Forget sweater weather – we’re here for soup season! Pumpkin Curry Soup builds on classic fall flavors with a bold and fragrant palette of ginger, coconut and curry. This easy, creamy soup is ready in 30 minutes thanks to canned pumpkin puree and your immersion blender.
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I like being a grown-up. I mean, sure, there are crappy parts of adulthood – like discovering the cost of replacing a hot water heater or children’s orthodontics. But for the most part, you get to make life choices that ultimately contribute to your general happiness.
While I suspect being a baby is also crappy in many ways (like literal dirty diapers), those little nuggets DO get to subsist on a soft and smooth diet for an inconsiderate amount of time. If I could be satisfied slurping every single meal, I’d do it! But no…I had to go learn about fresh herbs and grilled meats and how parmesan cheese turns gloriously crunchy in the oven.
Thankfully, we have creamy soups to satisfy those nascent urges for pureed food. Classic roasted tomato soup and creamy cauliflower soup are versatile basics; but to fully embrace soup season, winter squash is where it’s at.
You can go for the (liquid) gold with instant pot butternut squash soup or creamy roasted acorn squash soup. But today we’re craving comfort food with a kick – and creamy pumpkin soup with curry, apple, and coconut milk delivers!
Why These Flavors Rock!
While pumpkin and apple are both beloved cold weather flavors, they don’t have to be “basic.” I absolutely love a classic fall combo, like roasted pumpkin soup, carrot and apple soup, and even carrot ginger soup.
In fact, I love them so much that I basically mashed ’em up, and added a little bit of spice.
- Coconut milk keeps it creamy and naturally pairs with curry; if you’d rather use heavy cream, check the recipe notes!
- A crisp apple adds just the right amount of sweetness without overpowering the savory seasonings.
- Curry powder, ginger, cumin, and turmeric make the spice profile warm and cozy, but not so literally spicy that it jumps off the adventurous kid-friendly ship.
- Canned pumpkin puree (100% pumpkin only!) is a terrific stand-in for roasted pumpkin. You’ll still get depth and sweetness thanks to the spices and apple.
How to Make Creamy Pumpkin Curry Soup
This silky smooth blend of seasonal flavors will warm bowls and hearts. Pumpkin Curry Soup with creamy coconut milk and sweet apple features an aromatic blend of ginger, cumin, turmeric and curry powder. Garnish with roasted pumpkin seeds and fresh cilantro.
- In a dutch oven or large soup pot, saute the mirepoix (onions, carrots, and celery) in coconut oil until softened.
- Add the garlic, ginger, curry powder, cumin, and turmeric. Work the spices into the vegetables and saute, stirring constantly, for at least one minute. Adding the spices at this stage, where they can dissolve in the fat, is called “blooming” the spices.
- Deglaze the pot with a splash of vegetable broth, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
- Add the apple, canned pumpkin puree, coconut milk, and remaining broth. Season with salt and pepper and stir well.
- Simmer 10 minutes, until the apple is very soft and the flavors have melded. Puree right in the pot using an immersion blender, then taste for seasoning and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
- Ladle into bowls, then garnish with pepitas and cilantro. Serve right away.
Essential Notes and Tips
- Bloom those spices! Most dried spices contain fat soluble flavor compounds – this means that they will release their best flavors and aromas when cooked in fat. If you add the spices to the soup after adding the liquids (and therefore diluting the fat), you’re literally leaving out flavors. By adding the spices along with the garlic and ginger, you give them time to become coated in the cooking fat and to maximally release all of those tasty flavors!
- Make sure your ground spices are fresh! Rub a bit of each between your fingers – they should be very aromatic. If the scent isn’t strong, the flavor of your pumpkin curry soup won’t be either.
- Using canned pumpkin is what makes this soup so quick and easy. Make sure you purchase 100% pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling.
- Unsweetened coconut milk adds body and creates a very creamy finish. We use full-fat coconut milk, but you may also use “light” coconut milk, heavy cream, or half-and-half. Do not use sweetened coconut milk – the finished soup will be overly cloying.
- This is a sweet soup, but it isn’t cloying. If you’re sensitive to sweeter flavors, choose a tart apple like granny smith, or omit entirely.
