Have some leftover chicken? This Pumpkin Chicken Soup makes an easy, tasty and healthy one-pot meal that can be made in less than 30 minutes. The perfect recipe for meal prepping as it’s freezer-friendly and makes a quick dinner for those busy weeknights! {Gluten-free & paleo}
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Pumpkin Chicken Soup Recipe
If you’re looking for the ultimate quick and easy meal to warm your soul on a chilly fall day (or any time of year), you’ll love this healthy pumpkin chicken soup!
It’s loaded with protein-packed chicken, pumpkin puree, creamy coconut milk and infused with Thai curry flavors.
Don’t forget to load it up with all your favorite toppings!
Why We Love this Chicken and Pumpkin Soup
- Easy to make – In fact, it’s so easy that after the first time making it, I had memorized the ingredients and could make it off by heart. It’s that simple. As an added bonus, it can be made in under 30 minutes!
- One-pot meal – All of the ingredients are tossed into a pot for super easy prep and clean up.
- Perfect for meal prep – I love making up a large batch of this soup ahead of time for busy weeknights or storing in the freezer for later. It’s a great healthy meal for soup season!
- Family-friendly – This delicious soup is packed with flavor and the fact that it’s so easily customizable makes it a hit with both kids and adults!
Ingredient Notes
- Shredded chicken: You can either prepare your own shredded cooked chicken using one of the methods listed below or purchase a pre-made rotisserie chicken for super easy prep.
- Pumpkin Purée – Use 100% pure canned pumpkin puree or use fresh pumpkin puree. If you opt for canned, just make sure it’s the pure pumpkin puree and not the pumpkin pie filling, as that has a sweeter flavour and is much higher in sugar. The two can be easily confused since the packaging looks relatively similar.
- Broth – Use reduced sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth. Chicken bone broth can be subbed in as well.
- Coconut milk – For the purpose of this soup, you can use light or full-fat coconut milk. The full-fat will provide a creamier texture. For best results, go for the canned coconut milk; not the coconut milk purchased in a carton.
- Red curry paste – My favourite red curry paste is the one from Thai Kitchen. It’s amazing in this soup as well as this Thai Shrimp Curry Soup.
How to Make Pumpkin Soup with Chicken
- Step 1: In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, add olive oil and cook red pepper, onion and garlic and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes or until vegetables are nearly tender.
- Step 2: Add in the broth, red curry paste, pumpkin puree, coconut milk and paprika and stir until smooth.
- Step 3: Stir in the shredded chicken. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes or until heated through, stirring frequently. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Step 4: Garnish with fresh chopped cilantro and a squeeze of lime juice if desired.
Curry Pumpkin Soup Recipe Tips
- If the soup has been sitting for awhile, it may thicken up a bit so you may wish to add a bit more broth or coconut milk to thin it out to your desired consistency.
- Although the recipe instructions say the garnishes are “optional,” they are HIGHLY recommended for optimal flavor. I used a half cup of cilantro, and the juice of one lime to flavor up the pot of soup. Then, I topped each serving with some diced avocado and additional cilantro.
- This soup pairs well with something that has a bit of crunch that can be used to dip into the soup or as a shovel to scoop up the chicken. I like to cut up a whole-grain tortilla or pita into wedges or strips, brush a little olive oil over top, and sprinkle with a bit of salt, pepper and garlic powder and bake for about 10-15 minutes in the oven preheated at 375 F or until lightly browned and crispy. Just make sure you watch them closely as they can burn easily.
- This chicken pumpkin soup recipe is also great if you’re looking to do some meal prepping or batch cooking. Just double or triple the recipe and freeze the soup in individual containers or large ziploc bags for quick and easy future meals. This method of batch cooking makes life SO much easier.
How to Make Shredded Chicken
There are a few different options for preparing the shredded chicken. If you choose to do your own shredded chicken, I recommend prepping it ahead of time to cut down on preparation time when making this soup.
