Curried pumpkin bean soup is a flavorful blend of spices, creamy pumpkin, and hearty beans. It’s the perfect bowl of comfort with a spicy kick. For more rich and satisfying soups, take a look at my creamy soup recipes.
Simple, healthy ingredients and big flavors make this recipe a must make! So, read on to find out how to make this delicious soup.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Fresh pumpkin brings a wonderful depth of flavor
- Such a simple recipe that is quick to make
- Really easy to adapt to your personal tastes
- Perfect for an easy weekday meal
Equipment Needed To Make This Recipe
There are a few essential items you’ll need to make this curried pumpkin bean soup recipe:
- Baking dish – you'll bake the squash first, as roasted pumpkin really brings out the flavor and make it softer and easier to chop
- Large saucepan – you'll need a large quality soup pot for this recipe
- Blender – make sure you use a quality blender that is intended for soup making, as some blenders (especially smoothie makers) aren't for use with hot liquid. You can also use an immersion blender
- Soup bowls – serve up your sublime soup with style!
How To Make Simple Kabocha Squash Soup
Halve the pumpkin and roast them until tender.
Gently fry the onions until softened.
Tip in the cooked pumpkin flesh and butter beans.
Add the stock, coconut cream and curry powder.
Simmer for 10 minutes.
Blend until smooth in food processor. Serve with crusty bread. Enjoy!
Top Tip
Be very careful when halving your squash. Use a non-slip chopping board and a quality sharp chef's knife.
What to Serve with Kabocha Squash Soup
Sides
- For a complete meal you can serve brown bread with lashings of butter on the side. You could even make homemade cheesy garlic bread or chia seed bread, both of which would taste fantastic with this soup.
- Why not go for the classic sandwiches and soup pairing? Keep it simple and serve your soup with a hummus sandwich, or go all out and make a steak and caramelised onion sandwich or a brie sandwich with chicken, pear and balsamic onions!
- Cheese never fails to please! Add a side of parmesan crisps for a truly special double act. Or serve with a side plate of parmesan parsnips.
- Keep it simple and sprinkle some croutons on top of your soup.
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Wine pairing
Chardonnay is the perfect pairing option for most squash and pumpkin recipes, and it works especially well with this roasted kabocha squash soup.
You could also go for a Pinot Gris or a Riesling, both of which complement the subtle sweetness and light spiciness perfectly.
Variations To This Recipe
- Add pieces of cooked meat if you want to bulk out your soup and make it an extra hearty soup.
- Add diced tomatoes for a nice tomatoey flavor
- This recipe calls for curry powder, which brings a nice arm earthy flavor to the soup. You can add extra spices, such as cumin, turmeric, paprika, cayenne pepper or chilli powder to bring extra spice.
- You can also add your favorite herbs to this soup. Parsley is a great garnish for any vegetable soup, but you can also add oregano, rosemary, mint, chives, thyme, marjoram, basil or sage... even wild garlic!
- For an extra pumpkin flavor, add a jar of pumpkin puree.
Popular substitutions
- Kabocha squashes are delicious, but aren't so widely available. Feel free to use a different variety of pie pumpkin – butternut squash, acorn squash or any other type of squash, whatever you find available. Locally grown is best!
- I've gone with vegetable broth in this recipe, but feel free to replace it with chicken broth if you prefer.
- If you're not a fan of coconut milk, you can replace it with vegan sour cream.
Top Tip
To pick the perfect kabocha, look for one that is firm with a deep color. Also, try and find one that feels heavy for its size.
What is kabocha squash?
Kabocha Squash, sometimes referred to as Japanese pumpkin, is a type of winter squash with hard knobbly green skin. Despite its deep green outside appearance, on the inside a kabocha squash has a bright orange coloring.
A kabocha squash is actually quite similar to a butternut squash. However, there are key differences. One of the main differences is the taste. A kabocha is even sweeter than a butternut, with a unique earthiness that's kind of similar to a chestnut or a russet potato.
