This Thai pumpkin soup is my favourite way to turn a big autumn pumpkin into something bright and warming. Red curry paste, fresh ginger and garlic bring the heat, coconut milk makes it silky, and a squeeze of lime at the end wakes everything up. A crunchy scattering of toasted seeds and fresh coriander finishes each bowl.
It is a Thai-inspired recipe rather than a traditional one, but it delivers all the flavours I love about Thai cooking with very little effort. This Thai pumpkin soup recipe uses one pan, a handful of storecupboard ingredients and is on the table in 50 minutes. It is naturally vegan and gluten-free, and it is a brilliant way to use up the flesh from your Halloween pumpkin.
Halloween pumpkins: Big carving pumpkins like Jack-o’-Lanterns are perfectly edible, just more watery, a little bland and less sweet, so use a little less stock or a smaller variety pumpkin for this soup. Love Food Hate Waste has more ways to eat your Halloween pumpkin.
If you love cooking with pumpkin as much as I do, have a look at my pumpkin recipes for more seasonal ideas.
Why You’ll Love This Thai Pumpkin Soup
- One pot, minimal washing up: everything cooks in one saucepan, and the seeds take two minutes in a dry frying pan.
- Big flavour, little effort: a good red Thai curry paste does most of the work for you.
- Budget-friendly: pumpkin is cheap and plentiful in autumn, and one batch makes six generous bowls.
- Plant-packed: each bowl provides around two of your 5 A Day, plus fibre from the seed topping.
- Freezer-friendly: make a big batch and you have lunches sorted for weeks.
Is This an Authentic Thai Soup?
Not quite, and I’d rather be upfront about that. Pumpkin is widely used in Thai cooking, in red curries and in sweet coconut desserts, but this blended soup is my own Thai-inspired take. Instead of pounding lemongrass, galangal and chillies from scratch, I use a ready-made red Thai curry paste, which keeps it quick enough for a weeknight.
It is also quite different from tom kha, the fragrant Thai coconut soup, which is a broth rather than a smooth, velvety purée. Think of this as a cosy British autumn soup with Thai flavours, and you won’t be disappointed. If you’d like something closer to a Thai curry, try my Thai green pumpkin curry instead.
Watch How To Make This Thai Pumpkin Soup
Ingredients for Thai Pumpkin Soup
You’ll find the full quantities in the recipe card below, but here are a few notes on the key ingredients.
- Pumpkin: dense, sweet varieties such as Crown Prince, Delica and Uchiki Kuri give the silkiest, most flavourful soup. The RHS has a handy guide to the best pumpkins for eating and for carving. If you have an red kuri squash, you might also like my red kuri squash soup.
- Red Thai curry paste: many shop-bought pastes contain shrimp paste or fish sauce, so check the label if you need the soup to be vegan.
- Coconut milk: use full-fat for the creamiest result. Light coconut milk works but gives a thinner soup.
- Fresh ginger, garlic and lime: these keep the flavours fresh and zingy, so don’t be tempted to skip the lime.
- Seeds: a mix of pumpkin, sunflower, black sesame and white sesame seeds adds crunch, colour and extra fibre.
How to Make Thai Pumpkin Soup
This pumpkin Thai soup comes together in a few simple stages. The full method is in the recipe card below.
- Soften the onion: fry it gently in oil for 6 to 8 minutes until soft and golden.
- Fry the aromatics: add the curry paste, garlic and ginger and cook for a minute until fragrant.
- Simmer the pumpkin: stir in the diced pumpkin, pour in the stock and simmer for about 20 minutes until tender.
- Blend: stir in the coconut milk, then blitz with a hand blender until smooth.
- Season: finish with lime juice and salt to taste.
- Toast the seeds: dry-fry the seeds for 2 to 3 minutes, then scatter over the soup with plenty of coriander.
Toppings and Serving Ideas
- Toasted seeds: my four-seed mix is the star, but roasted pumpkin seeds made from your own pumpkin are even better.
- A coconut swirl: save a spoonful of coconut milk to drizzle over each bowl.
- Chilli oil or sliced red chilli: for anyone who likes extra heat.
- Bread or rice: serve with crusty bread, warm flatbreads or a spoonful of jasmine rice for a more filling meal.
For a Halloween supper, pair it with something from my spooky vegetarian and vegan Halloween recipes.