Here are some options for shredded chicken:
Slow cooker: Place boneless skinless chicken breasts in a slow cooker and cook on high for 2-4 hours or low for 4-6 hours. Shred using two forks.
Instant pot: Add the chicken breasts and chicken stock to the bowl of your pressure cooker. Arrange the chicken breasts so that they are spread out in an even layer. Cover and set the pressure cooker lid valve to “sealing.” Pressure cook on high for 10 minutes, followed by a 5 minute natural release, followed by a quick release (carefully flip the valve to “venting”) to release whatever pressure remains. Remove the lid and use two forks to shred the chicken.
Boil chicken breasts: Place chicken breasts in a pot of boiling water or broth and allow to simmer for about 20 minutes until cooked through. Shred chicken.
Use a rotisserie chicken: The easiest method is to purchase a pre-made rotisserie chicken or make one yourself and simply remove the chicken from the bone. This is especially great if you’re really tight on time.
Recipe FAQs
The amount of time that you boil chicken will depend on the size of your chicken breasts. Start by simmering them for about 10 minutes. After 10 minutes remove one breast from the pot and check its doneness. The internal temperature should be 165°. If they need more time, continue to simmer and check their doneness every 5 minutes until they are fully cooked through and tender enough to shred.
If you’d like a thicker soup, there are a few different options. First, you can add less broth. This option will result in the soup having a slightly stronger flavor since it won’t be as diluted with the broth.
An even better option is to use a slurry to thicken the soup using either cornstarch or flour.
To thicken with cornstarch: Mix 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of cold water for each cup of soup.
To thicken with flour: Mix 2 tablespoons of flour with ¼ cup cold water for each cup of soup.
After adding the slurry for both the cornstarch or flour method, bring the soup to a boil and allow it to simmer until thickened.
Yes, one of my favourite aspects of this recipe is that it’s packed with nutrients! The pumpkin in this recipe increases the fiber content to 4 grams per serving, which can help promote that feeling of fullness and also aid in weight control and overall digestive health.
Pumpkin is also rich in antioxidants and vitamin A, which is key for healthy vision, proper cell growth, and a strong immune system (source, source).
Additionally, one cup of cooked pumpkin provides a third of the daily vitamin C requirement and contains B-complex vitamins such as folate, niacin, vitamin B6, thiamin, and pantothenic acid. That’s a lot of nutrients in a bowl of soup, not to mention the protein and iron found in the chicken!
You can store this soup in the fridge for up to 3-5 days in an airtight container or covered saucepan.
Yes! It’s one of my favorite soups to make ahead of time and store in the freezer because it freezes beautifully! You can store it in the freezer in an airtight container for up to three months.
Storage & Reheating Guidelines
To store: Store this pumpkin chicken curry soup soup in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3-5 days.
To freeze: Allow the soup to cool to room temperature. Transfer to an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months.
To reheat: You can reheat this soup on the stove in a large pot over medium low heat until heated through. Be careful not to turn up the stove too high as it may cause the soup to stick to the bottom of the pot. You may wish to add some additional broth or coconut milk to the soup when reheating it to thin it out a bit as it tends to thicken the longer it sits. You can also reheat it in the microwave for 1-2 minutes.
From frozen: Pull it out of the freezer 24 hours before serving and place on the stove in a large sauce pan until heated through.
Topping Ideas
The best part about this pumpkin chicken soup is that it’s easily customizable and you can spruce it up with lots of toppings.
Try out the following add-ons:
- Fresh cilantro
- Green onions
- Diced avocado
- Squeeze of lime juice
- Homemade crispy tortilla strips or store-bought tortilla chips
- An extra drizzle of coconut milk
- Greek yogurt or sour cream
What to Serve with Pumpkin Soup
You can also serve it with any of the following sides for an even more fall-inspired dish:
- Maple Roasted Brussel Sprouts and Sweet Potatoes
- Kale Beet Salad
- Christmas Wreath Salad
- Spinach Orange Salad
- Kale Salad with Cranberries
- Green Bean Almondine Recipe
Recipe Variations
- Don’t have red curry paste? Try using a couple of teaspoons of curry powder instead.
