Pumpkin Curry Soup 

Soups are a dime a dozen, but this Pumpkin Curry Soup recipe is in a league of its own. With its rich, sweet pumpkin foundation and heady Southeast Asian flavors, this one makes you sit up and pay attention.

This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. See my Affiliate Disclosure.

This Pumpkin Curry Soup is more than a dish; it’s a fall flavor extravaganza. The natural sweetness of pumpkin blends seamlessly with the boldness of curry, resulting in a balance that’s both comforting and invigorating.

It is a quintessential fall dish, delicious any time during this season, and a brilliant opening act for your Thanksgiving dinner or any festive fall feast. It’s the kind of soup that doesn’t just warm your stomach but lingers in your memory, making every fall meal feel like an event.

Why You’ll Love This Dish

Leave behind predictable comfort foods; this recipe is a flavor adventure. Pumpkin puree provides a subtle backdrop of fall flavor with natural sweetness, while Thai red curry paste adds layers of complex flavor and just the right kick of heat. Velvety, rich coconut milk rounds out the experience.

This soup is comforting and easy enough to prepare for a cozy weeknight meal but still elegant enough to kick off a holiday celebration like Thanksgiving or Friendsgiving.  Drizzling a bit of coconut cream and sprinkling toasted pumpkin seeds over the top gives it an extra festive presentation, too.

Our favorite!

HexClad 5-Quart Dutch Oven

$199.99

This nonstick Dutch oven is our current favorite pot for cooking all our curries, soups, and stews!

Buy now

We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.

11/28/2023 01:14 pm GMT

This pumpkin soup recipe is super easy to make and requires only 10 ingredients, including salt and pepper, and it can also be made several days in advance and stored in the refrigerator. Just reheat it on the stovetop just before serving.

It’s also soup vegetarian and vegan, so any guests with dietary restrictions will feel welcome and well fed.

Ingredients You Need

So let’s break down what you’ll need to make this soup come to life:

• Vegetable broth: Using vegetable broth makes this soup vegetarian and vegan, but you can use chicken broth if that’s what you have on hand and you’re not hosting anyone who eats a vegetarian diet.
• Pumpkin puree: Make sure you’re buying 100 percent pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling which is sweetened. Using canned pumpkin puree makes this recipe really quick to make, but you can substitute fresh pumpkin by roasting a whole pumpkin (cut into chunks and scoop out the seeds before roasting) and pureeing the flesh.
• Brown sugar: Coconut sugar can be used as a substitute.
• Red curry paste: This is available at most grocery stores in the international aisle. If you are serving vegetarians or vegans, be sure to read the ingredients label and choose one that doesn’t have any animal products like fish paste, fish sauce, or shrimp paste.
• Garlic powder: Because, well, garlic makes almost everything better.
• Onion powder: Adds depth to the soup’s profile.
• Salt and pepper: The seasonings any savory dish needs. I recommend kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Ground ginger: For that underlying zing.
• Coconut milk: I recommend using full-fat coconut milk for the richest effect and the best flavor. If you don’t like the flavor of coconut milk, you can substitute heavy cream.
• Optional garnishes: Coconut cream for drizzling and toasted pumpkin seeds for sprinkling over the top. Or you could add a swirl of green herb oil made with cilantro, mint, and/or basil.

How to Make It

Ready to get cooking? Here are the basic steps of this coconut curry pumpkin soup recipe:

1. Combine the broth, pumpkin puree, sugar, curry paste, and seasonings in a stockpot over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Let simmer for 20 minutes or so to bring out the flavors.
2. Stir in the coconut milk and bring back up to a simmer.
3. Serve it piping hot.

What to Serve With It

Wondering what pairs well with this soup? Good bread, obviously, like buttermilk bread or even swirled garlic bread. A fresh, bright salad like kachumber salad, kale salad, or Japanese cucumber salad balance the soup’s richness.

This soup makes a great starter for a holiday meal, especially Thanksgiving dinner, or even Friendsgiving! Follow it up with a classic spread of roast turkey with cranberry sauce, green bean and stuffing casserole, cheesy mashed potato casserole or potatoes au gratin, and a dessert of pumpkin pecan cheesecake, pumpkin ice cream, or apple galette. 

Pumpkin Curry Soup

Robin Donovan

This Thai Curry Pumpkin Soup combines the natural sweetness of pumpkin with the boldness of Thai red curry paste. It’s a comforting dish that offers a taste of autumn with Southeast Asian flair, perfect for cozy nights in or festive fall feasts like Thankgsiving dinner.

5 from 10 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Course Soup

Cuisine American, Asian, Thai

Servings 6 servings

Calories 75 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 6 cups vegetable broth
• 1 29-ounce can pumpkin puree
• ⅓ cup brown sugar
• ¼ cup red curry paste
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 14-ounce can full-fat coconut milk

Instructions

 

• Combine vegetable broth, pumpkin, brown sugar, curry paste, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and ginger in a large stockpot. Heat over medium heat until simmering. Simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Stir in the coconut milk and bring back to a simmer.
• Serve hot.

Notes

You can substitute chicken broth or chicken stock for the vegetable broth.
If the soup is too thick, add a bit more broth.
You can substitute 2 teaspoons of minced fresh ginger for the ground ginger and 2 minced fresh garlic cloves for the garlic powder.
You can substitute lite coconut milk for full-fat.
If you don’t like the flavor of coconut milk, you can use heavy cream or half-and-half instead.
Garnish it with a drizzle of coconut cream and a sprinkling of toasted pumpkin seeds.
Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in the freezer in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Calories: 75kcalCarbohydrates: 17gProtein: 0.4gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0.3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.1gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.3gSodium: 1720mgPotassium: 37mgFiber: 1gSugar: 15gVitamin A: 2079IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 27mgIron: 0.5mg

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!