Can I Use Homemade Pumpkin Puree?
Of course! You’ll want about 4 cups. Homemade pumpkin puree may be more watery than canned pumpkin (it is in my experience), so reduce the broth by a half a cup to start – you can always add more later!
Serving Suggestions
There are so many ways to serve this simple soup – it’s a fun twist as an appetizer for Thanksgiving dinner, holds up all week for meal prep, and can serve as the star of the show for Sunday supper.
Make it a meal: this soup is hearty; serve with naan or sourdough bread for a robust lunch.
Make it an appetizer: opt for 1-cup portions, depending on your main course; it’s richer than it looks!
Round it out: we love to pair squash with poultry and leafy greens, both cooked or raw. You can’t go wrong pairing curried pumpkin soup with a whole roasted chicken or baked chicken thighs, along with a side of sautéed spinach, kale, or a crisp green salad.
Storing and Freezing
- In the Fridge: store leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 5 days; reheat individual servings in the microwave for about 2 minutes, stirring halfway though; reheat larger portions over medium heat in a saucepan, stirring occasionally, until it bubbles around the edges.
- In the Freezer: pumpkin soup with coconut milk freezes very well; because there is no milk, there’s no risk that the dairy fats will destabilize and separate. Store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight, then reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave as directed above.
Did you make this pumpkin curry soup? I’d love to know how it turned out! Leave a comment and a rating below.
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Pumpkin Curry Soup with Coconut Milk
Description
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced to ½”
- 1 medium carrot, diced to ½”
- 1 stalk celery, diced to ½”
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons fresh ginger, grated; see Note 1
- 2 tablespoons curry powder, see Note 2
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 2 cups low sodium vegetable broth, divided
- 1 medium apple, peeled, cored and diced to ½”
- 2 14.5-oz can pumpkin puree, see Note 3
- 1 14.5-oz can unsweetened coconut milk, see Note 4 and Note 5
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground pepper
- roasted salted pepitas, for garnish
- fresh cilantro, for garnish
Instructions
- Heat the coconut oil in a dutch oven or 6-quart soup pot over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion, carrots and celery. Saute, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic, ginger, curry powder, cumin, and turmeric and cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until very aromatic.
- Pour in ½ cup vegetable broth to deglaze the pot, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Continue stirring and scraping until the bottom of the pot is "clean".
- Add the apple, pumpkin puree, coconut milk, and remaining broth, then season with salt and pepper. Give everything a good stir.
- Simmer 10 minutes, or until the apples and vegetables are very tender. Puree in the pot using an immersion blender, then taste for seasoning. Adjust the salt and pepper until the flavor sings.
- Ladle into bowls, then garnish with pepitas and cilantro. Serve right away.
Recipe Notes
- Note 1. Feel free to use ginger paste in place of fresh grated ginger, but avoid ginger paste with added sugar so that you can control the level of sweetness.
- Note 2. There are endless variations of curry powder; we tested this recipe using a multi-purpose curry powder from the Simply Organic brand. Some curry powders are sweeter, and other curry powders are spicier (both in terms of heat and depth); if you’re new to cooking with curry powder, choose a basic spice blend labeled “curry powder” from the grocery store or seek our advice from a speciality spice shop. Above all, make sure your curry powder is fresh! If you’re unsure, rub a bit of spice between your fingers – it should smell very strong; if it’s dull, throw it out and purchase a new jar.
- Note 3. Use 100% canned pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling (which is sweetened and seasoned). If you’d like to use homemade pumpkin puree, use 4 cups, and reduce the broth by ½ cup.
- Note 4. Choose canned coconut milk with as few additives as possible, and no sweeteners. Coconut milk in cartoons in the dairy aisle is often made with added sweeteners. Full-fat coconut milk will be thick, and add a more full-bodied flavor to the soup. Lite coconut milk can be substituted, but the soup will be slighter thinner.
- Note 5. If you prefer to use heavy cream, increase the broth by 1 cup use ½ cup heavy cream (or ½ cup half-and-half).
Emily
I made this tonight for dinner. It was incredibly delicious and easy. I loved it and so did my two daughters. I served it with warm naan bread. It was perfect for this crisp fall day.