With just 5 simple ingredients, my Thai Pumpkin Soup delivers a curry and coconut flavor combination more often expected from a pumpkin soup recipe with far more ingredients than 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Bonus: It’s ready to eat in under 10 minutes.
My Smudge has been losing her mind this year with anticipation of Halloween, dressing up herself, the house and of course, the dogs. Oh those poor dogs.
She’s carved 172 pumpkins and has even planned out what container she’ll be storing her “free” candy in after she roots through her haul (these from OXO make her feel like she has a candy store right at home.) As long as that stash is close to me, I like her plan.
I love Halloween too. But man, when Halloween is on a weeknight, the rush of getting her home from school, then getting us all into costumes, rounding out the candy and then either hosting the annual Halloween party (woo-hoo I got a pass on that this year) or sailing off to one of her friends’ house to do the trick or treat routine (yea for friends!) takes TIME.
And time is always a precious commodity since its usually a rarity.
That’s why with just 5 ingredients as the sum total of deliciousness, my Thai Pumpkin Soup is the perfect last minute fare.
It’s a savory time saver. You don’t have to pay me extra for the jokes folks.
When I was making this curry pumpkin soup for today’s post I had every intention of putting my ready to be cooked, 3 pound sugar pumpkin to work, just like I did in my Pumpkin Soup with Crispy Sage. But the first snowstorm of the year kicked that plan of action out. the. front. door.
Thanks to heavy snow on still leafed out tree limbs, the power lines in our neighborhood went down. Which meant no power for the entire day. Which meant no plugging in of any appliance that might turn a chunky pumpkin into a creamy soup and no internet to get my wickedly good recipe up on the blog.
Of course my first thought was with no power at my house, it would be the perfect time to make a run to Nordstrom Rack or HomeGoods. But since my stove is gas and my camera works on batteries those diversions weren’t a gonna happen.
Instead I raided the pantry for some canned pumpkin and made this recipe even simpler on myself.
With no chopping, no sautéeing, it seriously took maybe 5 minutes more to make this soup than opening a can of Campbell’s. And that’s mostly just because I had more cans than just one to open.
About the recipe
1. Don’t let the ease of this pumpkin soup recipe fool you. It would make a killer starter to any entertaining plans that include your cooking a meal, including Thanksgiving. It’s a one pot shop and can be pulled together in 10 minutes, leaving more time for last-minute mashing and gravy slurries to be made.
2. If you prefer to use a fresh pumpkin instead of the canned variety, choose a 2-3 pound pumpkin, peel and chop it and cook covered in the chicken or veggie broth for about 5-8 minutes or until pumpkin is tender. Blend in a blender or with an immersion blender until smooth then return to the pan. Continue the recipe at the coconut milk stage.
3. Making this a main meal is terribly simple with the addition of a simple protein. For poultry lovers, add in 2-3 chicken breasts chopped into bite-size chunks when you add the coconut milk and cook for about 5 minutes longer or until the chicken is cooked through.
4. For vegetarians, add chunks of tofu and even a few green beans or peas once you’ve added the coconut milk and cook until warmed through.
5. If you’re using a fresh pumpkin, reserve a cup or so and add in the chunks to the soup for more bite.
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.
5 Ingredient Thai Pumpkin Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons red curry paste
- 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth , about 32 ounces
- 2 15 ounce cans pumpkin puree
- 1 ¾ cup coconut milk , or a 13.5 ounce can, reserving 1 tablespoon
- 1 large red chili pepper , sliced
- cilantro for garnish if desired
Instructions
- In a large saucepan over medium heat, cook the curry paste for about one minute or until paste becomes fragrant. Add the broth and the pumpkin and stir.
- Cook for about 3 minutes or until soup starts to bubble. Add the coconut milk and cook until hot, about 3 minutes.
- Ladle into bowls and garnish with a drizzle of the reserved coconut milk and sliced red chilis. Garnish with cilantro leaves if desired.
Notes
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Enjoy!
