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This spicy pumpkin soup smells like fall, but tastes like it has traveled somewhere interesting – spicy, smoky, and rich, with a perfect balance between sweet and savory. Garam Masala is the secret twist here, with a warm blend that complements pumpkin perfectly. Savory and spicy Italian sausage balances the sweetness, adding a new dimension to the soup’s flavor profile. Finally, a touch of coconut milk makes this pumpkin soup a creamy delight. Spicy Pumpkin soup with Sausage and Garam Masala is a wonderful, easy fall and winter soup.
As a gardening family, we have our fair share of pumpkins and squashes come late fall, and pumpkin soup is always on the menu this time of year. I developed a twist on a typical pumpkin soup as an imagination of the flavors that I think fit naturally with pumpkin, and I am loving it. I hope you do too!
If you are looking for other warm fall or winter soups, you should check out our creamy Knoephla Soup Recipe, this Polish Sauerkraut Soup, or this warm White Chicken Chili. No matter what you make, make sure to treat yourself!
Table of Contents
🎃 Ingredients
Pumpkin is the star here, but there are quite a few ingredients that come together to make this as special as it is.
See recipe card for quantities.
Choosing a Pumpkin or Squash
In the images of this recipe, I used a Hokkaido pumpkin, also called Red Kuri Squash. A sugar pumpkin is what most people think of when talking about baking. There are actually quite a few squashes and pumpkins that could work for this recipe, with minor flavor and texture differences.
Butternut or buttercup squashes would also work great! You want to stay away from spaghetti squash or any stringy kind of pumpkin.
Since pumpkins come in all sizes and shapes, it is difficult to get an exact-sized pumpkin, and this recipe is very forgiving on how much pumpkin goes into the soup. Try to use a pumpkin that is the size recommended in the recipe card below. If you find the end product too thick, simply add more vegetable broth or water.
Garam Masala
One thing to understand about Garam Masala is that it is a blend of other spices. When you buy it, each company may offer different blends with varying flavors and spice levels. What you buy in the store isn’t going to be that different from what I keep, but there will be minor differences. That is ok! For the record, I use Watkins Garam Masala, and it is great.
Italian Sausage
Use what you have! Pictured in our ingredients list is Mild Italian Sausage, but I really prefer Hot Italian Sausage. This can impact the heat level of your soup.
🍲 Instructions
Start by roasting the pumpkin until it’s tender and caramelized. Oven roasting the pumpkin will both soften the flesh and deepen the flavor, making the soup richer. While the pumpkin roasts, brown the Italian sausage in a large pot, then remove it and cook the onions in the same pan. Stir in the Garam Masala, smoked paprika, and black pepper to toast the spices and release their aroma.
Next, deglaze the pot with a small amount of broth, then add the remaining broth and coconut milk. When the pumpkin is ready, cut it up and add it to the pot. Blend until smooth and creamy. Stir the sausage back in, let the soup simmer for a few minutes, and season to taste. Serve warm with a crack of black pepper or toasted pumpkin seeds on top.
🤷 Substitutions and variations
There are a few ways that this can be changed up to your taste or to accommodate what is in your pantry.
- Type of pumpkin or squash – Sugar pumpkin is most common, but I am using a Hokkaido pumpkin. Butternut or buttercup squash would work great.
- Make it vegetarian – Just omit the sausage to make a warm, wonderful vegetarian soup. As a person with a vegetarian in our household, this version gets plenty of play at our dinner table.
- Low-calorie – Substitute pork sausage for chicken or turkey sausage to really lower those calories, or just do the vegetarian version!
- Coconut Milk – Heavy Cream or milk would make a great substitute here.
- Spice it up with a pepper – Add a hot pepper along with the onion to heat this up to your liking.
📦 Storage
This soup keeps beautifully. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days. The flavors actually deepen a bit as it sits, so it might taste even better the next day.
To reheat, gently warm it on the stove over medium-low heat or in the microwave, adding a splash of broth or water if it becomes too thick. You can also freeze it for up to three months — just let it cool completely before transferring it to a freezer-safe container. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
🎓 History tidbit
Garam Masala has roots in ancient Persian and Indian medicinal traditions, where warming spices symbolized balance and health. As trade routes spread cinnamon, cloves, and pepper across Asia, cooks adapted the blend, creating countless versions that each tell a story of spice, culture, and flavor. Here is a great article that speaks more to the tradition and history of Garam Masala.
