor. One tablespoon of butter has about 100 calories.
- Spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, ginger – Warm spices provide pumpkin pie-like flavor. Spices contain minimal calories per teaspoon.
So the calorie count will depend largely on the specific amounts of the higher calorie ingredients like pumpkin, cream, butter, and broth used in the recipe. The vegetables and spices add lots of flavor for minimal calories.
Calorie Count For Homemade Pumpkin Soup
Homemade pumpkin soup recipes can vary quite a bit in their ingredient amounts, which will affect the total calories per serving. Here is the calorie count for one common recipe for homemade pumpkin soup:
Ingredients & Calorie Count:
- 1 small onion (60 calories)
- 2 cloves garlic (5 calories)
- 2 tablespoons butter (200 calories)
- 1 15-oz can pumpkin puree (220 calories)
- 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth (160 calories for chicken broth, 40 for vegetable broth)
- 1/4 cup heavy cream (200 calories)
- Salt, pepper, spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger (negligible calories)
Total calories for entire recipe:
- With chicken broth: 845 calories
- With vegetable broth: 725 calories
This recipe makes 6 one-cup servings. So each one-cup serving contains:
- 141 calories with chicken broth
- 121 calories with vegetable broth
So a bowl of this homemade pumpkin soup will have around 121-141 calories depending on the type of broth used.
Calories For Canned Pumpkin Soup
If you opt for the convenience of canned pumpkin soup, the nutrition information is right on the label. Here are calorie counts for popular national brands of canned pumpkin soup:
| Brand | Serving Size | Calories |
|---|---|---|
| Campbell’s – Pumpkin Soup | 1 cup | 120 |
| Pacific Foods – Organic Pumpkin Soup | 1 cup | 130 |
| Wolfgang Puck – Butternut Squash Soup | 1 cup | 110 |
| Amy’s – Pumpkin Bisque Soup | 1 cup | 180 |
| Imagine – Creamy Pumpkin Soup | 1 cup | 100 |
As you can see, most canned pumpkin soups contain between 100-180 calories per serving. So the calories can vary a bit between brands based on differences in ingredients and preparation methods. Amy’s bisque-style pumpkin soup is on the higher calorie end since its made with heavy cream.
Calories For Pumpkin Soup Prepared At Restaurants
If you choose to indulge in pumpkin soup at a restaurant, the calorie count will vary depending on the restaurant’s specific recipe. But here are some estimated calorie counts for pumpkin soup servings at popular restaurants:
| Restaurant | Pumpkin Soup Serving Size | Estimated Calories |
|---|---|---|
| Panera Bread | 1 cup | 120-140 |
| Starbucks | 12 fl oz | 270 |
| The Cheesecake Factory | 1 cup | 290 |
| McDonald’s (limited time) | 6 fl oz | 140 |
| Ruby Tuesday’s | 8 fl oz | 140 |
Restaurant pumpkin soups range from around 120 calories per cup at chains like Panera up to 290 calories per cup at some restaurants known for higher calorie fare. Starbucks and The Cheesecake Factory in particular tend to use more heavy cream in their pumpkin soup recipes.
Tips For Lightening Up Pumpkin Soup
If you want to enjoy pumpkin soup but lighten up the calorie count, here are some tips:
- Use reduced sodium chicken or vegetable broth
- Use evaporated skim milk rather than heavy cream
- Use olive oil instead of butter
- Flavor with spices instead of salt
- Limit added sugars
- Garnish with pepitas or roasted pumpkin seeds rather than croutons or fried onions
- Enjoy as a first course in smaller portion instead of a main meal
Following a heart healthy recipe or looking up the nutrition info for your favorite restaurant soup can help you stay mindful of calories while still enjoying all that delicious pumpkin flavor.
Conclusion
So how many calories are in a bowl of pumpkin soup? In general, a one cup serving of homemade pumpkin soup will contain around 120-140 calories. Canned pumpkin soups range from 100-180 calories per cup depending on the brand. And restaurant pumpkin soups can go from 120 calories for more broth-based soups up to 290 calories for richer, cream-based soups. Be mindful of added fats and sodium in restaurant pumpkin soups in particular. When making pumpkin soup at home, you can control the ingredients to make a heartier, flavorful soup for around 120 calories per serving. So go ahead and enjoy this cozy seasonal soup without overdoing the calorie count.
