Pumpkin Curry Soup (20 minute recipe!)
Posted: 09/25/2017
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Warm yourself from the inside out with pumpkin curry soup. It’s made with canned pumpkin so it’s quick and easy. Healthy, too!
Recipe Overview
Why you’ll love it: This pumpkin soup is so creamy and delicious. It tastes like a splurge but is surprisingly good for you.
How long it takes: 20 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: large saucepan or soup pan, immersion blender
Servings: 5
Table of Contents
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Creamy curry pumpkin soup is so delicious and satisfying. Each serving has a surprising 8 grams of protein and only 96 calories. Because you start with a can of pumpkin, it’s very easy to make. You can have it on the table in about 20 minutes.
Fall is in full swing although the last couple weeks in Michigan have been unseasonably warm and dry. Not to worry though, we live in Michigan. Next week, the ground will probably be covered in snow. I heard this winter is going to be full of heavy snowfalls (say it isn’t so!!!). I think we’ll be enjoying lots of hot soup!
Creamy soups are often loaded with heavy cream. Kind of makes sense, doesn’t it? However, instead of cream, this soup gets its creaminess from Greek yogurt which has the added benefit of extra protein.
If you’re not into creamy soups, give this red lentil soup a try. It’s always a hit! Folks love my turkey quinoa chili too. Both of those recipes are really healthy and easy to make.
Is Pumpkin Good For You?
Pumpkin is a winter squash. It’s actually a fruit because it contains seeds but it’s usually considered a vegetable. It is high in vitamins A and C, along with lots of other antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. Pumpkin is low in calories since it’s mostly water, but high in fiber. Pumpkin is considered a very healthy food!
About This Recipe
I’m currently making my way through P90 workouts and I glanced at the food recommendations and recipes. Included was a recipe for pumpkin soup that is the inspiration for the recipe I’m bringing you today. I did make a bunch of changes and I really love how this soup turns out.
Because the base of the soup is canned pumpkin, it really couldn’t be easier. Most of the work has already been done for you. Canned pumpkin is so handy; I keep a can or two in my pantry year round. My family loves pumpkin streusel bread and pumpkin chocolate chip muffins. These savory pumpkin cheddar muffins are so good, too.
Canned pumpkin can be added to stews and chilis, too, for added nutrition. You won’t even notice it’s in there. Try making healthier mac and cheese with pumpkin. We love this pumpkin macaroni and cheese with bacon and caramelized onions.
I know right now it’s fall and you may have an actual pumpkin that you want to turn into soup. Try this crockpot pumpkin soup. With only 5 ingredients, it’s so easy! You don’t even have to peel the pumpkin.
I’ll get you started on this easy recipe here and give you lots of extra tips and recipes. As always, you’ll find the printable recipe card below, with full instructions, measurements, and nutrition information.
What You’ll Need
- Canned Pumpkin: You’ll need a 15 oz. can of pumpkin purée. It’s 100% pure pumpkin. Don’t buy canned pumpkin pie filling by mistake because that has added sugar and spices that won’t work well in your soup.
- Celery, Onion, Garlic: These savory vegetable basics add flavor and nutrition to the soup. Any type of onion is fine. I usually use a yellow cooking onion for soups. They store well in the pantry and are just the right size. If you prefer, you can omit the garlic.
- Coconut Oil: A bit of oil is needed to sauté the veggies. Really any type of oil is fine.
- Curry Powder: Use your favorite blend or try my homemade curry seasoning. Curry is such a warm blend of spices. Try it in my curried chicken salad which goes great with this soup, by the way!
- Chicken or Vegetable Broth: Either one is fine but if you can, choose a low sodium product.
- Greek Yogurt: Use full fat Greek yogurt for the best texture. Coconut milk or sour cream are good substitutes, or even heavy cream.
- Honey (Optional): Because the yogurt is a bit tangy, you may want to add a little sweetener to balance things out. Taste the soup and decide. Maple syrup or brown sugar are good choices, too.
- Pumpkin Seeds to Garnish: Shelled pumpkin seeds are often called pepitas. They are green in color even when they are roasted. I love to jazz them up by adding different flavors to them (pumpkin seeds (pepitas) eight ways).
How To Make This Soup
Let’s get started! Chop the celery and onion, and mince the garlic. Put the celery and onion in a large saucepan or soup pan along with a little oil. Sauté them for five minutes or so until they soften. Add the garlic, stirring constantly, for a minute or until it starts to smell really fragrant.
Add the curry powder to the pan and again, stirring constantly, toast it. This quick step deepens the flavor of the spices and is worth the extra minute it takes.
Stir in the broth and the pumpkin and bring the soup to a simmer. At this point, you may continue with recipe right away or let the soup simmer awhile if you’re not quite ready to serve it.
With an immersion blender, carefully purée the soup. Be careful of splatters. I like to set the pan in the sink. Carefully tilt the pan while you process the soup. This little trick really works well for a nice evenly creamy soup.
