Coconut Curry Pumpkin Soup

Coconut Curry Pumpkin Soup is one of my favorite soups of the season. It's rich, creamy, flavorful, and delicious. This vegan soup is ready just over 35 minutes with minimal prep and in one pot. It's the perfect fall soup for busy fall weeknights or as a stress-free first course for Thanksgiving dinner.

Loaded with warm spices, your kitchen will smell absolutely amazing as this pumpkin soup is simmering on the stove. Plus, it's a great recipe to use up any leftover pumpkin puree from your fall baking experiments.

Why You’ll Love this Coconut Curry Pumpkin Soup

• Quick and easy. This pumpkin soup is one of the easiest soups you'll make this fall. No culinary degree or expert kitchen experience required. Just chop, mix, heat, and blend — that’s it! It only takes a handful of ingredients, minimal prep, and just over 30 minutes before it's ready to serve. Plus, if you chop the onions finely enough, you can skip pureeing the soup as it should already be smooth enough as is. Any reason to not have to bring out my heavy food processor is a win for me!
• Rich curry flavor. What makes this simple soup so good? Just a couple of spices. Indian-inspired flavors and fresh ingredients make this coconut curry pumpkin soup just the thing to serve when you’re trying to break out of your usual weeknight routine without disrupting your schedule. The curry and garam masala spices transform the mild flavor of pumpkin and coconut into something so delicious that your whole family will love.
• It’s completely vegan. The recipe as written here (without substitutions) is completely vegan — no meat, eggs, or dairy products here. Whether you’re plant-based or trying to cut back on animal products, this soup is perfect for everyday dining or Meatless Mondays. It's gluten-free too!
• Serve for lunch or dinner. This coconut curry pumpkin soup makes a delicious simple lunch, a great first course at a holiday dinner, or as a main course on its own with some delicious sides on a cold fall or winter night. It will instantly warm you up and make you feel cozy.

Ingredient Notes

To make this cozy Coconut Curry Pumpkin Soup, you will need the following ingredients (full quantities in recipe card below):

• pumpkin puree - you can use fresh pumpkin puree or canned pumpkin puree — just make sure you’re actually using pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling (an easy mistake for anyone to make in the canned goods aisle). You can also use butternut squash puree as a substitute.
• coconut milk - make sure it comes from a can, not a carton! Canned coconut milk is thicker and much creamier than coconut milk in a carton, which is necessary to get the right consistency in this soup.
• olive oil - avocado oil or coconut oil are okay to use in place of the olive oil in this recipe.
• onion - yellow onions, white onions, or shallots are great for soups and sauteing.
• garlic - fresh garlic is always preferable for the best flavor, but minced garlic from a jar at an exchange of 1 teaspoon per clove will yield a similar result.
• ginger - fresh ginger is fairly easy to come by and even easier to prepare, but if you don’t have any on-hand, you can use ginger paste (1:1 or 1 tablespoon for each inch of fresh ginger called for) or powdered ginger (¼ teaspoon for every tablespoon in the recipe).
• curry powder - curry powder can be found in either the spice aisle or world foods aisle of the grocery store, but if you can’t find it, you can make your own curry blend from a combination of ground turmeric, coriander, ginger, black pepper, and cumin.
• garam masala - the same goes for the garam masala. You can make your own by combining cinnamon, pepper, cardamom, cumin, coriander, nutmeg, and clove.
• vegetable stock - if you don’t have vegetable stock, use whatever kind you have on hand. Be mindful that if adding chicken or beef stock, the dish will no longer be vegan or vegetarian.
• salt and pepper 

Optional Toppings

• toasted pumpkin seeds - if you don’t like the texture of pumpkin seeds, toasted pine nuts, cashews, walnuts, or pistachios would make a similar topping.
• cilantro - other soft herbs are okay, too!

You will also need measuring cups and spoons, a medium cooking pot, and an immersion blender, food processor, or upright blender.

Health Benefits of Pumpkin

One of the best parts of this vegan pumpkin soup are the health benefits. You can't go wrong when it comes to pumpkin. Here are some reasons why you should be eating more pumpkin:

1. boosts immunity
2. burns fat
3. protects your eyes
4. cancer fighting
5. beneficial for your heart
6. reduces inflammation

How to Make the Best Coconut Curry Pumpkin Soup

1. Sauté aromatics. In a medium cooking pot, heat olive oil over medium heat until sizzling hot. Add onion and sauté until soft and translucent, about 4 minutes. Then, add garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
2. Add seasoning. Stir in curry powder and garam masala, and keep stirring for about 15 seconds.

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3. Add soup base. Pour in vegetable stock, coconut milk, and pumpkin puree. Stir to combine, and bring to a boil. 
4. Simmer. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
5. Puree. Use an immersion blender and puree the soup until smooth (if needed). You can also transfer the soup to a food processor or upright blender to puree. 
6. Serve. Serve soup with a drizzle of coconut milk and a sprinkle toasted pumpkin seeds and fresh cilantro on top, if desired. 

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How to Serve

Any good soup is made even better when it’s served with hearty bread, crunchy croutons, or robust crackers as vehicles to get soup from bowl to mouth. You can also turn this quick and easy pumpkin soup into a filling meal with some classic soup sides such as:

• Grilled Cheese Roll Ups
• Apple Arugula Salad
• Air Fryer French Fries
• Spinach Cheese Rolls
• Butternut Squash Quinoa Salad
• Pigs in a Blanket

Storage and Freezing Instructions

How to Store

Once the pumpkin curry soup has cooled to room temperature, transfer it to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to four days. 

How to Freeze

Carefully transfer cooled curry soup to a freezer-safe airtight container or freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to eat, transfer the soup to the fridge and let it thaw overnight.

How to Reheat

Reheat leftover soup in the microwave in 30 second intervals until warmed through, on the stovetop over medium-low heat until warm, or in the crockpot according to the appliance’s instructions.

More Pumpkin Recipes

• Carrot Pumpkin Soup
• Pumpkin Muffins
• Pumpkin Energy Bites
• Roasted Pumpkin Wedges
• Pumpkin Cornbread
• Pumpkin Hummus

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