When you’ve got a busy day ahead, it’s paleo Pumpkin Taco Soup for the win! This easy slow cooker soup recipe is a high protein dinner that’s easy to make and PACKED with delicious flavor. It basically makes itself!
We are major pumpkin fans at our house all year long, whether it’s packing Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins into lunches, making a batch of fluffy Pumpkin Oatmeal Pancakes on the weekend, or tucking this Slow Cooker Pumpkin Taco Soup into the crock pot on a busy day.
This healthy taco soup recipe has been a family favorite since 2015. We eat it all year-round and even when my kids were little, they’d ask for seconds.
This Slow Cooker Pumpkin Taco Soup Basically Makes Itself!
I’m not even really exaggerating! Savory pumpkin recipes don’t always get the same love as the sweet ones, but there’s just SO much to love about this slow cooker taco soup:
🥣 EASE: Simple ingredients, minimal chopping, a quick stir or two, and the slow cooker basically does all the work for you. At the end you’ll just shred the chicken & stir in some cilantro, and you’re done!
🎃 FLAVORS: Even though the ingredients list isn’t long, this pumpkin taco soup recipe doesn’t skimp on flavor. The savory broth is flavored with fire-roasted tomatoes, smoky seasonings, and savory elements like onion and garlic. The chicken is tender, and the fresh note of cilantro at the end is the perfect finishing touch!
👍 KID-FRIENDLY. Seriously. When my youngest was 2, they once asked for more of this soup instead of a cupcake. (See my tips below for more on this!)
💪 IT’S GOOD FOR YOU! Pumpkin adds an extra layer of vitamins A & C, along with fiber & potassium, while the broth and chicken add plenty of protein to each serving. This soup makes a great quick dinner for Halloween–something light but substantial and NOT sugar-filled to fuel you up for the evening. It’s the best!
Happy cooking! xo, Emily
Grab an avocado and some cilantro for garnish, and let’s make a batch!
Gather Your Ingredients
How To Make Slow Cooker Pumpkin Taco Soup, Step By Step
As always, you can find the full recipe with ingredient amounts, detailed instructions, and tips in the recipe card below.
- Combine. In the bowl of your slow cooker, combine diced tomatoes, pumpkin puree, onion, garlic, cumin, chili powder, and salt. Add chicken broth or veggie broth and stir to combine so there are no chunks of pumpkin puree.
- Add Chicken. Tuck the chicken breast into the soup and cover with the lid.
- Slow Cook soup on HIGH 3-4 hours (Mine’s usually done at about the 3 1/2 hour mark!), or on LOW 6-7 hours.
- Finish The Soup. Use two forks to shred the chicken (either right in the slow cooker or on a cutting board or plate) and return it to the soup. Stir in cilantro.
- Serve & Store. Enjoy warm with your favorite toppings, and store leftover soup in an airtight container in the fridge 3-4 days. Or, freeze soup in freezer-safe containers or freezer bags up to 2 months.
Mom Tips To Help You
- TRY IT AS A SMOOTH SOUP. Particularly when they were littler, my kids MUCH preferred smooth soups to those with lots of veggies in them. When they were little, I’d pull out the chicken, puree some of the soup, then serve the chicken on the side or stir it back in. You can also use this trick if you prefer your soup on the thicker side. Puree up to half of the soup, then stir it into the rest of the soup.
- TRY THESE MAGIC KID-FRIENDLY SPOONS. I’ve shared this a lot, but we swear by Asian-style soup spoons. Especially little kids often get frustrated eating soup (it spills and sloshes off the spoon). If your little one doesn’t eat much soup, it may be because they’re frustrated. Asian soup spoons are flat and easier to sip or slurp from, which is perfect for little ones just learning the motion of eating soup from a spoon.
- ADD SOME CHIPS. Both my kids eat more soup when they get to dip chips in it. I’m not above adding some tortilla chips to dinner if it gets my kids eating soup! Purple or yellow corn chips (not paleo) or grain free cassava chips (like Siete) work well here!
FAQ + Tips And Tricks For The Best Pumpkin Taco Soup
Let’s Talk Toppings! This soup was developed as a Whole30 and paleo-approved recipe, so I usually serve it with diced avocado. BUT, if you’re not doing Whole30 or aren’t paleo, you can absolutely add extras like shredded cheddar cheese or crumbled cotija cheese, a dollop of sour cream, or a sprinkle of tortilla strips!