Over very low heat, stir in the Greek yogurt gradually. Check the seasoning to see if the soup needs more salt, pepper, or a bit of sweetener. A squeeze of honey really goes great with the curry flavor.
Serve the soup immediately or keep it warm over very low heat. You don’t want to boil it or the soup may curdle. Garnish with the pepitas or homemade croutons. This savory nut-free granola is so good on soup, too.
Pumpkin curry soup goes great with homemade corn muffins or corn bread made with whole wheat flour. A simple green arugula salad is always welcome.
FAQs
Is pumpkin soup healthy?
Pumpkin is healthy and pumpkin soup can be healthy too, depending on how it’s prepared. Often recipes contain lots of heavy cream or other ingredients that may make your soup less healthy. You’ll find that this pumpkin curry soup is very healthy, with 13280 IU of Vitamin A and 400 mg of potassium. It’s fairly high in protein and low in sodium, just 186 mg per serving.
What can I add to bland pumpkin soup?
If your soup tastes bland, stir in additional seasoning. Often, just a bit more salt can make a big difference. A teaspoon of apple cider vinegar or a squeeze of orange juice adds a little acidity which can balance out the flavor.
Stir in curry powder, nutmeg, ginger, or cinnamon. Add a bit of garlic powder or onion powder. For a southwestern flair, omit the curry and substitute chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika or chipotle chili powder.
Make It Your Own
- Make this soup vegan: Substitute coconut milk for the Greek yogurt and use a vegan sweetener like agave.
- Substitute cream for the Greek yogurt. If you prefer, stir in milk instead of the broth and Greek yogurt.
Storage & Reheating Tips
Refrigerate leftover soup for up to 5 days. This soup freezes well and will keep for up to three months. I often freeze it in individual serving portions so I can pull one out when I’m craving something warm and cozy.
To reheat, heat the soup gently in a saucepan on the stove or individual portions in the microwave.
More Fall Soups
If you like this pumpkin curry soup, you may like:
- Butternut Squash Soup with Bacon
- Copycat Panera Squash Soup
- Kabocha Squash Soup – creamy perfection!
- Crockpot Pumpkin Soup (5 Ingredients!) using raw pumpkin
- Creamy Carrot Soup
- Smoky Roasted Tomato Soup
- Mulligatawny Soup
- Check out my entire collection of soup recipes!
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @rachelcooksblog on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
servings
Warm yourself from the inside out with pumpkin curry soup. It's made with canned pumpkin so it's quick and easy. Healthy, too!
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons coconut oil
- ¼ cup minced yellow onion
- ½ cup minced celery
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- 3 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 can (15 oz.) 100% pure pumpkin puree (see note)
- 1 cup full-fat plain Greek yogurt
- Pumpkin seeds to garnish, optional
- Honey to taste, optional
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, celery, and salt, and cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes or until onions are translucent and celery is softened.
- Add garlic and cook for another minute, stirring, until garlic is fragrant.
- Add curry powder and cook for another minute, stirring, to toast spices.
- Stir in broth and pumpkin and cook until simmering. Remove from heat and CAREFULLY blend using an immersion blender. Slowly stir in yogurt.
- If needed, heat again over low heat to warm through. Check seasoning and add salt or honey, if needed.
- Garnish with pumpkin seeds if desired.
Notes
- Be sure to choose canned pure pumpkin puree, not canned pumpkin pie filling which has added sugar and spices.
- Serving note: This soup is fantastic topped with homemade croutons or spicy toasted pepitas.
- Leftover soup will keep up to five days in the refrigerator or 3 months in the freezer. Reheat gently in saucepan or microwave.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 96kcal, Carbohydrates: 12g, Protein: 8g, Fat: 3g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 2mg, Sodium: 186mg, Potassium: 400mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 13280IU, Vitamin C: 5mg, Calcium: 81mg, Iron: 2mg
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
Cristina Lynham says
Tasty! I didn’t want to bother with my immersion blender so I just added the yogurt after removing from stove. It curdled. If not blending (which will cool it) temper the yogurt before adding.
Cristina Lynham says
I also only used half the amount of whole milk greek yogurt. It added a nice amount of creamy tang. The whole cup would have given the soup a strong yogurt flavor.
Rachel Gurk says
Glad you liked it!
Rachel Gurk says
Shoot! Sorry to hear that. Lower fat yogurts tend to curdle more easily, too. Did you use low-fat or fat-free? This recipe definitely works better with full-fat.
Art Ewart says
Not a good recipe. The yogurt dominates.
Rachel Gurk says
Hi Art! What type of yogurt did you use?
Dee Dee slater says
This recipe was awesome. The galette is delicious And the pastry was the best I have ever made!
Rachel Gurk says
That’s great! But I’m not sure you commented on the correct recipe? :)
denise says
I have had pumpkin soup, but I don’t think it had curry. I’m not a big curry person, but I’m sure this soup is delicious.
Rachel Gurk says
I bet you’d love it!
Alicia Strickland says
yeah!
Rachel Gurk says
:)