Spicy Coconut and Pumpkin Soup

This Spicy Coconut and Pumpkin Soup is a keeper! It’s super quick to make and insanely delicious—my favorite combination. It’s light enough to act as a starter or side for your meal, or you can pair it with some naan bread for a light lunch. Want to bulk it out a little and turn it into a full meal? Add some shredded rotisserie chicken and you’re good to go. This bones of this super are very simple, so once you learn them you can start making modifications and adaptations to give it new life every time you make it!

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This soup is creamier than my easy pumpkin soup recipe but not overly heavy, which makes it doable despite the strong summer heat. It’s also spicy, thanks to the crushed red pepper flakes, but the heat is completely customizable. If you’re a little sensitive when it comes to heat, start with half the amount of red pepper flakes and work up from there. OR season it up with a mild curry powder, in place of the cumin and crushed red pepper, for maximum flavor without the heat.

I garnished my Spicy Coconut and Pumpkin Soup with a little plain yogurt, sriracha (because I need even MORE heat, duh), and a few pepitas that I had left in my cabinet. The cool, tart flavor of the yogurt was a nice contrast if you have some on hand, but the soup is just as awesome on its own without any fancy toppings. :)

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Spicy Coconut and Pumpkin Soup

4.57 from 16 votes

This Spicy Coconut and Pumpkin Soup is perfectly balanced with creamy coconut milk, spicy red pepper flakes and pumpkin’s natural subtle sweetness.

Author: Beth Moncel

Servings 6 about 1.25 cups each

Prep 10 minutes mins

Cook 20 minutes mins

Total 30 minutes mins

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Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp olive oil ($0.12)
• 1 yellow onion ($0.25)
• 2 cloves garlic ($0.16)
• 1 Tbsp fresh ginger, grated ($0.16)
• 1 tsp ground cumin ($0.10)
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper ($0.05)
• 1 15oz. can pumpkin puree ($2.37)
• 1 14oz. can coconut milk ($1.99)
• 3 cups chicken broth ($0.39)
• Salt and pepper to taste ($0.05)
• 1/4 bunch fresh cilantro ($0.20)

GARNISHES (optional)

• 3/4 cup plain yogurt ($0.37)
• 3 Tbsp Sriracha ($0.15)
• 3 Tbsp pumpkin seeds (pepitas) ($0.59)

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Instructions 

• Mince or grate the ginger using a fine-holed cheese grater. Finely dice the onion and mince the garlic. Add the ginger, garlic, and onion to a pot with the olive oil and sauté over medium-low heat until soft and transparent (about 5 minutes).
• Add the cumin and red pepper to the pot. Stir and cook for about 1-2 minutes to allow the spices to toast just slightly.
• Add the pumpkin purée and coconut milk to the pot and stir to combine. Add the chicken broth and stir to combine again. Turn the heat up to medium and allow the soup to heat through. Once heated, taste and add salt and pepper to your liking (I added 1/4 tsp salt and 10 cranks of the pepper mill).
• Rinse the cilantro, pull the leaves from the stems, and then give them a rough chop. Stir in a handful of the chopped cilantro just before serving. If you want a smooth soup with no chunks of onion, use an immersion blender prior to adding the cilantro.
• If desired, garnish each bowl with 2 Tbsp plain yogurt, a drizzle of sriracha, and a sprinkle of pepitas.

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Nutrition

Serving: 1.25CupsCalories: 63.09kcalCarbohydrates: 5.49gProtein: 1.49gFat: 3.09gSodium: 567.06mgFiber: 2.05g

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Love savory pumpkin recipes? You should also try our Curried Red Lentil and Pumpkin Soup, Chipotle Pumpkin Pasta, or Easy Pumpkin Soup.

How to Make Spicy Coconut and Pumpkin Soup – Step By Step Photos

Grate about 1 Tbsp fresh ginger using a small-holed cheese grater. Grating ginger is a LOT easier when it’s frozen, so I usually keep a knob in my freezer. As long as you make sure the skin is well cleaned, you don’t need to peel it first. If grating is difficult, you can mince the ginger instead. 

Also mince two cloves of garlic and finely dice one onion. Place the onion, ginger, and garlic in a soup pot with 1 Tbsp olive oil. Sauté over medium-low heat until the onions are soft and transparent (about 5 minutes).

Then add 1 tsp cumin and 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes. If you’re sensitive to heat, start with half the red pepper flakes and add more at the end if you want to increase the heat. Continue to stir and cook for about one more minute.

Next add one 15oz. can pumpkin purée, NOT canned pumpkin pie filling. ;)

And one 14oz. can of coconut milk. Stir the coconut milk and pumpkin together until they’re well mixed. The first time I made this recipe I used Thai Kitchen brand coconut milk and it was much thicker than this Goya brand, so my final soup was also a bit thicker. Both soups tasted great, but the different brands of coconut milk did give the soup different textures.

And finally, add 3 cups of chicken broth. I use Better Than Bouillon soup base to make my broth because it’s super convenient, inexpensive, has less packaging than 38 cups worth of canned or boxed broths, and lasts just about forever in the fridge. This also comes in organic or low sodium versions, BTW. #notsponsored

Turn the heat up to medium and allow the soup to heat through. Taste the soup and adjust the salt as needed, and add a little freshly cracked pepper. The amount of salt you’ll need will depend on the type of broth you use. I only added 1/4 tsp, but it really helped the flavors pop.

While the soup is heating, rinse 1/4 bunch of cilantro, pull the leaves from the stems, and roughly chop them. Add the chopped cilantro to the soup just before serving.

And there you have it! A super fast and easy Spicy Coconut and Pumpkin Soup. 

I sprinkled a little crushed red pepper on top, drizzled some sriracha and plain yogurt, and added some pepitas that I found in my pantry. :) Beautiful AND delicious.