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. :)
Spicy Coconut and Pumpkin Soup
Servings 6 about 1.25 cups eachIngredients
- 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)
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
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!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.
So easy and delicious!
As someone who cooks all the time at home I found this recipe intriguing. Upon delivery??? 95 thumbs down.
This came our way too watery for me. I had to add a lot of extra pumpkin for the right consistency. Not sure what I did wrong.
Made this for the second time! Both times, I made it into an entree, serving with warm naan. And using coconut oil instead of olive oil. The first time I used plain already cooked chicken, brown lentils (undercooked), and canellini beans. The second was hand shredded rotisserie chicken and great northern beans. For toppings, just cilantro, pumpkin seeds, and toasted coconut. Everything was great, but next time we want more of a pumpkin, autumnal flavor profile. Not sure how to achieve that though
Love this soup! Made just as listed except used vegetable stock instead of chicken as w are vegetarian. Had with warm Nan bread. Wonderful.
Love this soup! Made just as listed and had with warm nan. Fabulous!
I made it this past weekend and I love it! The aromas that came while making the soup was so comforting. It is super filling with a pack full of flavors. As leftovers, they taste even better. This will become a go to recipe when needing a quick soup recipe. Especially on cold winter nights.
How would you make this with actual pumpkin, not pumpkin puree?
You could roast the pumpkin and then turn it into purée first, then use it in the recipe as instructed.
Super easy and delicious. I tried to add the same toppings to mine but the yogurt and sriracha just sunk to the bottom, so not as pretty.
I’m not usually a soup person, but this was delicious and even better as leftovers! I added some garlic and onion powder along with a pound of chopped mushrooms, and served with your freezer garlic bread. So good!
That’s great to hear that we’ve helped you find a soup worth repeating! That garlic bread does pair well with so many soups.
This is such an easy fall/winter soup and it’s so filling! I actually added a tiny tiny bit of cinnamon that really made the flavors of the pumpkin and coconut pop, but it also brings out a little more sweetness which may not be everyone’s cup of tea — i rounded it out at the ended with a bit more minced garlic and that did the trick. It’s so good and it looks gorgeous; I can’t wait to ‘show off’ for friends and make it for a party.
Yum! Thanks Kelly!
This is so yum! i am acquiring a taste for Sriracha!
Love your recipes, this is only source I use to prepare my meals.
This turned out very well for me! I added red lentils (cooked separately) and stirred in two cups of greens with the cilantro. I did find I wanted more crushed pepper flakes, black pepper, and salt so I upped each to taste. Topped it with hot sauce, avocado, Greek yogurt, and minced red onion. So delicious! I’m hoping the flavors will intensify overnight in the refrigerator too. :)
I like my soups to be a bit on the thicker side. What can I do to thicken the soup?
I would either reduce the broth by half or increase the pumpkin, although adding more pumpkin will probably change the flavor balance more drastically than reducing the broth.
Beth – this recipe is ridiculously good. I ended up modifying it slightly, and it was so delicious. I made it vegan (veggie broth, no yogurt) and added in carrots and potatoes as well as some slightly roasted delicata squash. Admittedly it’s more of a curry now, but man, tons of flavor. I”m not a cook by any means, but this was on par with something I would order at a restaurant.
This soup was a perfect find on a sick day while doing the whole 30. It was easy to make whole30 compliant, I had everything in the house and it’s totally comforting me right now! Thank you!! I’ve also made your pumpkin red lentil soup before and that was great as well!
Do you think substituting the chicken broth for veggie broth would make a huge difference in the taste?
I think vegetable broth is mild enough that it would still be really lovely in this soup. :)
We love your site – so many of our favorite dishes come from here! We like to add about 2 cups of Basmati rice (cooked with a few cardamom pods) and about 1 cup of your Chili Rubbed Pulled Pork to this soup to bulk it up! We also use coconut oil instead of olive oil for the saute to increase the coconut flavor. It freezes very well and is DELICIOUS!!! Thanks for all you do!
I haven’t made this YET (oh, but I will) and I wanted to suggest to others how I’m going to serve it. The naan recipe here is so good and easy – I’m going to make some stuffed with either roasted garlic and/or potatoes! I researched and looks easy enough to do – before you roll them up into balls, flatten a bit, add filling in the center, form into balls to rest before rolling out. I haven’t tried it yet, but it sounds failsafe!
How to do this with fresh pumpkin? We don’t really have canned pumpkin in NZ and the fresh stuff is really cheap at the moment
I’ve never made puréed fresh pumpkin, but I have seen tutorials online. Once you get it baked and puréed, just substitute the same volume for the canned version.