- Extra veggies: Add extra diced red bell pepper or toss in some diced carrots, spinach or kale.
- Add some grains: Try adding some cooked brown rice to make it even more hearty!
- Make it spicy: Add a pinch of red pepper flakes.
- For extra creaminess: Use full-fat coconut milk. You can also increase the amount if desired.
What Readers Are Saying
“This soup is amazing. I didn’t have red curry paste so I used 2 tsp curry powder and added more bell pepper.“ – WeLoveTheFair
More Similar Recipes
- Curry Chicken Marinade
- Thai Shrimp Curry Soup
- Instant Pot Curried Butternut Squash Soup
- Healthy Chicken Potato Soup
- Healthy Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Healthy Chicken Noodle Soup
- Italian Sausage Spinach Soup
- Chicken Soup without Noodles
Did you make this recipe? Scroll down to leave a star rating and review!
Hearty Curry Pumpkin Soup with Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion diced
- 1 red pepper diced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 cups no salt-added chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons red curry paste
- 2 cups pure pumpkin puree can use fresh or canned
- 1 400mL can coconut milk (can use light or full-fat)
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 3 cups shredded chicken (the equivalent of about three 4-ounce chicken breasts)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
- Freshly ground pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup loosely packed cilantro chopped
Optional garnishes (but highly recommended):
- Additional cilantro
- Lime juice
- Sliced avocado
- Baked crispy whole-wheat tortilla strips or pita chips*
Instructions
- In a large saucepan, add olive oil and cook red pepper, onion and garlic over medium heat for about 5 minutes or until vegetables are nearly tender.
- Add in the next five ingredients (through to paprika) and stir until smooth. Stir in the shredded chicken. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes or until heated through, stirring frequently. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Just before serving, stir in cilantro. Serve with a squeeze of lime juice, additional cilantro, diced avocado and crispy baked tortilla or pita chips, if desired.
Notes
- If the soup has been sitting awhile, it may thicken up a bit so you may wish to add a bit more broth or coconut milk to thin it out to desired consistency.
- Although the recipe instructions say the garnishes are “optional,” they are HIGHLY recommended for optimal flavour. I used a half cup of cilantro, and the juice of one lime to flavour up the pot of soup. Then, I topped each serving with some diced avocado and additional cilantro.
- This soup pairs well with something that has a bit of crunch that can be used to dip into the soup or as a shovel to scoop up the chicken. I like to cut up a whole-grain or corn tortilla into wedges or strips, brush a little olive oil over top, and sprinkle with a bit of salt, pepper and garlic powder and bake at 375 F for about 10-15 minutes or until lightly browned and crispy. Just make sure you watch them closely as they can burn easily.
- This recipe is great if you’re looking to do some meal prepping or batch cooking. Just double or triple the recipe and freeze the soup in individual containers or large ziploc bags for quick and easy future meals.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally posted in September 2018 but was updated in October 2023 to include more helpful tips and photos.
Just made it for the Mrs and she just couldn’t get enough of it and now she’s made me the official saucier for our home!!
That’s awesome!! Great way to score those brownie points ;)
This soup was amazing. It is going into the regular rotation once it gets cold (though now that I’m writing this it would be a good cold soup without the chicken.)
I kept the chicken out until the vegetables had become completely soft and I used an immersion blender to get it to the consistency I wanted. Then I added the chicken and let it simmer several more minutes. I don’t think that was really necessary. I probably won’t do that next time, but it gave it a smoother consistency.
I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed the soup — thanks for leaving a review and sharing your modifications! I bet it tasted delicious all blended up. And yes, you could totally serve it as a cold soup without the chicken. Great idea!
I threw in a big tablespoon of apple butter as well. This recipe is killer. A genuine party in the mouth.
Oooh love that idea of adding apple butter! So happy you enjoyed the recipe! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review :)