I really like this Spicy Coconut and Pumpkin Soup. It’s super quick to make and it’s insanely tasty–this is one of my favorite combinations.
As a starter or side dish for your meal, it can be used as a snack or as a starter, or you can use it as a light lunch paired with some naan bread.
If you’re looking to bulk it up to make it a full meal, then you can add some shredded rotisserie chicken and you’re ready to go.
In the case of this super, the bones are very simple, so once you learn them, you will be able to start making modifications and adaptations in order to give it a whole new lease of life each time you make it.
There’s a lot of spice in this soup due to the crushed red pepper flakes, but the amount of heat can be adjusted according to your individual preferences.
It is creamy, yet not overly heavy, so it is a good choice to make during the summer heat. Depending on how sensitive you are to heat, you can start by using half of the amount of red pepper flakes.
To make it even more flavorful without being too hot, use mild curry powder instead of cumin and crushed red pepper.
A few pepitas that I had left in my pantry were used to garnish my Spicy Coconut and Pumpkin Soup along with a little plain yogurt, sriracha (because I needed even more heat, duh), and a little plain yogurt.
In order to complement the cool, tart flavor of the yogurt, the soup was even better without any fancy toppings if you have some on hand, but if you don’t have any, you could still enjoy it without them.
Without a doubt, the following recipe that Apronese wants to recommend to you is amazing and easy to make, try it now.
Spicy Coconut and Pumpkin Soup
Besides the natural sweetness of the pumpkin, this Spicy Coconut and Pumpkin Soup has the perfect balance between creamy coconut milk, spicy red pepper flakes, and creaminess of coconut milk.
Author: Beth
Servings: 6 (about 1.25 cups each)
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)
Instructions
- The ginger root should be finely chopped to make its flavor more prominent. The onion should be finely minced, as should the garlic. Place the ginger, garlic, and onion in a pot along with the olive oil and gently sauté over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes until they are soft and transparent.
- Immediately after adding the cumin and red pepper to the pot, stir gently and allow to simmer for about 1-2 minutes, until the spices have developed just a slight toasting.
- As soon as you add the pumpkin puree and coconut milk to your pot, stir to combine. Add the chicken broth, stir again, and turn the heat up to medium and allow the soup to heat thoroughly. The soup should be hot once it has reached its boiling point, and then taste it and add salt and pepper if you prefer (I added 1/4 tsp salt and 10 cranks of the pepper mill).
- I recommend you rinse the cilantro, pull the leaves off the stems, and then chop them roughly. After the cilantro is chopped correctly and you are done mixing it with the soup, take a handful of the chopped cilantro and stir it in right before serving. An immersion blender is recommended if you want a smooth soup without chunks of onion.
- Depending on what you prefer, you can garnish each bowl with 2 tablespoons plain yogurt, a drizzle of Sriracha sauce, and a sprinkle of pepitas if you wish.
Nutritional
Serving: 1.25 Cups ・ Calories: 63.09 kcal ・ Carbohydrates: 5.49 g ・ Protein: 1.49 g ・ Fat: 3.09 g ・ Sodium: 567.06 mg ・ Fiber: 2.05 g
The nutritional values shown here are only estimates. Please see our nutrition disclaimer.
How to Make Spicy Coconut and Pumpkin Soup – Step By Step Photos
Using a small-holed cheese grater, grate about 1 Tbsp fresh ginger. My method of grating ginger is WAY easier when it’s frozen.
That’s why I always keep a knob in my freezer, so I usually just keep one in the freezer. It does not matter whether you peel the skin first, as long as you make sure the skin is well cleaned.
If the process of grating the ginger is too challenging, you can mince it instead.
A finely chopped onion, ginger, and garlic should also be minced. Put the onion, ginger, and garlic in a soup pot with 1 Tbsp olive oil and sauté over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, or until the onions start to soften and transparency begins to appear.
Lastly, add a teaspoon of cumin and half a teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes, and stir when you are finished frying.
If you are sensitive to heat, you might want to start with half a teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes, and then increase the heat at the end. Continue to stir and cook for about one minute more.
You will then need to add one 15oz. can of pumpkin puree. Note: This is NOT pumpkin pie filling from a can.
The coconut milk should be mixed with the pumpkin until they are well blended. It is recommended to add two 14oz. cans of coconut milk to the mixture and stir well.
When I first made this recipe, I used Thai Kitchen brand coconut milk and it turned out that this brand coconut milk was much thicker than this Goya brand coconut milk, so the final soup was also a bit thicker.
Although both soups tasted amazing, the different brands of coconut milk did give them a very different texture.
Then add three cups of chicken broth and combine. I use Better Than Bouillon soup base to make my broth because I find it very convenient, inexpensive, packaged less than 38 cups worth of canned or boxed broths, and it lasts a long time in the fridge.
You can also get it in organic or low sodium versions, and you won’t have to worry about the sodium content.
When the soup has heated through, turn up the heat to medium and stir the mixture well. The amount of salt you will need will depend on what kind of broth you are using.
Taste the soup, adjust the salt if needed, and sprinkle some freshly cracked pepper. I only added 1/4 teaspoon to the soup, but that was enough to really enhance the flavor of the soup.
It is recommended that while the soup is cooking you 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 while the soup is still warming.
It’s that easy! You just have to follow the recipe below and you’ll have a delicious coconut and pumpkin soup in no time.
My version of the dish included some crushed red pepper on top and some sriracha and plain yogurt drizzled over the top, in addition to some pepitas that I had in my pantry.
It was beautiful and delicious at the same time.
Try and share this recipe with your friends, Apronese hopes it will be of great help to you. If you want to know anything more, comment below for us.