Loved It
Yum yum!! it looks amazing going to try it tomorrow on the new year party.
How did it turn out Lina?
Turned out AWESOME as i expected. Thanks
Thanks so much Krenz!
Yummiest soup i ever had. Thanks ya!
Thank you Laura!
Love anything pumpkin (pie, cookies, lattes, ravioli) so this is a definite addition to my to-do list. Really great recipe with super cool photos!
Thanks so much Jon!
I didn’t have much time today so this was perfect. I added More of the curry paste, some fresh grated ginger, a it of brown sugar and a splash of soy sauce.
Will make this again!
YUM! Thanks for sharing, LEe!
Hi, were you aware of the high nickel content of spinach and raspberries? If you have a nickel allergy, for example you can’t wear a watch without getting bumps on your wrist, or silver jewellery, you might want to know that spinach and raspberries aren’t your friends. Sad I know, two really great food groups! Soy is high on that same list.
Thanks for the info!
I’ve just found your pages, and tried this soup.
Wow! I make an awful lot of pumpkin soup and this is by far the best.
I used fresh butternut pumpkin and left out the chilli (fussy kids ♀️) and it was aaaaahmazing! Thank you
Thanks so much! Sounds delicious!
I also found it to be somewhat bland and a bit thin. I added 1 more teaspoon of red curry paste, 1/4 cup creamy unsalted peanut butter, 1 Tbs fresh grated ginger, 1 Tbs fresh lime juice, 1 tsp turmeric, and 1/2 tsp powdered galangal root, along with 3 kaffir lime leaves. I also simmered it down another 1/2 hour to concentrate the flavors. A bit of sea salt at the end and it was delish! Serving it tomorrow for Thanksgiving.
What the heck, I just noticed this recipe only has two stars. I don’t normally comment or vote on recipes I make, but it’s worthwhile in this case.. I’ve made this many times over the years and have it bookmarked. It’s great as it is, or with butternut squash instead of pumpkin. Sometimes I add some garlic, or different spices, or garnish it with pecans, but it doesn’t need any of that to deserve 5 stars!
Perfect anti-inflammatory recipe! I really needed a tasty way to detox and get back on track with clean eating. I just finished the annual Halloween sugar binge and our busy family life style had me eating way too many convenient/not healthy meal options the last several weeks. My tastebuds enjoy the junk food, but my body lets me know it’s fed up by giving me eczema flare ups. :( Thanks for sharing your recipe! I added ginger powder, cayenne, and juiced a lime into it. I’ll definitely be filing this recipe away. <3
I am so glad this recipe helped you to get back on track. Your additions sound incredible! Thank you!
It looks good love pumpkin bit coconut is highly inflammatory…
I would like a recipe for Thai Pumpin soup with coriander please
What should I tell about this recipe? It is really a delicious one and can’t wait to make this. I must try it very soon.
This was so bland! I read all the comments to try to figure out how to spice this up. I can honestly say I am too reserved and this was too bad to waste any more ingredients.
Keep up the good work, we all have one that just didn’t work!
Hi Trixie, you could always add more red curry paste to flavor it up.
I have this currently on the stove. It tastes really great! I did make some changes based on the comments. I ended up halving the recipe (except for the curry paste) because I only had 1 can of pumpkin puree. I first sautéed mushrooms in some canola oil. Then added the curry paste (I had green). Then I added the pumpkin puree, a builloin cube, 1 cup of water, red lentils, ginger, pepper, salt, turmeric, and red pepper flakes. Then I added half of a can of coconut milk, fish sauce, sriracha, sugar, and lemon juice. It tastes delicious! Can’t wait to eat it.
I love this soup and make it on a weekly basis. I don’t add the red pepper (I have bad luck cutting them up) but I love it. It’s easy and quick!
This was very easy to make! I omitted the red pepper because I didn’t have one and I’m glad I did because the curry was spicy enough. I did add salt and a couple Tbsp brown sugar along with a splash of lime juice and had about a cup less chicken broth. I used pumpkin that I cooked down and chicken broth I made and froze. I think you just have to adjust the recipe to your taste.
