This Thai pumpkin soup is SO delicious! The layering of flavors between the creamy pumpkin, the sweetness of the mango nectar, the freshness of the ginger and citrus, it is packed with flavor.
It’s a delicious and comforting dish, perfect for those who love Thai flavors and creamy soups. Thai pumpkin soup perfectly combines the sweetness of pumpkin with the bold and aromatic flavors of Thai cuisine.
This recipe is back from my innkeeping days. I’ve kept the story, but you can skip down to the recipe if you want to just get to cooking. There’s also step-by-step photos for how to make this Thai pumpkin soup in case you get stuck on any of the steps. Hope you enjoy it!
THAI PUMPKIN SOUP BACKSTORY
As a (former) innkeeper, breakfast is my favorite food group. But I truly enjoy tasting and experiencing dishes from around the world. If I’m not hopping on a plane to someplace new, at least I can travel with my tastebuds.
I received a couple of recipes from Elisse at the Elkhorn Inn in West Virginia. She refers to her husband, Dan, as Hot Chef. He’s definitely a huntin-fishin-spear-em-up-cook-em-out-on-the-grill type of manly man.
Retired from the US Army and a chef, Dan’s the type that you’d want to be-friend on the show Survivor. When it comes to smokin, roastin and grillin, guests of The Elkhorn Inn say Chef Dan can kick Bobby Flay’s butt any day.
A lot of his recipes involved grilling and smoking meats, but the one that really caught my eye was a Thai pumpkin soup. Pumpkin and mango are two ingredients I’ve never had together in one dish before, so this is the dish I tried. It’s perfect for soup season, or when you just want a delicious bowl of comforting soup that also surprises the taste buds. In a good way!
WHAT YOU’LL NEED FOR THAI PUMPKIN SOUP
This Thai pumpkin soup is a signature dish at the Elkhorn Inn and the ingredients are simple and fresh. Plus Thai is one of my favorite cuisines. Call me a nut for peanuts, but it’s pure comfort food for me.
- 2 Cups chicken broth
- 2 cups pumpkin puree
- 1 1/2 cups mango nectar
- 1/4 cup chunky peanut butter
- 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons minced green onions
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon grated orange rind
- 1 garlic crushed garlic clove
- candied ginger for garnish
Thai-Inspired Mango Pumpkin Soup: Step-By-Step
There are a lot of ingredients in here that individually are my favs: ginger, garlic, peanut butter, pumpkin, mango. So it’s real interesting to mix them all together. Similar to gathering all your unique friends over for a party, you wonder, will they all get along? Yes, yes they do.
Combine the chicken broth, mango nectar and pumpkin puree in a large pot. Give it a quick stir and bring to a simmer. TIP: Make sure to get plain pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling!
The scent of this soup is amazing! Especially when you add the ginger, orange and garlic. Once you’ve brought it to a simmer, cover and reduce heat and let it cook for about 10 minutes.
While the Thai pumpkin soup is simmering, you can prep the other soup ingredients and garnish. Such as chopping your green onions and grating the ginger.
Tip For Grating Fresh Ginger
Jaden with Steamy Kitchen actually shared this next little kitchen tip with me last weekend when it comes to ginger. She had an awesome recipe for wings that had a hint of ginger where she’d grate fresh ginger right on top.
And all this time I had been “chopping” my ginger. Sheesh! What was I thinking? This was one of those “aaaaaaah” moments where I realized I could save a ton of time AND pull out a lot more flavor. Using a knife or a vegetable peeler, remove the ginger bark and then grate the ginger into a paste. (I use this tip now when making ginger tea or ginger limeade.)
Next, using the same grater, grate the orange peel.
Now your kitchen should smell fresh and clean with orange and ginger zest molecules floating all around. Measure out the amout you’ll need for the Thai pumpkin soup and set aside. Then, carefully scoop out about a cup of the hot soup mixture into a bowl or measuring cup.
Next add in the chunky peanut butter and stir it in the warm soup until it is dissolved. Then add the soup mixed with peanut butter back into the soup pot.
Stir in the rice vinegar, green onions, grated ginger and orange, red pepper, flakes, and garlic. Just use a garlic smasher and squeeze it right into the pot. Stir everything together and let it simmer for about 3 to 5 minutes, just enough time for everything to heat up and blend together without overcooking the ginger and garlic. Finally, chop up some fresh cilantro for garnish and serve!