The first time I tasted the kabocha squash it reminded me of something else. At first, I couldn't quite put my finger on it but, after a while, it hit me that it tasted like a good old gem squash, which is a very common type of squash in South Africa.
In terms of texture, it's somewhere between a pumpkin and a sweet potato.
Kabocha is grown in California, Florida, Colorado and Mexico, as well as Japan and other countries around the world. It grows best in late summer and early fall.
What beans should I use for this soup?
For this recipe, I've gone for cooked butter beans.
You can also use cannellini beans or black beans for a black bean soup
How do I store leftovers?
Storing soup leftovers is easy. First, wait until the soup has completely cooled. Then, transfer it into an airtight container. You can keep kabocha soup fresh in the fridge for up to four days.
Can you freeze curried pumpkin bean soup?
Yes! Most soup freezes really well, and this one is no exception.
To freeze kabocha soup, allow it to cool, then transfer it into a freezable airtight container. You can even freeze your soup in individual servings, either by spooning it into freezer bags or by using smaller containers.
Frozen soup will keep for up to three months.
How do you thaw this dish?
Thaw your frozen soup in the refrigerator for a few hours. I recommend allowing it to defrost overnight.
How do you reheat leftovers?
You can either reheat leftover kabocha soup in a saucepan on the hob or in the microwave.
To reheat soup on the hob, place the pan on a medium heat and gently heat the soup, stirring continuously until piping hot.
To heat leftovers in the microwave, loosely cover and reheat for a total of 3 minutes, pausing to stir the soup every minute.
Can this recipe be scaled?
Yes, it can easily be scaled. You can use two or three squashes to make an extra big batch of soup. Simply double or triple the ingredients below, ensuring all the ratios remain the same.
If you have any leftover pumpkin try making this Pumpkin ravioli.
Can I make curried pumpkin bean soup ahead of time?
Yes! Soup actually takes on more flavor if allowed to sit for a while. This soup can be made beforehand, then reheated on the stove just before serving. Just follow the storage and reheating guidelines above.
Other Sumptuous Soup Recipes You’ll Love
During the winter months, few things hit the spot quite like a soothing soup. Check out these other delicious recipes and find a new favorite!
- Zucchini and leek soup – a delicious vegan soup with lots of flavor, this is the perfect light lunch option for those looking for a healthy soup
- Marrow soup – another delicious vegetable soup, this one shows just how wonderful marrows can be
- Wild garlic soup – wild garlic soup is an utter delight and unmissable for garlic fans. It's so simple to make and brings such an excellent depth of flavor
- Leek and onion soup – a classic soup that's big on taste and small on cost, this is a great budget friendly option that makes for an ideal light lunch
- Pumpkin and sweet potato soup – sweet potatoes are a great ingredient for soups, and the soup tastes even better with the addition of pumpkin. Garnish with your favorite herbs and you'll fall head over heels with this delicious vegan soup
Don’t forget to come back and let me know how your recipe turned out!
Print📖 Recipe
Pumpkin Bean Soup Recipe
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 6 portions 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This Pumpkin Bean Soup is super easy to prepare. Best served with a dash of cream and some fresh buttered bread.
Ingredients
- 1.5kg (3lbs) kabocha squash or similar pumpkin
- 30ml (2 tbsp) olive oil
- 1 medium onion, peeled and roughly chopped
- 240g (1 14oz can) cooked butter beans, drained
- 12g (2 tbsp) curry powder
- 400ml (1 14oz can) coconut milk
- 750ml (3 cups) vegetable stock
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/355°F/gas mark 4. Halve the pumpkin crosswise and scoop out seeds and strings. Place pumpkin halves in a large baking dish. Bake, uncovered, for 30-45 minutes, or until fork tender. When it is cool enough to touch, discard the seeds. Scoop out the flesh and set it aside.
- Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large pot. When the mixture starts sizzling, add the onion and fry gently until softened and translucent, which should take about 8 minutes.
- Tip in the pumpkin, butter beans, coconut milk and vegetable stock.Â
- Turn up the heat and let the contents start boiling. Lower the heat until a simmering point is reached and cook for 10 minutes, or until the onions are completely cooked.Â
- Transfer the contents in batches to a food processor and blend until desired consistency. I prefer my soup to be silky smooth.Â
- Garnish to your heart’s content and serve immediately. Enjoy!
Notes
- For a complete meal you can serve brown bread with lashes of butter on the side.
- A dash of cream goes nicely with the soup.
- Different ovens cook different things at different rates. My old oven used to take about 90 minutes to bake a halved pumpkin. My new one takes 30 minutes. If you would rather want to play it safe, bake the pumpkin first, then only start cooking the beans.
- Feel free to use a different variety of pumpkin; whatever you find available. Locally grown is best!
- This soup freezes well.Â
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Soup
- Method: Boil
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 316
- Sugar: 7.5 g
- Sodium: 390.6 mg
- Fat: 19.2 g
- Saturated Fat: 12.9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 35.7 g
- Fiber: 7.3 g
- Protein: 6.9 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sally
Love this recipe, it's so warm and comforting!
Michelle
Bunney: Any pumpkin, including the English variety, will work with this soup. Kabocha just happens to be my favourite. You should try it sometime!
BUNNEY
is it possible to use a standard English pumpkin instead of the kabocha squash? the recipe looks so good.
Claudia
I made this soup a few days ago and we liked it a lot. It's just taken me til now to write. I did add more spices though. Salt & pepper, powdered curry leaves, and cumin. I also used some chicken stock I made instead of vegetable stock.
Thanks for sharing your recipe.
Michelle
Fearless Kitchen (sorry, I can't find your name on your website): I know how you feel. My husband is averse to any Asian spices. Meanwhile I love spicy food, so my cooking feels a bit hampered. Maybe sometime I'll see if I can slip some ginger in a stirfry and see if he notices. Fingers crossed...
Fearless Kitchen
This looks delicious. I haven't cooked with kabocha before, because my husband has a strong aversion. Apparently someone used to do something unspeakable to them in his youth, probably involving boiling, and now he won't eat them at all. If I try to sneak it in stealthily... like with a really pretty, appetizing soup... he might get over it!
Michelle
Thanks, Kevin.
A. Grace: That bastard! No wonder he isn't on the shelf every week! 😉
Helen: Thanks, sometimes you just need to get it out...
Thanks, Patricia.
Jeanne: Grrrr, I see he has been making his rounds then??? 😛 Dankie, daar is ten minste een use vir 'n conservatory in Engeland.
Rachel: Oooh, I've never had pumpkin bread. I'd sure like to give it a try.
Rachel
You love squash as I can tell. If you are looking for a sweet treat you can visit my site and look up butternut squash bread. This was a delicious bread, and my first time using butternut squash in this manner. The soup looks wonderful, I am going to have to try that.
Jeanne
Oooh, lucky me - a flirty gourd! I hate to break it to you though - I think he's two-timing you because mr Kabocha also whispers to ME in the supermarket 🙂 Butter beans make such a great creamy soup base so I can imagine how velvety and delicious this would be. En MAN jy het mooi sagte natuurlike lig in jou huis!
Patricia Scarpin
Fun post! 🙂
I love this kind of soup. It's so comforting.
Helen
Hey I enjoyed your daily dose of bollocks! I also think your soup looks delicious.
a. grace
kabocha squash is my secret lover as well...i hope there's enough of him to go around. 🙂
that looks like one creamy, delicious soup. the kabocha was enough to get me interested, and the addition of cinnamon makes me super excited to try it out immediately!
Kevin
That soup looks and sounds really good! Nice photos. Kabocha squash is one of my favorites.