What To Serve On The Side. This slow cooker Pumpkin Taco Soup stands on its own beautifully, but also plays well with a good side salad (like a simple Green Side Salad or Arugula Salad), or some grain free cassava chips. For gluten free (or non-paleo folks), we love these pumpkin cornbread muffins or baked tortilla chips!
A Note On Cook-Times. Different slow cookers conduct heat differently, so unlike an oven temperature of, say 350 degrees F., the “LOW” and “HIGH” settings on slow cookers vary brand to brand and model to model. If your slow cooker runs hotter than mine, your soup may be done closer to the 3 hour mark. If it runs cooler than mine, your soup may be done close to 4-4 1/2 hours.
Fill The Soup Out More! This soup is on the “brothy” side on purpose, but if you want to fill it out more, you can use 2 pounds of chicken instead of 1 1/2 OR add a can of drained, rinsed black beans or Great Northern beans along with other ingredients!
Did You Make This Recipe?
Tell me all about it! Leave a star rating below when you try our Slow Cooker Pumpkin Taco Soup recipe. I can’t wait to hear how it goes!
Slow Cooker Pumpkin Taco Soup
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast (or chicken thighs)
- 28 ounces Diced Fire-Roasted Tomatoes (one 28-ounce can or two 14oz cans)
- 1 (14 ounce) can Pumpkin Puree (not pie filling!)
- 1 Onion – diced
- 2 teaspoons Ground Cumin
- 2 teaspoons Chili Powder
- 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt (or to taste)
- 4 cups Chicken Bone Broth (or Vegetable Broth)
- 1/4 cup Chopped Fresh Cilantro
To Serve:
- 1 Avocado diced or sliced
- Additional Cilantro
- Shredded Cheese or Cotija Cheese (Not Paleo!)
Instructions
- Combine. In the bowl of your slow cooker, combine diced tomatoes, pumpkin puree, onion, garlic, cumin, chili powder, and salt. Add chicken broth or veggie broth and stir to combine so there are no chunks of pumpkin puree.
- Add Chicken. Tuck the chicken breast into the soup and cover with the lid.
- Slow Cook soup on HIGH 3-4 hours (Mine's usually done at about the 3 1/2 hour mark!), or on LOW 7-8 hours. You'll know the soup is done when the chicken is tender and easy to shred.
- Finish The Soup. Use two forks to shred the chicken (either right in the slow cooker or on a cutting board or plate) and return it to the soup. Stir in cilantro.
- Serve & Store. Enjoy warm with your favorite toppings, and store leftover soup in an airtight container in the fridge 3-4 days. Or, freeze soup in freezer-safe containers or freezer bags up to 2 months.
Notes
- Try Adding More Chicken or Beans! This soup is on the broth-y side on purpose, but if you want the soup more filled out, you can use 2 pounds of chicken or add 1 can of black beans or great northern beans along with the other ingredients! (Beans are not paleo or Whole30 approved, but are gluten-free & delicious!)
INSTANT POT DIRECTIONS:
- DUMP-AND-GO METHOD: Add all ingredients to your Instant Pot and stir to combine. Cover, making sure valve is turned to SEALED setting. Cook on MANUAL pressure for 15 minutes. Quick release steam by carefully turning valve to VENT setting (or simply naturally release steam), then shred the chicken and return to soup. Garnish with additional cilantro.
- SAUTE METHOD. Add 1 Tbsp. olive oil to your Instant Pot and press SAUTE. Add onion and saute 4-5 minutes, or until onion is tender. Press CANCEL and add all other remaining ingredients to the Instant Pot. Stir to combine. Make sure valve is sealed, then cook on MANUAL for 15 minutes. Quick-release steam or naturally release steam, before shredding chicken and returning to soup. Garnish with additional cilantro.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition facts are an estimate only and will vary based on brands and amounts used.
Find it Online:
https://www.onelovelylife.com/pumpkin-taco-soup/Shared October 2014. Updated 2019. Updated with improved notes & updated photos and video and republished 2025.
This recipe has been around for a while! Here are some of our older photos:
This is one of my family’s favorites! I love making it for company or when I dropping dinner off to a friend. Everyone LOVES it! And it’s so easy!! Sometimes I pour it over rice for my “non-soup” kids. 🤣
LOVE that idea! You’re the best.