Is there an equivalent teaspoon measurement for the ginger?
If you mean for fresh ginger, I’d use about one tablespoon. If you mean dried ginger, the flavor is quite different, but I’d try maybe a half teaspoon and add more after tasting if needed.
just made this and I had everything in my pantry;0 VERY tasty. what I did I used my sift to make the soup smooth to leave the onions out and was perfect. Good and easy for after school, or old day. Thanks
Never before have I made a soup with this much flavour! This recipe raised the bar to a new standard in the soup world.
Next time, I plan on having sandwiches or wraps with the soup. Beth, is there a particular sandwich or wrap in your recipe collection that you think would compliment this soup?
Merci!
Maybe some curry chicken salad in a wrap?
If I was going to add meat, what would you suggest? I don’t want to overpower the coconut/pumpkin balance.
I think I’d do shredded chicken. Chicken and coconut go quite well together (like chicken coconut soup) and it doesn’t have a strong flavor.
I love this soup. I’ve made it few times and it is a big hit. I do add a little bit a soy sauce and some brown sugar and I think it deepens the flavours. This does not last long in my house.
Any thoughts on adding in some lentils to up the protein a bit?
Yes, you could probably do that! Brown lentils only need to be simmered for about 20 minutes, so you might be able to just simmer them right in the soup. Or, simmer them in a separate pot of water until tender, drain, and then add to the soup.
HI Beth,
I love your site- we’ve been cooking your recipes weekly since discovering your site over Christmas! We made this soup last night but didn’t feel like eating soup again tonight, so we threw it on top of some jasmine rice and added chickpeas, broccoli, carrots, and cauliflower for an instant curry. It was delicious!
The first time I made this soup I accidentally used a 26 oz can of pumpkin and it was still amazing! I balanced the extra ‘squash’ taste with more spice and a little sugar. I made it again today following the recipe a little more closely and it was fantastic. My girlfriend and I LOVE this soup and it is perfect for her because she usually has to avoid cream-based soups due to lactose intolerance! Thanks for the beautiful recipe :)
This came out AMAZING. I used coconut oil instead of olive oil just to ramp up the coconut flavor but came out to perfection. One of my new favorite recipes.
This was delicious and very adaptable to a wide range of tastes – so cooks, just slowly add the spices called for and taste-test along the way! I used all the spices called for except the red pepper (as I didn’t have any), and did add a sprinkle of brown sugar as one reader suggested. Kept adding spices til it was to my liking. VERY fast, simple and oh so delicious!
I’m headed over to my grandma’s to make some for her because she is sick (fighting anemia and a virus). I know the iron in the pumpkin will do her a lot of good.
Thanks for sharing this yummy, healthy recipe!
WAY too much ginger. We threw it out.
I made this tonight; it was AMAZING! My husband (who hates veggies or strange textures) liked it. It had great flavor. I served it over a little bit of rice to bulk it up a bit. It was wonderful!
I really loved this – I just felt like I wanted some sort of sandwich with it – but I don’t know what would have paired well.
I dropped in about 2 Allspice kernels. Really brought out the flavor! It’s savory, spice, cream, and hearty! Perfect for my Thanksgiving carry in!
I absolutely cannot get enough of this soup! It freezes so well, and I’ve been eating it for lunch as often as I can! That zesty spice gives it the perfect kick, and its so creamy and healthy!! I also made it for a work potluck (it heats well in a crock pot), and it was the hit of the day! Thanks!!
My roommate has a much similar recipe that she got from “Caveman Food” called Pumpkin Sausage Soup (http://cavemanfood.blogspot.com/2009/10/pumpkin-sausage-soup.html) It’s incredibly delicious! I’m definitely going to try your version for sure, and maybe add some meat to the mixture to make it more hearty.
Thanks so much, I’m making it tonight!
Dominique – That will be okay! You’ll just have an extra luscious and creamy soup :)
I have everything for this at home, except cilantro, but the coconut milk I have isn’t lite! Is that ok??
So glad you linked to this the other day! I made it tonight (with a few changes, of course, because I just can’t help tweaking recipes). I minced in a red ripe jalapeño, and used Lee brand Tom Yum Powder instead of chicken bouillon. So delicious! :9
Both my boyfriend and I loved this soup. I followed the directions exactly, but added a jalapeno. We both agreed that this is our new favorite soup. I think next time I might experiment a bit and maybe add a little lemongrass as well. Thanks for all your amazing recipes!