❓ FAQ
Yes. Let the soup cool completely, then store it in freezer-safe containers for up to three months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat gently on the stove, adding broth if needed.
Use Red Kuri (Hokkaido), Kabocha, Sugar Pumpkin, or Butternut Squash. These varieties are naturally sweet and creamy when roasted, unlike large carving pumpkins, which can be watery.
Garam Masala adds a warm, aromatic flavor to pumpkin soup — it’s earthy, slightly sweet, and full of depth from spices like cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves. It complements the pumpkin’s sweetness without adding chili heat.
📝 Tips and tricks
- The sausage and broth already add some salt, so season sparingly at the end.
- Use turkey or chicken sausage for a lower-calorie option.
- I have made this vegetarian often enough that this is a great recipe, still if you omit the sausage.
- I used a Red Kuri squash, sometimes called a Hokkaido pumpkin. It’s slightly nutty and creamy, but sugar pumpkin (pie pumpkin) works just as well in this recipe.
- Add additional vegetable broth or water to control the thickness of the broth.
- Calorie count is for 6 servings.
🛠 Products used in this recipe
😋 Did you make this recipe?
That is awesome, and thank you so much for giving this Spicy Pumpkin Soup with Sausage and Garam Masala recipe a try. If you could leave a rating in the comment area below, it would be greatly appreciated. This lets me know how I am doing and also helps others decide if they want to make this recipe. Most of all, thanks for visiting Ramshackle Pantry.
Spicy Pumpkin Soup with Sausage and Garam Masala
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 servings
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Indian
Description
This Spicy Pumpkin Soup with Sausage and Garam Masala is creamy, comforting, and full of warm, aromatic flavor. A perfect easy meal for cool fall nights.
Ingredients
- 1 pumpkin (3- to 4- pound Red Kuri squash, sugar pumpkin both work well), or about 4 to 5 1/2 cups of puréed pumpkin)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound Italian sausage (hot or mild)
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
- 2 tablespoons Garam Masala
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 4 cups vegetable broth (or chicken broth)
- 1 (13-1/2 Ounce) can coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400° Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup.
- Prep and roast the pumpkin: Cut the pumpkin in half from top to bottom using a sturdy knife. Scoop out the seeds and stringy pulp. Rub the cut sides and cavity with 1 tablespoon olive oil, then sprinkle lightly with salt.
- Bake Pumpkin: Place the halves cut-side down on the baking sheet and roast for 35–45 minutes, or until the flesh is soft and a fork slides in easily. The skin may wrinkle or darken slightly as it caramelizes.
- While the pumpkin roasts, start the soup base: Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the Italian sausage and cook, breaking it apart with a spatula, until browned and cooked through, about 6–8 minutes. Transfer the sausage to a bowl and set aside. Leave the fat in the pot.
- Cook the onions and spices: Add the chopped onion to the same pot and cook until softened, about 3–4 minutes. Stir in the Garam Masala, smoked paprika, and black pepper, and toast for 30 seconds to bring out their fragrance.
- Add broth and coconut milk: Pour in the vegetable broth. Just a tad at first to get all the brown bits and use your spatula to get up all the goodness at the bottom and then the rest. Then add the coconut milk and bring to a gentle simmer.
- When the pumpkin is done roasting: Remove it from the oven and let it cool for about 10 minutes. Flip the halves over and peel away the skin—it should slip off easily or be easy to scrape away with a spoon or paring knife.
- Cut pumpkin: Cut the pumpkin into smaller chunks that will make it easier to blend.
- Add the pumpkin to the soup: Add the pumpkin flesh into the pot with the broth mixture. Stir well to combine.
- Blend until smooth: Use an immersion blender directly in the pot to purée the soup until smooth and creamy. If there are some small chunks left behind, that is ok, too. It will taste good!
- Finish and serve: Stir the cooked sausage back into the soup. Let it heat through for 5 minutes, then taste and season with salt as needed.
- To serve: Ladle into bowls and top with cracked black pepper, a powdering of paprika, or toasted pumpkin seeds if you’re feeling fancy.
Notes
- The sausage and broth already add some salt, so season sparingly at the end.
- Use turkey or chicken sausage for a lower calorie option
- I have made this vegetarian often enough that this is a great recipe still if you omit the sausage.
- I used a Red Kuri squash, sometimes called a Hokkaido pumpkin. It’s slightly nutty and creamy, but sugar pumpkin (pie pumpkin) works just as well in this recipe.
- Add additional vegetable broth or water to control the thickness of the broth.
- Calorie count is for 6 servings