I love this soup! It couldn’t be easier to make and it feels so cozy in the fall and winter. So flavorful!!
I used butternut squash that I had roasted and froze previously instead of the pumpkin. Worked wonderfully and tasted so good. I love any type of squash recipe that includes Mexican type spices so I was excited to try this. I also added a chipotle pepper for a bit of smoky flavor and a lil heat. Thank you so much and keep the great recipes coming.
I love to make this in the fall. It’s such a great way to use pumpkin that’s not a dessert.
Do I pre cook the chicken first, before putting it in the crockpot?
Hi, Mel! You do not need to cook the chicken first. It’ll cook as the soup cooks! (Just don’t put it in frozen!)
This was delicious and so easy!! We loved it! Big hit with my chicken loving 5 year old. I added chopped mushrooms and a diced sugar pie pumpkin I had on hand. We topped with shredded cheese. So yummy!
That sounds absolutely delicious! I’ll have to try it with mushrooms. YUM!
This was so good! I will be making it again.
Oh, I’m SO GLAD you loved it!!!
How would you spice this if you don’t have fire roasted tomatoes ?
You can absolutely use regular diced tomatoes. The fire-roasted ones just have a slight smoky taste. You could add a pinch of something like smoked paprika, but there are no extra spices in fire-roasted tomatoes. Hope that helps!
Making this right now with some pumpkin seed flour bread. Can’t wait till my hubby gets home to try out. Thanks
Ooh, that bread sounds amazing! I hope you love the soup!
Have you made it without chicken?
It works just fine without chicken! You may want to add an extra cup or two of veggies, so that it doesn’t feel to broth-y, but if you like plenty of broth, you don’t need to change a thing.
I made this for dinner tonight and it was a huge hit with my whole family, all the kids included! Thanks so much for sharing.
I’m so glad to hear it! We make it a LOT in these cold months 🙂
Have you tried making this soup on the stove instead of the crock pot?
Betsy – Yes, though I typically do it with cooked chicken when I make it on the stovetop. Saute the onion, add the spices, then stir in the rest of the ingredients. Simmer till everything is tender and delicious!
After the hiccup with the butter chicken, I made this yesterday. I was tickled that I only had to buy two things to get it going! This is the first time I’ve had pumpkin in a savory food, and I totally agree that it doesn’t lend much flavor (except in deliciously pumpkiny burps) even while it adds a lot of weight to the broth. I served it over brown rice (I put anything with a thicker broth on rice), and it was so filling and satisfying! My boyfriend really liked it. It has a very clean, fresh taste. Very light and definitely satisfying. One batch made some decent leftovers that’ll hopefully keep us going through at least some of the week. Thanks so much for the recipe!
You are so welcome! Enjoy those leftovers!
One of our new favorites! So incredibly easy, but so yummy! Our whole family loves it! For my non-meat eating husband, I have done black beans instead of chicken and he loves it too. We love it with avocado and crushed tortilla chips on top.
I plan to make this tomorrow (oh how I love bonus-day weekends!) and was thinking about adding rice or chopped butternut squash to this. Do you think either option would work with this recipe? The rave reviews make me hesitant to mess with it!!
I love it as is, but you could probably get away with chopped butternut squash, if you wanted to try it! I think rice would get over cooked unless you added it much later in the cooking process. I’d love to know what you think if you add the squash!
I made this with the squash on Monday with mixed results. I set it for 8 hours on low, and the squash ended up overly soft, and added extra moisture to the soup that seemed to water down the flavor (but nothing some extra spices couldn’t fix!). Next time, I’ll add the squash in the final few hours.
LOVED THIS! So simple, so easy, but so much flavor! Doesn’t taste pumpkin-y, just delicious! And my 3 year old loved it too!
Hi, Emily: I’m making your soup right now. The smells are incredible. Cannot wait for it to be done. I must say I was hesitant about the pumpkin, since it’s not my favorite flavor. But, oh my! It adds such a nice texture and the spices hide the taste. Thanks so much for posting, and have a great week.
Have this in my crock pot today. Was supposed to be for dinner but I broke down and ate 2 bowls for lunch. Loved it! Thanks.
Oh, I’m so glad you liked it!!!
Simple and healthy. My kind of meal!