I have to say that this sounds extra delicious!
My two girls and I loved the soup. Didn’t think it was bland at all (and we’re generally hot, spicy people!). Great quick meal, since I work till 7 p.m.
I don’t suppose you know a general calorie count?
looks simple and easy, I will include this on my new year eve dinner with my family
I’m a kitchen manager at a recipe, and I’d like to make a play on this recipe. I know you said it serves four, do you know the approximate yield in volume? Thanks!
Haha at a restaurant! Looks like I have recipes on the brain! :)
I just made this last night, and we loved it! I used fresh pumpkin in mine. I also made a few changes that I recommend. I added some fresh ginger and a little sugar for more depth of flavor. I didn’t use the chili pepper, since there was enough heat from the red curry paste. But the cilantro really adds a lot to the overall taste. Restaurant-quality flavors in my opinion!
Thanks Ashley for the comment, and great ideas on switching things up.
It was simple but it was very bland. I feel that perhaps less stock should be used.
Just tried it! Yummy and easy. I think the next time, I’ll put in less chicken broth. I would like it a bit thicker.
I made this with lovely recipe with some changes:
– sautéed some diced onions first before adding the red curry paste
– used only one can of pumpkin puree (I don’t like my soups too thick)
– four chicken cubes instead of broth cos that was all I had
– added a tablespoon of tom yam paste to give it another Thai dimension
– many pinches of salt and splashes of lime to boost the flavor
– added half a firm tofu, cubed, for some texture
End result? A delicious soup that was easy and quick to make. Just season it and make it yours! I’m making this again and will add some mushrooms, chicken and onions to make it more like a Thai soup. Thanks for the recipe!
Hello Heidi-I pinned this recipe a while ago and finally made it. Yum! I put it on my blog today and, of course, mentioned your great website. Here is the link if you want to check it out. http://goodmotherdiet.com/2015/12/16/wheatless-wednesday-5-ingredient-thai-pumpkin-soup/
Joyce
I read comments before I made it. My suggestions: 1) watch the quality of your ingredients – Mae Ploy makes a very traditional style red curry paste available in plastic tubs in Asian groceries; coconut milk varies widely in consistency – Chaokoh brand from Thailand is very nice and creamy. 2) I used 3 TBS of paste and sizzled it in 1 TBS of peanut oil (can use canola but olive adds too much flavor), I started with only half the chicken broth, and added 1/4 cup of good Thai fish sauce and a small pinch of sugar (palm or raw sugar are best for this but white is OK) both of which are quite traditional in Thai cooking – soy sauce is not… I did not add any further chicken broth but the soup can be thinned to individual taste at this point with more broth. A squeeze of lime juice adds a nice slight acid touch.
My result was a nicely spiced, creamy soup with no need for additional salt. I would add that julienned Thai basil leaves are another nice garnish.
Wow Steve, thank you so much for such a thoughtful comment. It’s true, the fewer the ingredients, the more important the quality of those ingredients. Cheers!
Hi there! Do you think I could use beef broth instead of chicken broth?
It will have a richer flavor, more beefy but you could certainly try it.
I loved this recipe, devoured the first bowl in record breaking time.
I will caution, however, that this recipe really doesn’t freeze well! It’s not time consuming to make so, I’d say always prepare this fresh!
Thanks for the words of advice on freezing.
Great recipe! I only needed 4 ingredients because I didn’t use the chili pepper garnish since I was only making it for myself. Added chicken and served it over quinoa seasoned with curry powder. Absolutely simple and delicious! Thanks for the recipe!
Check you out! Great that you improvised to your taste and love the idea of adding the chicken and quinoa. I’ll definitely give it a try with the curry powder, sounds good.
I made this and had a big bowlful. It was delicious but it made quite a bit so I am wondering if it freezes okay. Does anyone know? It would be even better with a turkey sandwich… (I’m thinking about Thanksgiving leftovers in October!)
