Thai Pumpkin Soup

Name: Thai Pumpkin Soup Recipe
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons red curry paste; 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth ((about 32 ounces)); 30 ounces canned pumpkin puree ((two 15-ounce cans)); 1 3/4 cups coconut milk (, or a 13.5 ounce can, reserving 1 tablespoon ); 1 red chili pepper (, sliced); chopped cilantro (, for garnish (optional) )

by Heidi Larsen Updated: Aug 7, 2025

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With just 5 simple ingredients, this Thai pumpkin soup delivers a curry and coconut flavor combination more often expected from a pumpkin soup recipe with far more ingredients. Bonus: It’s ready to eat in under 15 minutes!

Your Favorite Thai Flavors, Packed Into One Soup!

With just 5 ingredients as the sum total of deliciousness, this Thai pumpkin soup is the perfect last-minute fare for busy weeknights.

When I was testing this pumpkin coconut curry soup, I had every intention of putting my ready-to-be-cooked, 3 pound sugar pumpkin to work. 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.

So 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.

Fresh pumpkin and ingredients for pumpkin soup

Heidi’s Tips for Recipe Success

Make sure you’re using pumpkin puree and NOT pumpkin pie filling. That would make for a very weird soup, wouldn’t it?
All curry pastes are different, so taste yours first. 2 tablespoons added just the right amount of heat for us, but if your red curry paste is milder you might want to add a little more.
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. 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.

These 5 Ingredients Make the Magic Happen

The full recipe, with amounts, can be found in the recipe card below.

Ingredients for Thai red curry pumpkin soup

Red curry paste — Something like the Thai Kitchen brand works great.
Canned pumpkin puree — This creamy curried pumpkin soup is made with two cans of pumpkin puree.
Canned coconut milk — Use full-fat for the richest flavor and texture. Don’t sub with coconut milk from a carton, which is too watery for using in soups.
Broth — Chicken or veggie, your pick.
Red chili pepper — Will add a nice kick of heat without burning your mouth.

How to Make Thai Pumpkin Soup in 10 Minutes Flat

Sauté the curry paste until fragrant. You don’t have to add any oil to the pan, just plonk in the curry paste and cook until nice and fragrant.
Stir in the broth and pumpkin puree. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for a couple minutes.
Add the coconut milk. Once the coconut milk is heated through, your soup is done! I like to garnish with sliced red chili and a sprinkling of cilantro.

Want to Use a Fresh Pumpkin Rather Than Canned Pumpkin Puree?

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.

Or, swap out the canned puree with homemade pumpkin puree you’ve prepared in advance.

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.

4.07 from 196 votes