This pumpkin soup is a classic dish for fall. It’s easy, affordable, and so delicious! Spiced with cinnamon and curry powder, this soup will warm your heart.
It’s officially pumpkin season and you can’t go wrong with a bowl of this warm and silky soup. This pumpkin curry soup is full of flavor, color, and loaded of nutrients. Whip it up while the pumpkins are still in season!
Why this recipe works
If you’ve made our Albodingas or Tuscan white bean soups before, you know we do soup well. This pumpkin curry version is a must make when you find that overzealous squash staring at you from the pantry.
- Perfect for fall. A bowl of creamy and heartwarming pumpkin soup is all you need during the colder months of fall.
- Gluten-free and vegan. This soup doesn’t contain gluten and can easily be made vegan if you use water or vegetable stock instead of chicken stock.
- Highly nutritious. Pumpkins are loaded with fiber, minerals, and vitamins.
- Freezer-friendly. Creamy pumpkin soups are perfect for freezing. You can cook a large batch and freeze some for days when you are not in the mood for cooking.
What we love about this recipe is just how many ways there are to cook it! We like using the stovetop, but also included options to make it in the slow cooker or instant pot!
Ingredients needed
If you have pumpkin at home, be sure that you can make this soup come together in no time. Here’s everything you’ll need to make it.
- Pumpkin. Raw and cubed, or cooked and pureed.
- Carrots. Cubed.
- Onion. White or red, chopped.
- Garlic. Minced.
- Ginger. Minced.
- Vegetable broth. Choose a good quality brand that uses minimal flavorings and preservatives.
- Coconut milk. Canned and unsweetened.
- Spices. Black pepper, curry powder, and cinnamon.
- Salt. To taste.
How to make pumpkin curry soup
This pumpkin curry soup is a one-pot recipe. It’s easy, quick, and mess-free. Here’s how to make it.
Step 1- Make the soup base
Melt butter in a heated soup pot. Add chopped onions to the pot and cook on medium heat for around 2 minutes. Add the minced garlic.
Next, add the cubed pumpkin and carrots to the pot, followed by vegetable or chicken stock. Add the cinnamon and curry powder and season with salt and pepper. Bring the soup to a boil and reduce the heat to low. Simmer the soup for 20-25 minutes or until the pumpkin is tender.
Step 3- Blend the soup then add coconut milk
Remove the soup from heat when it’s done cooking. Use an immersion blend or a food processor to blend the soup until smooth. Once blended, put the soup back over the heat and stir in the coconut milk.
Slow cooker and instant pot instructions
If you are not short of time, you can make pumpkin soup in a slow cooker. And if you want to cook the soup quicker, use the instant pot.
For slow cooker pumpkin soup
- Sauté onion and garlic and add them into the slow cooker.
- Add the rest of the ingredients, including cubed pumpkin, coconut milk, broth (or water), spices, and salt.
- Slow cook the soup on High for 2 hours. If you are cooking on Low, cook for 4 hours.
- When the soup is ready, use an immersion blender to puree it.
For instant pot pumpkin soup
- Add all ingredients to the instant pot except the coconut milk.
- Seal the lid, set it on high pressure, and cook for 15 minutes. Alternatively, you can choose the soup setting on your Instant pot and follow the corresponding cooking time.
- Quick release the steam.
- Stir in the coconut milk and serve.
Tips to make the best recipe
- If you are using raw pumpkin, cut it into smaller cubes to make it cook faster.
- Use pre-roasted pumpkin to give the soup hints of delightful caramelized flavor.
- Play with seasonings and spices to make this pumpkin soup suit your palate.
- Add a handful of lentils or chickpeas to the soup if you aim for more protein in your meals.
Flavor variations
The beauty of this soup is just how versatile it is! You can jazz it up with other ingredients or change up the flavor with some spices. Here are some ideas:
- Add vegetables. Pureed soups are the perfect occasion to use more veggies. You can add celery, zucchini, and potatoes to this soup.
- Elevate it with peanut butter. Unsweetened peanut butter makes this cream of pumpkin soup extra rich and creamy.
- Spice it up. The spice level of curry powder may range from mild to quite spicy. If the curry powder you are using isn’t spicy enough for your liking, use hot chili flakes.
- Serve with cream. A swirl of heavy cream added to the soup right before serving adds creaminess and creates a mouthful of richness.
Storage instructions
- To store. Stored in an airtight container, pumpkin soup will stay fresh for up to 7 days.
- To freeze. Freeze pumpkin soup in portions for easy thawing and to avoid food waste. Transfer the pumpkin soup into airtight containers or freezer bags and freeze for up to 3 months.
- To reheat. Transfer the soup into a pot and reheat it on low-medium heat. Stir occasionally and add more stock or water if needed.
More soup recipes to try
Frequently asked questions
Butternut and Queensland pumpkins are two of the best pumpkin varieties to use for soup. Pumpkin varieties that have a soft flesh make the soups too watery.