Variations
- Roast the pumpkin first: roasting the cubes for 30 minutes at 200°C (180°C fan) gives a deeper, caramelised flavour, much like my roasted butternut squash soup.
- Add red lentils: stir in 100g rinsed red lentils with the stock for extra protein. My Thai red lentil soup is another lovely option.
- Go more aromatic: add a bruised lemongrass stalk and a couple of lime leaves while the soup simmers, then remove them before blending.
- Make it milder: start with 1 to 2 tablespoons of curry paste for children, and add extra coconut milk.
- Try a different spice: for a change from Thai flavours, try my easy pumpkin soup with Chinese five-spice.
Storage, Freezing and Reheating
Fridge: cool the soup quickly, then keep it in an airtight container in the fridge and eat within 2 days.
Freezer: freeze in portions, without the toppings, for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge. The Food Standards Agency has useful guidance on how to chill, freeze and defrost food safely.
Reheating: warm gently in a saucepan until piping hot, adding a splash of water if it has thickened. Avoid boiling hard, as the coconut milk can split. Toast the seeds fresh just before serving.
Thai Pumpkin Soup FAQs
Yes. Butternut squash is a great swap and is available all year. Use the same weight of peeled, diced flesh.
It has a gentle, warming heat rather than a fiery one, but curry pastes vary a lot. Start with 2 tablespoons, taste after blending and stir in more if you like.
Pumpkin soup isn’t a classic Thai dish, but pumpkin is a popular ingredient in Thai curries and desserts. This recipe combines a smooth pumpkin soup with Thai flavours such as red curry paste, ginger, coconut milk and lime.
Yes, it freezes very well for up to 3 months. Freeze it without the toppings and reheat until piping hot.
Not always. Many brands include shrimp paste or fish sauce, so check the ingredients list and look for one labelled vegan.
Absolutely, and it’s a great way to cut food waste, as so many carving pumpkins end up in the bin. Use it within a day or two of carving, cut away any dried or candle-scorched bits, and reduce the stock slightly (see my tips min the introduction). Got a glut from the garden too? My autumn glut recipes will help.
Looking for more cosy bowls? Browse all my vegan and vegetarian soup recipes.
I hope you enjoy this Thai pumpkin soup recipe as much as we do. If you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram!
Thai Pumpkin Soup
Equipment
Disclaimer: the equipment list above includes affiliate links to products I use and like.
Watch How To Make This Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 3 Tbsp red Thai curry paste
- 2 garlic cloves grated
- 1 Tbsp ginger grated
- 1 kg pumpkin flesh diced
- 600 ml vegetable stock
- 400 ml coconut milk
- 1 ½ limes juiced
- salt to taste
TO SERVE:
- 2 Tbsp pumpkin seeds
- 2 Tbsp sunflower seeds
- 1 Tbsp black sesame seeds
- 1 Tbsp white sesame seeds
- 1 small bunch coriander
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onion and fry gently for 6 to 8 minutes, until soft and golden.2 Tbsp vegetable oil, 1 onion
- Add the red Thai curry paste, garlic and ginger, and fry for 1 minute, stirring, until fragrant.3 Tbsp red Thai curry paste, 2 garlic cloves, 1 Tbsp ginger
- Add the diced pumpkin and stir to coat it in the onion and curry paste mixture.1 kg pumpkin flesh
- Pour in the vegetable stock.600 ml vegetable stock
- Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the pumpkin is tender.
- Stir in the coconut milk and remove the pan from the heat.400 ml coconut milk
- Using a hand blender, blitz the soup until smooth, or to your desired consistency.
- Season with the lime juice and salt to taste. Reheat gently if needed, without letting it boil.1 ½ limes, salt
- In a dry frying pan, toast the pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and black and white sesame seeds over a medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes, until fragrant.2 Tbsp pumpkin seeds, 2 Tbsp sunflower seeds, 1 Tbsp black sesame seeds, 1 Tbsp white sesame seeds
- Ladle the soup into bowls and serve topped with the toasted seeds and plenty of coriander leaves.1 small bunch coriander
Notes
Nutritional Information
Find this recipe online:
https://theflexitarian.co.uk/recipe-items/thai-pumpkin-soup/
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Other Things You Might Like
- Halloween Pumpkin Chilli
- Pumpkin Shaped Bread
- Purple Sweet Potatoes with Red Thai Spinach Curry
- 10 Warming Winter Soups
- 30 Plants a Week: Autumn Guide
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