Pumpkin Curry Soup

Course: Appetizer, dinner, lunch

Cuisine: Middle Eastern/Indian

Keyword: pumpkin, soup, vegan

Prep Time: 6

Cook Time: 19

Total Time: 25

Servings:

Calories: 230kcal

Pumpkin Curry Soup is a vegan recipe made with pumpkin puree and warming spices like curry powder, garam masala, and aromatics.

Ready in less than 30 minutes.

2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) olive oil
1/2 medium yellow onion peeled and roughly chopped (about 1 cup or 120 grams)
3 cloves garlic peeled and chopped (2 tablespoons or 20 grams)
2 inch piece ginger peeled and chopped (1 1/2 tablespoons or 15 grams)
3 cups (750 milliliters) vegetable stock
1 tablespoon (7 grams) curry powder Jamaican preferred
1/2 tablespoon (1 gram) Middle Eastern Spice Blend or garam masala
2 teaspoons (12 grams) kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne optional
1 3/4 pounds (820 grams) pumpkin puree or 1 29-ounce can (822 grams) packed pumpkin
1 1/2 cups (375 milliliters) coconut milk

Heat the olive oil in a 6-quart dutch oven over medium-high heat.
Add the onion, garlic, and ginger to the pot once the oil begins to shimmer.
Sauté the aromatics for 3 minutes, stirring them around frequently to keep the garlic, especially, from burning.

Add the pumpkin puree, curry powder, Middle Eastern Spice Blend, salt, cayenne, and vegetable stock to the pot with the aromatics.
Stir the ingredients together in the pot.
Bring this mixture to a boil, then reduce the cooking temperature to medium-low and cover the pot.
Simmer the soup for 15 minutes to allow the flavors to blend.

Turn the heat off after 15 minutes of simmering, and use an immersion blender to puree the pumpkin soup until it's as smooth as you want.
Remove the pot from the stove and stir in the coconut milk.
Serve the pumpkin curry soup in soup bowls garnished with fresh chopped cilantro and a drizzle of coconut cream.
Enjoy this recipe with toasted naan, crusty bread, crackers, or warm pita bread

Using canned pumpkin can be used if fresh pumpkin is not in season.
You can replace the Middle Eastern Spice Blend with garam masala or chai spice blend.
Use Madras or more garam masala to create a more assertive flavor in your pumpkin soup.
You can omit the cayenne if you don't like a spicy flavor.
Use canned coconut milk instead of fresh coconut milk.
You can garnish the soup with sour cream instead of coconut cream if your meal doesn't have to be vegan.

Sugar pumpkins, butternut squash, or Kabocha squash are great for making pumpkin curry soup.
You can skip this blending the soup for chunkier texture.
If you add the coconut milk while the soup is still heating, it's likely to curdle.
Make sure you garnish your soup with coconut cream and not cream of coconut, which is sweet.

To make this with fresh pumpkin, you can boil the peeled chunks of fruit in the vegetable stock from the recipe after sautéing the aromatics in the pot. Add the spices and puree the contents of the pot once the pumpkin is fork-tender.
Or roast the peeled pumpkin chunks for 30-35 minutes at 400°F (204°C) or until fork tender. Add the fruit to the pot along with the spices and vegetable stock and puree for as long as desired.

Refrigerate leftover pumpkin curry soup in an air-tight container for up to 4 days.
You can reheat the soup for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes or until warmed through or on the stove until heated through.

Allow the soup to cool completely, then transfer it to a freezer-safe container
Freeze the soup for up to 3 months.
Thaw the soup in the fridge overnight before reheating, or use the defrost/thaw setting on your microwave for a quick thaw.