I didn’t find that it froze well at all, it changes the consistency. The flavor is still spot on, but it takes the soup from creamy to feeling like it’s not really smooth. That might change if you threw it in a blender for a minute or two though, who knows?
Hmmm…I found this bland and too thin. I added garlic, salt, fish sauce, soy sauce, lime juice. Also peanut butter, not because I really wanted the flavor, I just needed to thicken it up. We ended up eating it w/tofu over rice, but I wouldn’t make it again.
Easy way to remedy that is to just add more pumpkin..
I, too found the recipe to be lacking a little something. I added some salt, which helped, but I didn’t have much time to experiment with any additional flavors. I definitely think salt is key here though.
From chocolate to savory, salt always brings out the flavor. Good addition!
So the red chili pepper is only for garnish, too? None diced up in the soup? Does the curry paste give it enough zing?
Like Summer, I also found the soup to be bland and not very creamy. We had to doctor it up a lot to make it palatable. I added an extra teaspoon of curry paste, lemon juice, a dash of sweet chili sauce, and at the table we added nutritional yeast and hot sauce. It was okay in the end, but not something I’d make again.
Sorry you didn’t find it as flavorful, glad you added some of your own tastes to make it more so.
Not sure what Indid wrong here but my soup was very bland and not very creamy. I used quality, light coconut milk and canned pumpkin- this isn’t dft than purée is it? Also to cook the redcurry paste- should it just sit in the med temp pan w nothing else? I feel that this is where I went wrong and the true flavor of the paste didn’t come out. I added cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice to somewhat salvage the recipe.
Hey! I found the soup a little lacking in flavor, too. It’s a GREAT base, but it’s missing something, huh? Maybe not for everyone, but I wanted a little more kick. I added lemongrass, a big tablespoon of chunky peanut butter, red pepper flakes, and a LOT of lime juice. It turned out perfect for my culinary preferences (though I tend to favor the tangy and spicy soups). Hope that’s helpful!
Hi Kim, thanks for sharing your additions. I love it when we make recipes our own. Terrific flavors you’ve added.
This was an excellent save! The lemongrass, red pepper flakes and peanut butter were amazing!!!
This sounds really delicious, I can’t wait to try it. Thanks!
Oh, now I’m dying to know what Smudge dressed up as on Halloween! I bet her outfit was killer. This soup is totally brilliant, Heidi!
This looks so tasty! Could I use light coconut milk?
I love that your daughter has planned Halloween candy storage!
And this soup! I can’t wait to try your Thai recipes! Thai pumpkin is a great combo of flavors.
Mmmmm…gorgeous soup, Heidi! Love these flavors!
Thank you for the nice recipe. Happy Thanksgiving!
I love the Thai flavors in your soup!
Oh yum!! What a great idea!! There are so many different pumpkin recipes out there for this time of year, but I love that you made a savory one rather than a sweet traditional recipe (although those are great too!) Anyways, thanks for the post!!
All the thai flavours in there are fabulous! Yum!
This looks delicious and super simple! Thanks for sharing.
Yum!! We love pumpkin soups with Thai flavors. Divine :)
This looks spectacular! So perfect for fall!
Oh. Oh oh I need this.
Looks simply perfect. What a great warming meal to eat after a cold rainy night of trick-or-treating.
I love the simplicity of this soup, Heidi! And your photos always make me swooooon.
I need to know the secrets of your perfect coconut milk swirl!!! These soups look absolutely delicious :)
Just use a small spoon and do a quick drizzled circle and hope the drips fall where they should :)
Soup never looked prettier.
This is so pretty and my favorite flavors! I made thai soup yesterday, but I can surely do it again today! Happy Halloween!
What a fun story. Love this recipe!
Wow so easy!! Love the ease of it! Red, orange and white are so this seasons food colours.
Orange is my favorite color, so I’m partial to it even in food.
Coconut milk, red peppers, and either sweet potatoes or pumpkin is the way the most of my soups start off. I’d love yours! Pinned!
Looks gorgeous! And with only 5 ingredients? – Love it even more!