This pumpkin curry autumn soup is as velvety as a blended soup is supposed to be. Butternut squash and sweet potato are the stars and give the autumn soup a blissful texture. Curry powder is that little twist that makes everything interestingly tasty and coconut milk pairs up so well with curry you just wouldn’t think of any other cream to thin (or thicken) it.
Yes, no actual pumpkin in this pumpkin curry soup. The flavour is given by a close relative, the butternut squash, combined with sweet potato. This soup is heart-warming and has a wonderful orange tone. I like to call it my autumn soup.
For more pumpkin and butternut squash recipes, check out also this Roasted Pumpkin Salad with Feta and Walnuts or this Roasted butternut squash and red lentil soup.
Vegan dessert, too? Coconut cardamom panna cotta with agar-agar!
Pumpkin Curry Soup Ingredients
Here is an overview of the ingredients needed to make this vegan butternut squash soup. For detailed quantities, please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Butternut Squash, even though the recipe says pumpkin, I decided to use a close relative and make this a butternut squash curry soup. You can of course use any pumpkin variety for this soup.
- Sweet Potato, I added a sweet potato for a denser consistency and more variation of flavor. You can skip it if you want, or use other types of yams.
- Potatoes, Choose starchy potatoes, such as Gold or Russet potatoes, for a perfect creamy and velvety consistency.
- Coconut Milk, Use full fat coconut milk for a creamier and more luscious soup. Or you can use a lighter coconut milk for a healthier version.
- Curry Powder, I really like cooking with curry powder and the one I used in this recipe comes from a spice farm in the charming little island of Zanzibar when we visited in July. I personally prefer mild curry, but for a spicier soup a blend of mild and hot curry powders works wonders.
How do I store leftovers?
The yield of this soup is quite generous and should feed 4-5 people. I think it is also worth making it for one, though, as it can be frozen in small portions and eaten later.
Heavy cream vs Coconut Milk
I generally thin my soups with cream, but substituting cream with coconut milk actually made my soup vegan. This has become my go-to dinner to make when our vegan friend visits. The use of coconut milk gives this soup a nice exotic flavour that finely blends with the curry powder, and it’s just perfect for a cozy autumn evening meal among friends.
What to serve with this Pumpkin Curry Soup
This soup is delicious on it’s own, but if you’re hosting a dinner with guests, you can add some fall-inspired appetizers such as this Onion cottage cheese tart (vegetarian) or these Garlicky mushroom crostini with goat cheese crumbles. As a side, serve this Thai red cabbage slaw with lime sriracha mayo and this Poolish focaccia bread with cherry tomatoes to soak up all the flavors!
If you tried this recipe, let me know your thoughts in the comments. If you’re planning to try it another time, pin this recipe to Pinterest. Please consider subscribing to my newsletter and following me on Instagram and on Pinterest.
Pumpkin Curry Soup
Ingredients
- 1 butternut squash
- 1 sweet potato
- 2 medium potatoes
- 2 tsp mild curry powder
- 400 ml coconut milk 1 can
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Peel and seed the squash, then dice it. Next, peel and dice the potatoes and the sweet potato.
- Set a large pot on medium heat and warm up 2 tbsp of olive oil. Add the diced vegetables, sprinkle 2 tsp of curry powder over them and sauté them keeping the heat on medium.
- In the meantime, bring a pot of water to the boil, or set the kettle on. Always keep an eye on the vegetables and move them around so that they will not stick to the bottom of the pot.
- When the water boils, add it to the vegetables, just enough to cover them.
- Add some salt, lower the heat, cover the pot and let simmer for about half an hour.
- After half an hour return to the pot and check the vegetables. They should have become all soft enough to mash – test them by pressing them to the sides of the pot with a fork. If soft enough, remove from the stove and blend with a hand blender until creamy.
- As much of the water will have evaporated, your soup will probably look more like a mash right now. Return the pot to the stove on minimum heat and add the coconut milk – both the solid fat and the watery part. Stir until the solid part has melted, then remove from the heat.
- Taste before serving and add more salt if needed.
Notes
- You want to add enough water to cover all the diced veggies, not more. Depending on the size of the pot this quantity will vary. I like to add it hot so that the temperature in the pot does not drop abruptly and the vegetables can keep cooking.
- It is really hard to estimate the quantity of salt needed in this soup as most depends on the size of the squash and the sweet potato, but also on how sweet the coconut milk used is, so tasting will always be the best choice. I always end up having to add more salt than expected.
This post was originally published in November 2016 and has been updated November 2025 with better wording and a recipe card.
Sounds delicious! A bit of spice is always good as the weather gets colder. Nice photo of the rainbow leaves as well 😊
Thank you! I agree that spices are the perfect trick to warm you up. glad you like the photo of the leaves, they were all taken from a single plant and were beautiful.
What a beautiful fall soup! This is awesome for both vegans and lactose intolerant people alike. I seriously need to try this out!
Thanks! I’m one who will never say no to cream in soup, but exactly this stuff can please vegans and lactose free people! Please try it out, you will not regret it!
Curry e latte al cocco, due ingredienti che ADORO!!! Forse questa è la volta buona che mi converto alle zuppe, visto che non sono mai stata una grandissima fan.
Brava! Fidati che questa minestra è una bomba. E’ buonissima!! Scommetto che è davvero la minestra che ti farà ricredere.
This is a great soup recipe to start the fall season. I dont mind the use of spicy in this recipe, I welcome it actually. Thanks for sharing this.
Thanks for stopping by! If you really like spices, I would even suggest to add a bit more curry powder, as this recipe is still pretty mild. You know when you’re cooking for guests you never really want to exaggerate. And as much as I am a milk lover, the use of coconut milk here is really great, it complements the spices marvelously.