Spicy Thai Pumpkin Soup (Easy 20-Minute Recipe!)
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This Spicy Thai Pumpkin Soup recipe is bursting with Thai coconut curry flavor. It makes a luxuriously creamy and comforting soup that is naturally vegetarian, vegan, and gluten free. Perhaps best of all, it is ready to eat in just 20 minutes. Learn how to make homemade Thai pumpkin soup with this quick and easy recipe that is sure to be a crowd-pleaser.
You are going to love this Spicy Thai Pumpkin Soup recipe, because it is full of complex and bold flavors, but is so simple to make. It is an ideal meal prep or make-ahead recipe, so you could make a big batch of it on a Sunday to have on hand for the coming week. This soup tastes even better the next day, because the flavors have more time to mingle and develop. You can serve it on its own or pair it with a sandwich for the perfect cold weather meal.
Thai Pumpkin Soup Ingredients
Before we get to the recipe, let’s discuss ingredients. To make this Thai Pumpkin Soup recipe, you will need:
- Coconut oil: This is the healthy cooking oil used in this recipe. I always use unrefined, virgin, and organic coconut oil.
- Yellow onion: Sautéing or sweating chopped fresh onion helps build the flavor base for this soup.
- Garlic and ginger: These two ingredients are a must in Asian cooking. Always use freshly grated/minced garlic and ginger for the best flavor.
- Red curry paste: This spicy prepared paste is used to add heat and rich curry flavor in one step. Different brands of curry paste can vary significantly in terms of spiciness and flavor. See below for my favorite ones.
- Vegetable stock: This ingredient serves as the base for the soup broth. If you’re not a vegetarian or vegan, chicken broth can be used instead.
- Pumpkin puree: This key ingredient infuses the soup with rich pumpkin flavor. I always use the canned variety for convenience.
- Coconut milk: This plant-based milk adds creaminess and tones down the heat from the curry paste. I usually use full-fat coconut milk, but you’re welcome to use low-fat if you prefer.
- Lime juice: A good squeeze of citrus balances and brightens all the flavors in the soup. Always add lime at the very end of cooking, to prevent any loss of the lime juice’s flavor.
Don’t forget about toppings! Garnishing adds extra layers of flavor and makes the soup more presentable when serving. Here are my favorite garnishes for Thai soup:
- Chopped fresh cilantro and/or green onions: These give a huge burst of freshness and also add a nice bright pop of color.
- Thai bird chilies: If you would like some extra heat (or you can add crushed red pepper flakes instead).
- Crushed peanuts: Sometimes I liked to sprinkle chopped peanuts over the soup, because they add a bit of crunch. If you don’t have any on hand, any other kind of nuts can be used instead.
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities, as always.
How to Make Thai Pumpkin Soup
As a brief overview, to make this homemade Thai pumpkin soup recipe, simply:
- Make the flavor base: Sauté the onions in a bit of coconut oil. Then add the garlic, ginger, and curry paste.
- Add the pumpkin and liquids: Stir in the pumpkin puree, coconut milk, and broth and simmer.
- Blend everything together: Use an immersion or a traditional blender to puree the soup until smooth.
- Add lime, season, and garnish: Stir in your lime juice. Taste, then season with salt and pepper, and garnish if desired.
Important: This soup has a silky texture because all of the ingredients get blended together until smooth. I prefer to use an immersion blender to puree the soup, but you can use a regular/traditional blender instead. Be sure to use these two safety precautions when using a traditional blender to blend hot liquids:
- Blend the hot liquid in batches and only fill the blender up until it is halfway full. Any more than that can cause a serious accident.
- Before you start blending, remove the center insert in the lid of your blender. Then, place your hand over top the lid with a dish towel and keep most of the hole covered. This is done to allow the hot steam to escape and prevent any splashes while the blender is running.
Full instructions are included in the recipe below.
More Vegetarian Soup Recipes
Looking for more vegetarian soup inspiration? Here are some of my favorite recipes:
- Creamy Coconut Carrot Soup
- The Best Homemade Tomato Soup
- Coconut Curry Pumpkin Soup
- Creamy Mushroom Soup
- Vegan Sweet Potato Soup
Spicy Thai Pumpkin Soup Recipe Recommendations
Here are a few items that I suggest using to ensure this Thai pumpkin soup recipe comes out perfect:
- Mae Ploy Red Curry Paste – This is one I use and love! It gives amazing, authentic flavor to Thai dishes and adds the perfect amount of heat.
- Thai Kitchen Coconut Milk – I love the taste and consistency of this brand. It adds so much body and richness to soups and curries.
- KitchenAid Hand Blender – This is the one I use and love! I have had mine for years and it is one of my favorite kitchen tools. I use it all the time to make soups, dips and smoothies.
Important: If you are vegan, be sure to use a brand of Thai Red Curry Paste that is vegan. The one I use is not, but this red curry paste is vegan and is also very good.
If you make this Spicy Thai Pumpkin Soup recipe, let me know! Leave a comment with a star rating ★ below, because I love hearing from you! ♡
Spicy Thai Pumpkin Soup (Easy 20-Minute Recipe!)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
- 2 tablespoons Thai red curry paste
- 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin purée
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 1 (14-ounce) can coconut milk
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Optional garnishes: Fresh chopped cilantro and Thai red chilies
Instructions
- In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add onion and sauté for 4 minutes until softened.
- Add garlic, ginger, and curry paste and cook for another minute until fragrant.
- Stir in the pumpkin purée, broth and coconut milk. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for about 10 minutes.
- Remove from heat. Using an immersion blender, puree soup until smooth. Alternatively, transfer to a traditional blender and puree in batches until smooth.
- Stir in lime juice and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve warm, topped with optional garnishes, if using.
Nutrition
Notes
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Wow look at that color! I can’t wait to try this soup recipe!!
Thanks Anita, I can’t wait for you to try it either! 🙂 Let me know what you think when you do make it!
I used cut up squash, and green curry paste (what I had on hand). This is the best squash soup I have made. Thanks!
Hi Claire! Using squash and green curry paste sounds delicious! I am so glad you enjoyed the soup! 🙂 Thanks so much for letting me know!!
Just finished my second batch! So easy and so yummy. I did only add 1 tablespoon of the red curry paste and it was just the right amount of heat for me.
Hi Maryjo! I’m so happy you enjoyed the soup! Thanks so much for letting me know!
I do not have any curry paste. Can I somehow substitute curry powder? I can’t handle much spice. Even yellow curry is a bit much for me, so maybe that would help to know in trying to find substitutions.
Hi Sue! Yes, you can definitely substitute curry powder for the curry paste, but the flavor will be different. Just add in a couple of teaspoons of curry powder when you add the garlic and ginger, and just cook it until fragrant. Then just proceed with the recipe as it is written. Hope that helps!
Delicious soup!!!
Thanks so much Rachel! 🙂