Spicy Pumpkin Soup Recipe

Ah, fall, a perfect time for a spicy pumpkin soup! This soup comes together quickly, and has warm notes of ginger, curry, cumin, coriander, and black pepper. Great flavor additions that enhance not detract from the pumpkin.

What gives the soup its heat? Not chili this time, but some freshly minced ginger. I love the zing ginger brings to the soup. (If it's too much for you, just scale back.)

This recipe is a major upgrade from a soup we posted in 2006. I was never quite satisfied with that soup. This one nails it. If you liked the original, I think you'll love the new and improved version! (BTW, you can still find the original on the Internet Archive here.

Spicy Pumpkin Soup

Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 30 mins

Total Time 40 mins

Servings 4 to 6 servings

To make pumpkin purée, cut a sugar pumpkin in half, scoop out the seeds and stringy stuff, lay face down on a tin-foil lined baking pan. Bake at 350°F until soft, about 45 min to an hour. Cool, scoop out the flesh. Purée in food processor. Freeze whatever you don't use for future use.

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups roughly chopped yellow onion
2 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 teaspoons)
2 teaspoons minced, peeled fresh ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons yellow curry powder
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
Small pinch cinnamon
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
4 cups low sodium chicken stock or vegetable stock
2 bay leaves
2 (15-ounce) cans 100 percent pumpkin or 3 1/2 cups pumpkin purée
1 cup water
3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Yogurt, for garnish
Toasted pumpkin seeds, for garnish

Sauté onions, garlic, ginger, spices:

Melt butter in a large (5 to 6 quart), thick-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté until softened, about 5 to 6 minutes.

Add the minced garlic and ginger, cook another minute.

Add the curry powder, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, and salt. Cook for another 2 minutes.

Elise Bauer

Elise Bauer
Add stock, bay leaves, and pumpkin purée:

Add the chicken stock and the bay leaves. Add the pumpkin purée and the water. Stir to combine. If the soup is too thick for your taste, add more stock or water to thin it.

Increase heat to high. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.

Elise Bauer

Elise Bauer
Purée soup:

Remove bay leaves. Use an immersion blender to purée the soup.
Stir in cream:

Right before serving, stir in the cream. Add black pepper and adjust seasonings to taste. Add more salt if necessary.

Drizzle with plain yogurt that has been thinned with a little water and sprinkle with toasted pumpkin seeds to serve.

Elise Bauer

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
168	Calories
6g	Fat
23g	Carbs
7g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 to 6
Amount per serving
Calories	168
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 6g	8%
Saturated Fat 4g	18%
Cholesterol 16mg	5%
Sodium 620mg	27%
Total Carbohydrate 23g	8%
Dietary Fiber 6g	21%
Total Sugars 11g
Protein 7g
Vitamin C 10mg	52%
Calcium 149mg	11%
Iron 3mg	17%
Potassium 665mg	14%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.

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