This post was originally written in October 2014 and refreshed and updated in October 2021.

A delicious way of using up carved Halloween pumpkin insides – a gently spiced, coconut pumpkin soup.

I am a little confused today. I went to a WI garden group meeting yesterday, on Thursday. It’s usually on a Wednesday, like most other WI things, so today, I am disoriented

It was a particularly enjoyable meeting. We met at one members house and displayed our carved pumpkins. My entry Percy Pumpkin above. Then we enjoyed a talk from two ladies who had entered a garden in the Artisan Garden part at Chelsea Flower Show, and won a Gold medal! They told us about how they did it, all the favours they called in, and a bit about the background of doing a garden.

Then we went two doors down to another members house, where we had lovely home made cake and tea, and, of course, lots of lively chatter.

The two hostesses had thoughtfully provided a pumpkin soup recipe to use up Percy’s innards. So that is what I made for lunch today. It’s a lovely creamy, spicy soup. Filling and satisfying. With lots of possible variations too. We had it with some hot crusty bread, straight from the oven. Yum.

What do I need to make curried pumpkin soup

For 4 servings, you will need

• 1 onion peeled and chopped
• 200 g pumpkin no need to peel
• 1 clove garlic crushed
• 1 tsp fresh ginger
• 1 tblsp curry powder any kind
• 100 g red lentils
• 1 can coconut milk
• 1 tblsp white wine vinegar
• 400 ml water
• 1 tsp salt

 

How To Make Pumpkin and Coconut Soup

• Peel and chop the onion. Chop the pumpkin, there is no need to peel, the peel will disintegrate in the simmering and whizzing. You just need to remove the mega hard blossom end if you are using the part with that in it. Just cut round it, or chop it off.
• Place everything in a saucepan, and simmer gently for 20 minutes when everything will be soft and cooked through.
• Then blitz until smooth.
• The ladies suggested sprinkling over toasted pumpkin seeds or toasted coconut to serve, which makes it look very pretty, but of course, you don’t need to do that if you haven’t got it.

What is Curried Pumpkin Soup Like?

I tasted the soup before I added the coconut. The first time I made it, I added the coconut right at the end. It was a tasty soup, with a nice mouthfeel. But I do prefer it with the coconut.

The coconut makes it super smooth, very creamy and tasty. The soup is very filling and sustaining, and although I had a vegetable muffin with it when I took these pictures, I really didn’t need it.

What changes can I make to Pumpkin & Coconut Soup

• You can leave out the red lentils, or add any other cooked bean.
• Leave them whole, whizz them up or do half and half.
• The curry can be anything at all. So a tblsp of any curry paste, say Balti, Rogan Josh or Jalfrezi, or any curry powder mix.
• Or you could use any separate powders. If I was doing that, I would use a tsp each of coriander, cumin and turmeric, and a bit of chilli from the greenhouse.
• I am using up apples in absolutely everything at the moment, so I added 4 tiny ones, just quartered and cored, not peeled – too small!
• You could leave out the coconut and add more water, or use half a tin.
• In place of the tin of coconut milk, you could use 80g of dried coconut milk, or creamed coconut.
• Some leftover roasted vegetables would be lovely in this.

 

Looking for some more ways to use up Percy Pumpkin?

Home grown pumpkin curry, 77p if you buy it all

Chicken with butternut squash and pesto tart

Mixed Vegetable Roulade