Absolutely delicious, as always! I like my soups a little thicker so I might try it next time with a little less water or a little more pumpkin.
Def RSSed ya, would go with fresh garlic though. That jar stuff smells like feet, it loses all the floral accents you get from good garlic.
I’m making this this week! I can’t wait, I’ve been wanting to try it for months but it wasn’t cool enough for soup!
Obiter Gir – I guess it depends on how large your pumpkin is, but you’ll want about 2 cups worth of pumpkin. It’s fairly flexible, so you’ll be okay with a little more or a little less.
I don’t think we can buy pumpkin puree in Australia… would a quarter of a pumpkin be enough?
Amazingly Delish. I add cauliflower.. yum. I am also cauliflower obsessed. :)
Hdt – quinoa would probably be pretty good in there!
Do you think it’s a bad idea to add lentils or quinoa to make it more of a soup meal instead of a side?
Made this last night and it was PERFECT! I added mushrooms and lime juice to it to give it a thai zing – DEELISH!
Yumm… Pumkin is my fav .. Will try this now….thank you
Pumpkin soup is one of my favs, and I love Thai cocoanut soup, too. The idea of the two soups as one….This soup will probably be my favorite, all around. I can’t wait to try this one! :D
I tried it with actual Pumpkin , By Boiling it and mashed them ..It Tasted Yummmmmm… :)
Just realized I meant I made the entire meal in twenty minutes, oops :)
I made this soup tonight, along with the sriracha chicken strips and savory coconut rice and it was delicious! With a little prep about two hours before, and a rice cooker (invest in one of those- amazing!), I was able to make an entire meal in two hours. The soup is especially delicious with some of the coconut rice mixed in- try it! It’s thick but not too heavy. Also, I’m pretty sure I used less than 3 cups of broth (probably barely even 2) and it came out wonderful. I tend to like my soups less watery, and I think it came out perfect!
Unbelievable soup!! Followed the recipe, and its fantastic. Thanks!
Wow, I LOVE your site and all of your recipes… I keep looking at the recipes and I haven’t found one that I wouldn’t love to try! I’m in a bit of a rut right now, I’m 4 months pregnant and I had horrible all day sickness in months 2 and 3 and so I feel like I’m having trouble getting motivated to cook again. SO glad I found this site. I feel so motivated I want to just go home and cook all night!
i made this last night and really enjoyed it, although I wish I’d added more pumpkin or used an immersion blender. I wanted it to be thicker and some guests weren’t happy with the bits of onion. Overall, though, very tasty and just the right amount of spiciness if you ask me. thanks for posting!
Soups are my favourite during school, and this one looks awesome! For some reason Pumpkin seems perfect for winter to me. Can’t wait to make it.
Yeah, that’s exactly what happened. I added equivalent amounts of chicken broth AND water.
I think I should clarify… the chicken base is a concentrated paste, not liquid broth. You only need to add water to reconstitute the base to make a broth. Basically, add 2 cups of chicken broth (or the base + water equivalent). If you’re using canned chicken broth, no extra water should be added. I think, or at least I hope, thats why some people are getting a watery, bland soup.
When I made this recipe, it was very bland even though I only used two cups of vegetable bouillon and 2 cups of water. To improve the dish I added two tablespoons of brown sugar, which brought the soup to life. The soup is very thin and light and has just enough spice and the sugar added a wonderful contrast to the red pepper. I will definitely make this dish again and I highly recommend adding brown sugar and using less water.
Woh I enjoy your articles , saved to fav! .
I think I might have added too much water..it doesn’t have much taste.
wow really very testy your this dies amazing i like is so very much thanks for sharing this
Thanks for this recipe. I added some red curry paste and served it with a grilled cheese sandwich. It was awesome and easy and quick and all of the things I want in terms of making a weeknight dinner.
Absolutely! Your intuitions are great… non-tomato based veg stock is perfect. I was going to write that in for the vegetarians but forgot. Thanks for the reminder!
Would you suggest vegetable stock instead of chicken for us vegetarians? And if so, do you think golden vegetable stock (without tomatoes) would meld better with the other flavors than regular?
I bet this’d be really easy to bulk out with quinoa.
We just made the soup for dinner. I broke a few Roasted Vegetable Ritz crackers into the soup and it was excellent! Thank you so much.
Oh my word. Saving this recipe onto my desktop so I don’t forget to make it!
Love your site!
This is really exciting! I’ve been looking for something to do with my pumpkin puree (besides a pie) for awhile now. :D