Creamy and rich-tasting, this vegan pumpkin soup has a very light curry flavor and picks up some spiciness from chipotle chili pepper.
Here in Mississippi, you never know what the weather is going to be like on Halloween. Plan on having a hot bowl of soup for dinner and you’ll be disappointed when the temperature climbs into the 80’s.
Last night was like that. Although it was a lovely night and the kids were very comfortable in their light weight, short sleeved costumes, we adults, trudging along behind them from house to house, were decidedly warm.
But it was a good time. Our tradition is to trick or treat with our neighbors, who have three kids, one of whom is taking 7th grade Latin. She suggested that instead of shouting “Trick or Treat” at each house they chant the Latin translation. Now, I have no idea what the real translation for “trick or treat” is, but what they shouted came out sounding like “Trowf auf Delectat.”
All devils say Trowf auf Delectat!
So this group of kids dressed as devils, vampires, and witches proceeded to go up to houses chanting “Trowf auf Delectat” without explaining the meaning to the people at the doors. The stunned homeowners probably thought they were the children of some cult, chanting praises to Satan. At least, we parents amused ourselves with that thought, and pretty soon we were chanting “Trowf auf Delectat” too. Big fun.
We came home to a pot of nice, hot vegan pumpkin soup–but first we had to turn on the air conditioning! I made up for the heat of the soup by pairing it with a crisp, green salad, and it turned out to be a delicious meal.
The soup is a little hard to describe: creamy and rich-tasting, it has a very light curry flavor but picks up some spiciness from the chipotle chili pepper. It wasn’t so spicy that E. couldn’t eat it, though she did drink a couple of glasses of water with dinner.
I have to confess that I made this with the last of my hubbard squash, but I’m just going to be stubborn and call it pumpkin soup. You can use any type of winter squash you like; since it’s not a sweet soup, the sweetness of the squash doesn’t make a difference.
That hubbard squash got quite a workout, by the way. I used it in Impossible Vegan Pumpkin Pie, Pumpkin Pie Wontons (similar to these), and Cambodian Vegetarian Stew. Just a few large winter squash really could get a family through the winter!
Pumpkin and Roasted Corn Soup
Ingredients
- 1 large onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 1/2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
- 1 teaspoon chopped chipotle pepper canned in adobo or to taste (careful, it’s hot)
- 5 cups pumpkin or winter squash peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 5 cups vegetable broth or water
- 1/2 teaspoon good curry powder
- 3/4 cup plain unsweetened soymilk or other non-dairy milk
- 3 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels
- freshly ground pepper
- salt optional
Instructions
- Sauté the onion in a large, non-stick pot until browned, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for 1 more minute. Add the chipotle, pumpkin and water. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until pumpkin is completely tender, about 30 minutes. Add more broth or water as needed to maintain about the same level of liquid.
- When the pumpkin is tender, add the curry powder and soymilk. Using a hand blender, puree in batches until smooth, or transfer to a blender and blend in batches. Add salt and additional curry powder to taste, add more liquid if it’s too thick, and keep it warm while you prepare the corn.
- Place the corn kernels in a large, shallow, non-stick baking dish. Sprinkle with a little freshly ground pepper. Place in the oven under the broiler and broil, stirring often, until the corn begins to brown. Watch carefully! This should only take a few minutes–a little longer for frozen corn than fresh. Be sure not to overcook or the corn will get rubbery.
- Divide the corn and soup into 4 servings and serve the soup with the roasted corn sprinkled on top.
Notes
Nutritional info is approximate.
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Anonymous
November 1, 2009 at 12:41 pmWow! This soup is amazing. I bought a small pumpkin just for this and it was my first time using fresh…
Definitely worth it! I didn't use the corn, but the pumpkin soup was perfect (and fitting) for today. I loved the amount of heat, but I think next time I'll use half the amount of chipotle, since my family has tender tastebuds. 🙂 Thanks for another great recipe, SusanV!
Anonymous
March 27, 2010 at 2:17 pmI just found this recipe while trying to find something to do with a can of pumpkin (yes, I cheated). Lucky me, I had all ingredients on hand. Yummy stuff!
I'm enjoying it, although I may have added a bit too much of the adobe chipotle pepper (I used only one, but WHOOO!). I like the complex flavors you get with each spoonful – garlic, ginger, pepper. Pumpkin and the canned chipotles are always on hand in my house and I thank you for sharing this recipe!
April
October 27, 2010 at 7:26 pmDid you use just one can of pumpkin? I was thinking of cheating as well!
Vibeke
December 7, 2016 at 5:34 amI was thinking of cheating too with canned pumpkin!
charlotte
September 12, 2010 at 12:13 pmWow the soup was amazing
i liked it so much that i did it again only this time with zucchini and it came out just as great!!!!!!!! Only thing is that you need less water or broth or it comes out too liquidy…..
thanks
Evie
October 31, 2010 at 9:13 pmThis recipe is AMAZING! I just made it with butternut squash and added cilantro as an extra garnish. YUM!!
s.g.
December 8, 2010 at 1:56 pmThanks for the idea, susan v. As someone who loves to eat spicy, I wasnt worried about the chipotle pepper- but boy was it hot! I added brown sugar to cut it and it worked really well. I didnt think the pumkin was coming through the way i wanted so i added nutmeg, cinnamon, salt and allspice- and the soup was perfect. It started off with a traditional pumpkin taste and by the end of the bite, the heat and curry. Didnt need to add corn after that.
kelly
February 25, 2011 at 11:18 amHi,
Love your recipes! I love soup and have tried several recipes on your site. I’m not a vegan, but I cook like one 🙂
with regards to your Pumpkin and Roasted Corn Soup, Can I use canned pumpkin?
If so, how much?
Thanks!
Kelly
SusanV
February 25, 2011 at 11:22 amThanks, Kelly! I haven’t tried this recipe with canned pumpkin, but I would probably start with one can and add more as needed to get the consistency right. It may take two cans, but see if you can get away with less.
Pat B
November 10, 2011 at 9:27 amI am allergic to soy. What would you suggest using to replace soy milk in this recipe. It sounds great and I would like to try it.
Susan Voisin
November 10, 2011 at 9:43 amYou can use any kind of unsweetened milk. Rice, coconut, or almond milk would all be good, though I would favor the almond milk.
Jenn H
October 20, 2012 at 6:26 pmThis was a great recipe! We wound up tweaking it today since we had a butternut squash and leftover carrots, celery, and green pepper that we added and instead of fresh ginger and chipotle, we used ground ginger, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper at the end. Both ways were delicious! I love how it’s so simple, but it can be tweaked so many ways!
Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! We’ll be freezing our leftovers for enjoyment through the upcoming cold months!
Cheryl
November 18, 2012 at 5:52 pmYummy! I had about a quart of leftover butternut squash. It worked out great.Thanks!
shannon
October 28, 2013 at 6:01 pmTried this recipe and it was the bomb.com! Love it!!! thanks so much for posting, this will be on my meal plan monthly rotation!
Chana
November 29, 2014 at 9:43 pmI make a soup like this all the time. I add roasted red peppers and roasted garlic. Divine!
Monica
October 30, 2016 at 8:31 amI will be sure to give this recipe a try; everyone I know likes the ingredients in this recipe. I will let you know what the outcome is.
Beth
December 6, 2016 at 1:31 pmI LOVE this soup! This last time I was out of fresh ginger, so used 1/4 tsp ground ginger, and 1/4 tsp ground chipotle, doubled the curry powder, used butternut instead of pumpkin, and I just buy a bag of Trader Joe’s frozen fire roasted corn and throw the whole bag in at the end. It is soooooo goood!