This Jamaican Pumpkin Soup makes me think of the Caribbean. When we visited Jamaica, we got to eat a delicious and authentic pumpkin soup. And the memory of it is prompted whenever it's pumpkin season here. That soup was velvety smooth, with the flavours of coconut, ginger, and nutmeg. There was a hint of both orange and lime and it was just the right bite of spice. It was like tasting the tropics in a bowl.
Pumpkins In The Caribbean
In the Caribbean, pumpkins are often called calabaza, or just winter squash. Calabaza, or tropical pumpkins, are a little different from our North American pumpkins, being green-skinned instead of orange. The flesh of the calabaza is perfectly orange, though, and the taste is very similar to both pumpkin and butternut squash. Did you know that pumpkins and squash, melons, and cucumbers all originate from one single ancestral seed? Check out this fascinating read for more: The Evolutionary Event That Gave You Pumpkins and Squash
Choose Your Peppers, Hot, or Not
Since I'm always a fan of using what's available locally, I'm using the small pumpkin that I bought at the farmer's market which has been cheerfully decorating my kitchen island this week. Usually, this soup is traditionally not pureed, instead, it has chunks of vegetables in a broth. Often, a Jamaican pumpkin soup will have a Scotch Bonnet or Habanero pepper, which are extremely hot. I didn't want to overpower the pumpkin spice flavour of this soup, so I left out the chilli pepper and used a hot sauce for garnish.
Jamaican Pumpkin Soup, Canadian Style
So obviously I'm taking a lot of liberties with the authenticity of this Jamaican Pumpkin Soup. It may not be authentic but it is so delicious and makes great use of fresh pumpkin, one of the stars of the season. You may even hear the sounds of steel drums and feel the sea breezes when you taste this soup.
And if soup is your thing, here are a couple more ideas for you: Try another pumpkin soup recipe, Southwestern Pumpkin Soup or check out Red Lentil Soup Vegetable Miso Soup; Chicken Vegetable Noodle Soup, or Salmon Chowder.
Jamaican Pumpkin Soup- A Delicious Caribbean Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon peanut oil
- 1 onion diced
- 2 carrots peeled and sliced
- 2 celery stalks chopped
- 2 cloves garlic chopped
- 6 cups vegetable stock
- 2 bay leaves
- 6 cups peeled and cubed pumpkin flesh
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 14 oz can light or regular coconut milk
- ½ cup orange juice
- Juice of one lime
- salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- Sriracha or other hot sauce for garnish.
Instructions
- In a large pot, heat oil over medium high heat. Add onion, carrot, celery, and garlic, and turn heat to medium low, cooking until onions are translucent and vegetables are slightly tender.
- Add stock, bay leaves and pumpkin flesh. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cover, simmering until pumpkin is tender, about 20 minutes.
- Add allspice, nutmeg, ginger, coconut milk, orange and lime juice. Use an immersion blender right in the pot to puree until velvety smooth. Alternately, you can transfer in small batches to a blender or food processor, being careful not to process too much at once (or you will get splashed with hot soup).
- Reheat to boiling point, then remove from heat and season with salt & pepper to taste. Serve in bowls with a drizzle of hot sauce on top.
Notes
Nutrition
Jeana
I was looking for a soup like this after sampling some on a Caribbean cruise. This is an excellent soup and brought back memories of my vacation! Perfect for a cold winter day up north. Not a fan of sriracha, so I sprinkled chopped scallions on top before serving. A new soup added to my rotation! Thank you, Colleen!
Colleen
Hi Jeana! You are very welcome! This recipe is one of my favorites and I'm so happy to hear that you love it too. Thank you for your feedback, it's very appreciated. 😊
wendy cooper
I added grace pumpkin soup mix instead of stock! mmmm!
Colleen
Hi Wendy, Thanks for sharing. I haven't heard of that product before, but it would sure give the soup an extra pumpkin flavor boost! So happy it worked for you.
Erica
Delicious! I made this with mostly fresh ingredients, so prep time was quite a bit longer. Two pie pumpkins from the garden, fresh ginger, fresh squeezed OJ, and garlic from a friend’s garden. It was awesome. My husband used it as a sauce or gravy over chicken and mashed potatoes! Today serving it with black beans and wild rice. I make a lot of soups, and now I have a new one to add to the roster. Thanks!
Colleen
Hi Erica. This soup is a favorite for us, so I'm thrilled that you love it too! Using fresh ingredients always takes a dish up a few notches, and you're lucky to have pumpkins in your garden. Thanks so much for your feedback!
Danielle Wolter
Love, love, love this idea so much! What great flavors for a pumpkin soup. SO unique!
Colleen
Thanks Danielle! I also love how simple it is to make this soup, too.
Sandhya Hariharan
Pumpkin is in the air .. It is a beautiful Pumpkin Soup with a twist of Orange Soup and spices. Looks really delicious.
Colleen
Yes, pumpkins everywhere at this time of year. And this soup is really delicious. Thanks for stopping by, Sandhya!
kim
Pumpkin soup sounds so delicious!! And this one looks fabulous, will be trying soon!
Colleen
It really is delicious, Kim. I know you'll love it!
Jacqueline Debono
Love the sound of this soup. I make a sweet potato soup with coconut milk. The combo is yummy. Def want to try this one with ginger, nutmeg and allspice too. I'm sure it's delicious!
Colleen
Hi Jacqueline, those spices are really amazing in this soup!
Brian Jones
That sounds awesome, I love a bit of spice with pumpkin the sweet earthy tones really do take to a good chick of chili so very well, looking forward to trying this!
Colleen
Hi Brian, if you like a bit of spice with pumpkin, you will love this soup!
Katina
Loving the concept of pairing coconut and orange with pumpkin. It feels very tropical! I just bought a can of coconut milk and have an extra pumpkin sitting around so might have to give this a try.
Chris Cooksey
Nice job on a great looking soup! I have no doubt this will be a healthy, and spicy favourite this fall in our home. Your choice of ingredients I'm sure will be full of flavour. It's always a treat to read a positive review of our new Chipotle Chinook Gourmet Sauce too!! Thank you for this. We notice the way you drizzled it on your soup is exactly how we have been using this sauce for many years. Like you mentioned we use it on many other food groups. We will try the soup between now and Halloween and share our experience. Glad to be part of your foodie group here!
admin
Thanks Chris. Your sauce is awesmome!