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Roasted Pumpkin Soup is an easy recipe for using up a whole pumpkin, and you can roast the pumpkin seeds at the same time, for a crispy topping!
This pumpkin soup is a healthy recipe, perfect for serving alongside your favorite salad or sandwich. It has a lightly spicy flavor and creamy texture, without using dairy. I love the slightly spicy kick that the curry powder adds!
For a more sweet, cinnamon-flavored pumpkin soup, be sure to try my Slow Cooker Pumpkin Soup for a different variation.
Ingredients You’ll Need
What’s in pumpkin soup?
- Pumpkin
- Onion
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Curry powder
- Coconut milk
When I originally started testing this recipe, I accidentally added too much ginger, but it ended up being a happy accident. The flavor is so good!
When you pair it with curry powder, coconut milk, and coconut milk for creaminess, it has a Thai-style flair to it, that will leave you wanting more. Adding maple syrup and a touch of lemon juice really takes the flavor over the top, so it will taste like it came from a restaurant.
How to Make It
1. Roast the pumpkin. Cut a pie pumpkin in half and remove the seeds. Roast the pumpkin cut-side-down on a rimmed baking sheet at 350ºF for 45 minutes, or until the shell is darker and easily pierced with a fork. You can roast the pumpkin up to 3 days in advance, if you want to complete this step ahead of time.
Want to make a crispy topping? Roast the pumpkin seeds at the same time. See tips below.
2. Saute the veggies. Meanwhile, heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat and saute the yellow onion until it’s softened, about 5 minutes.
Add the garlic, ginger, and curry powder, and stir briefly, just until fragrant.
3. Blend. When the pumpkin is done roasting, let it cool enough to handle, then use a spoon to scoop the cooked flesh into the blender. You should get about 3 cups of mashed pumpkin from a 2-pound pumpkin. (Alternatively, you can use two 15-oz. cans of pumpkin puree, instead.)
Transfer the sauteed veggies and spices from the pan into the blender, as well, and add in 3 cups of water, salt, pepper, maple syrup, and coconut milk, for creaminess. Your blender will be very full, but it shouldn’t be too hot, since you’re not adding hot water to the mixture.
Blend until very smooth and silky.
4. Heat & serve. Pour the blended soup into the large pot you previously used, and add in 1 more cup of water.
Bring the liquid to a boil, and adjust any seasoning to taste. I like to add a touch of lemon juice to brighten the flavor, plus a little extra salt.
Roasted Pumpkin Seed Topping
When you roast a whole pumpkin for this soup, you can also roast the pumpkin seeds found inside the pumpkin. They make the perfect crunchy topping, and they will bake at the SAME TIME as the pumpkin. No extra time required!
After you scoop out the seeds, rinse off the pulp and dry the seeds well with a towel.
Add them to a bowl, and toss them with olive oil, salt, garlic powder, paprika, and maple syrup.
Toss well, then roast on a lined baking sheet for 20 minutes. They will crisp up as they cool!
For a more savory topping, you can omit the maple syrup, or check out my Roasted Pumpkin Seeds tutorial for a slightly different variation.
Expert Tips & Common Questions
Can I use canned pumpkin? Yes, of course! One roasted pumpkin (about 2 to 2 1/2 pounds) makes approximately 3 cups of pumpkin puree, so you can replace that by using two 15-oz. cans of pumpkin, instead.
Is the coconut milk necessary? You can omit the coconut milk, if you have a coconut allergy or don’t care for the flavor. You can replace it with heavy cream instead, or omit it entirely for a less creamy result. I don’t think the coconut flavor is super-noticeable in this recipe, thanks to the other flavors.
Blending tips. For this recipe, you’ll blend the cooked pumpkin with not-hot water, so the blender won’t accumulate much steam pressure as it blends. This is safer for you, so you don’t have to worry about covering the vent in the blender’s lid, or having the lid pop-off the top.
Since my blender can’t hold as much soup as this recipe will make, it’s also purposeful that you don’t add all of the water at once. Blend only 3 cups of water with the pumpkin, and then add more liquid once it’s warming up in the pot, where there’s more room.
More Pumpkin Recipes
Have more pumpkin to use up? Try one of these!
- Healthy Pumpkin Bars
- Oat Flour Pumpkin Bread
- Pumpkin Smoothie
- Easy Pumpkin Curry
- Paleo Pumpkin Pancakes
- Pumpkin Chia Pudding
- Baked Pumpkin Oatmeal
Ingredients
Roasted Pumpkin Soup
- 1 pie pumpkin (about 2 to 2.5 pounds)
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil , divided
- 1 yellow onion , chopped
- 2 garlic cloves , minced
- 2 inches fresh ginger , minced
- 2 to 3 teaspoons curry powder
- 4 cups water
- 2 teaspoons salt , plus more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon groud black pepper
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1/2 cup canned coconut milk
- fresh lemon juice , to taste
Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF and cut the pumpkin in half. (Cutting crosswise is the easiest, so you only cut through the hollow part of the pumpkin, instead of around the stem.) Use a spoon to remove the seeds and insides, then brush the cut halves with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and arrange the pumpkin cut-side-down on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast until the shell is dark and easily pierced with a fork, about 45 minutes.
- To make a roasted pumpkin seed topping, clean the pumpkin seeds you scooped out, and dry well with a towel. In a bowl, combine the seeds with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, a 1/2 teaspoon each of salt, garlic powder, and paprika, and 1 tablespoon of maple syrup. Toss well, then spread them out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Add them to another shelf in the 350ºF oven, with the roasting pumpkin, and remove them after 20 minutes. Let them cool completely so they will crisp up.
- While the pumpkin and seeds are roasting, add the other tablespoon of olive oil to a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Saute the onion until softened, about 5 minutes. Add in the garlic, ginger, and curry powder and stir until fragrant, about 1 more minute. Since brands of curry powder can vary, I recommend starting with 2 teaspoons, and you can always add more, if you'd like more curry flavor. (I like to use 3 teaspoons total.)
- When the pumpkin is cooked, use an oven mitt to handle it as you scoop out the cooked flesh with a spoon. Transfer it to a blender, along with the cooked veggies and spices. Add in 3 cups of water, plus the salt, black pepper, and maple syrup. Blend until very smooth.
- Return the blended soup to the large pot on the stove, and add in 1 more cup of water and the coconut milk. Stir well, and bring the soup to a simmer, so it's totally heated through. Adjust any seasoning to taste, adding more salt (I usually add another 1 teaspoon) and a touch of lemon juice, as desired, to help brighten the flavor (I add 1 teaspoon). Serve warm, with the roasted pumpkin seeds on top. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Notes
Nutrition
If you try this Roasted Pumpkin Soup, please leave a comment and star rating below letting me know how you like it.
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Reader Feedback: Are there any other pumpkin recipes you’d like to see here?
Can you use canned pumpkin if you cannot find a pie pumpkin?
It was better before adding the lemon. I believe I added a little too much curry powder (I used 2 tsp of the Great Value curry powder.) It still tasted good but once I added the lemon, the taste became slightly unpleasant. I might make this again and if I do, I’ll omit the lemon and decrease the curry powder.
Delicious! Used coconut oil. The ginger was terrific.