This soup was really fabulous. You can really taste all the flavors and they DID get along! First the mango, then the bite of ginger, then creamy peanut, and then a little heat from the red pepper.
Enjoy!
Elkhorn Inn’s Thai-Style Mango Pumpkin Soup
Thai Pumpkin Soup
Thai pumpkin soup is a delightful blend of creamy and spicy! It's a perfect choice for a cozy meal, especially on a chilly evening.
Ingredients
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 1/2 cups mango nectar
- 2 cups pumpkin puree
- 1/4 cup chunky peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons minced green onions
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
- 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon grated orange rind
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- Garnish: fresh chopped cilantro, sugared ginger slices, mango slices
Instructions
- Combine chicken broth, pumpkin puree and mango nectar in a large pot and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
- In a large cup or bowl, combine 1 cup of the hot pumpkin soup mixture with the peanut butter and stir until well blended, then return mixture to pot.
- Stir in vinegar and the rest of the ingredients and simmer for 3 minutes until the flavors have blended and it's heated through.
- Pour into soup bowls and sprinkle with chopped cilantro. Serve with a thin slice of mango and sugared ginger.
Originally published Sep 18, 2009. Updated 2023.
Glad you enjoyed the recipe- it has become a signature dish at the Elkhorn Inn. And your photos are great! (Also glad that (at least) Elisse thinks I’m a Hot Chef!) LOL
I’m a “Dan Fan” too. The “tell”? He worries that he’s not good at it.
Dan’s Pork Chops in Brandy-Mustard Sauce, incidentally, remain a favorite with my college-age children. Elise can tell you where it’s published.
i am allergic to peanuts so i can only taste a bit of peanut butter even if i love it so much.”.,
hey… this picture is sweet for my eyes lol
Wow it makes so hungry i must cook it next week. Cheers
Thanks, and for anyone that is having trouble chopping onions without the tears, here’s an incredibly simple tip – put them in the fridge first, then chop them straight away after taking them out! No more tears! I found some more onion soup recipes here if anyone wants to try some more variations.
We are Thrilled that you chose Chef Dan’s Elkhorn Inn recipe for one of your Top 5 Thanksgiving Recipes! Facebooking & Tweeting as I type! 🙂
Hi there – I live in New Zealand. I know that’s probably irrelevant, but it might help explain some of my non-American spellings of various words …
The Pumpkin Mango Soup recipe looks great and I’m going to try it! Mainly ‘cos I have a surplus of pumpkins AND mangoes (sp? – mangos?)
I generally DON’T peel pumpkin when I make soup (I love the nutty flavour of the skin!). Instead, I cook the pumpkin and when it’s cooked and soft, I use a hand-held blender to make a smooth and creamy mix.
So, my question is, can I use whole mangoes instead of mango nectar? How would you suggest I do that? I was planning on scooping out the pulp first and adding it to the soup. And then I thought could I also add the peel, if I first did what I do with the pumpkin, i.e. slice and stew it first and then blend? And if you think that would work, what ratio of pumpkin to mango would you suggest?
I’m looking forward to hearing back from you (the mangoes are ready to die, so don’t be too long … )
Regards
Bruce
PS. I DO love your opening line … “Even though breakfast is my favorite (no, it’s FAVOURITE!) food group.” (oops! sorry, I can’t help myself – I teach English as a second language, and I LURVE proof reading … ) and I love your sharpness/awareness and sense of humour in the way you write. Thank you. 😉
Bruce
Hi Bruce!
I so enjoyed reading your comment just now. It made me giggle … favourite vs favorite and traveler vs traveller depending on what country you’re from. I guess that’s why I’m a bit relaxed when it comes to spelling and grammar. Pot-tay-toe, Pot-tah-toe. 😉
To answer your question, yes, I think you could use whole mangoes. I would probably cut the fruit into cubes and then run it through a food processor so that the soup is still smooth and silky. I bet the fresh mango offers a much more intense flavor.
Let me know how it turns out!
Cheers,
Rachelle
Use fresh mango puree, run through the food processor with a bit of juice or water! That’s what mango nectar is supposed to be, although it has more sugar added. Make it to taste- we often add more ginger and garlic!
LOVED that you featured Chef Dab (my husband’s) Pumpkin Mango Soup again! THANK YOU! It is actually Korean-inspired, from his time living in Korea…
i have been craving for pumpkin soup and this recipe looks perfect for me. Thanks
Thanks for the Thai pumpkin soup recipe.