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Pumpkin Curry Soup
Ingredients
- 1 lb pumpkin cubed
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 small onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons curry powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon ginger minced
- 2 large carrots chopped
- 2 1/4 cups vegetable broth
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/4 cups coconut milk canned
Instructions
- Add the butter into a large soup pot and place over medium heat. Once hot, add the onion and cook for 2 minutes. Add the garlic.
- Add the pumpkin, curry powder, cinnamon, ginger, and carrots, followed by the vegetable stock. Season with salt and pepper. Stir and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and let everything simmer for 20-25 minutes, or until the pumpkin is soft and tender.
- Remove the soup pot off the heat and using a blender or food processor, blend until smooth.
- Place the soup back over the heat and stir through the coconut milk.
Notes
Nutrition
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Haha OMG your camp’s pumpkin soup sounds tragic! Given it’s one of my favourite foods, I just can’t fathom how it can ever go wrong but ick- Now I’m just imagining pumpkin-flavored water! Please tell me you guys were at least given s’mores as compensation!
Love your version of pumpkin soup & good call on adding in coconut milk. And as if I couldn’t love you more, your cilantro aversion did the trick- even the smell of the herb bothers me, let alone eating it. As you can imagine, it doesn’t really work in my favour at all when I’m dining in an Indian restaurant.
Well, because Australia is ten years behind the world, we didnt- We had ‘damper’. Google it. It makes the pumpkin soup seem like royalty.
Yum, this looks delicious!!
Thanks so much Charlie!
I pretty much love pumpkin and squash prepared in any way. This looks and sounds super yummy!
My parents NEVER sent me to camp. I think they were too worried that I would be corrupted by the “bad” kids…
Haha, these were mandatory as part of school!
Oh man, this soup looks like the ultimate comfort food for these brutally cold days we’re having in upstate New York right now. But how in the heck were you able to make this soup in the middle of summer down there in Australia? Either way, it looks awesome! Love the seeds on top. If only they had camps that served this kind of food…camp food was the worst! I remember heading over to the peanut butter and jelly sandwich station way more than I care to admit!
Urgh. Just like our conversation- 80% + readership in America means I have to save my ice cream recipes for 5 months time lol!
I’m jealous, Peanut butter was banned!
I like the way you’re thinking 😉 I am pumpkin obsessed but for some reason I stick to “pumpkin season”…until now! I bought a can of pumpkin the other day because I was thinking of all the delicious things to be made. Love the recipe!!
Cheers, Alanna. #pumpkinloveyearround.
I shall most def make this in my slow cooker as things are a lil hairy for me at the moment. It is def my preferred method. Love how thick and creamy the soup looks! And I couldn’t help but laugh at your confession. I, too, used to HATE cilantro, but I’ve def come to love it over the years. Cilantro is one of those foods that people either hate or love..no in between
Haha it’s so true- My family is completely divided over it. Whenever we buy the Vietnamese Pork rolls, if there is one bit of cilantro I refuse to eat it.
Wow, that made me sound like a princess.
I posted a curry soup today, too! We really ARE curry buddies! 🙂 This looks amazing – I’ve actually never had pumpkin soup before!
We are! VEGAN curry buddies :p
I love pumpkin soup! What’s not to love about it? Especially the colour…
Have you realised that you actually have topped the soup with sunflower seeds, not pumpkin seeds?? 😀 Lovely picture though!
Yes I have, thank you. It was done on purpose!
It’s so funny how there it’s mostly savory and here it’s mostly sweet. Also I’m lol’ing at how different foods are served at camp depending on what country you’re in. Here, camp food = beef jerky, s’mores, hot dogs, potato chips, etc. It reminds me of that article that’s been buzzing around the internet lately — America’s school lunches vs. the rest of the world. We just serve crap all the time haha
Haha, this was a school camp though- Had it been by choice, that is totally my kind of grub!
LOL. I LOVE that article. I remember the one about the tomato sauce on pizza being a vegetable too…
These photos are absolutely gorgeous! It looks so darn flavorful!
You’re a gem Sonali!
I’m freezing right now drinking a smoothie, so warm pumpkin soup would really hit the spot! So sad you had bad food at camp, but I think you’re making up for it now! 🙂
Thanks Ashley! I ALWAYS drink smoothies in Winter…with the heater on!
How did you not like pumpkin growing up?! I feel like kids are all about sweet, starchy veggies like sweet potatoes and pumpkins. That’s how I was when I was a kid! It’s cold and snowy outside right now, and this pumpkin soup sounds perfect for right now!
I know, right! I’m making up for it right now! 😀
I adore pumpkin- especially in savory foods! I make a pumpkin pasta sauce that is one of my favorite dishes to eat during the fall! This soup sounds so delicious and comforting! We definitely didn’t have this at camp- more like hot dogs, mac and cheese and smores.
Oh wow, Alex- That sounds delicious! I need to try a pumpkin sauce over pasta!
What a gorgeous bowl of soup – can’t believe how easy it is to make!
Thanks Jeanette- I know, I’m almost embarrassed to have posted it :s
I have a can of pumpkin left so i know exactly what to do this weekend, besides of course eating too much cake…because #vday 🙂
Enjoy it, Dixya!