Photo by Elena Leya on Unsplash. Illustrative stock photo; not this recipe's finished dish.

October’s pumpkins can do more than decorate the porch. For Cherry Buzz readers planning a meal before a Halloween outing, this curried pumpkin soup offers a savory way to bring the season to the table.

The recipe comes from Oregon State University’s Food Hero program and is also published by MedlinePlus. This feature keeps the base ingredient quantities and cooking method, with the optional honey omitted. The directions below are rewritten for the newsletter; Cherry Buzz has not independently kitchen-tested the recipe.

Curried Pumpkin Soup

Food Hero lists 10 minutes of preparation and 30 minutes of cooking, making about 6 cups. That works out to six 1-cup portions, or four 1½-cup portions; choose the serving size that suits your meal.

Use a saucepan with a capacity of at least 4 quarts. Set out a spoon or whisk, measuring cups and spoons, and a cutting board before starting.

Ingredients

½ pound fresh mushrooms, sliced; ½ cup chopped onion; 1½ tablespoons vegetable oil; 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour; 1 teaspoon curry powder; 3 cups low-sodium vegetable broth; one 15-ounce can solid-pack pumpkin; one 12-ounce can nonfat evaporated milk; ½ teaspoon salt; ¼ teaspoon black pepper; and ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg. Fresh or frozen chives are optional for finishing.

Make the soup

1. Wash your hands, then rinse the vegetables under running water before preparing them. Slice the mushrooms and chop the onion.

2. Add the oil to the saucepan and cook the mushrooms and onion until tender. Stir in the flour and curry powder, mixing them through the vegetables.

3. Pour in the broth gradually while stirring. Bring the mixture to a boil, then continue cooking and stirring for about 2 minutes, until it thickens.

4. Stir in the pumpkin, evaporated milk, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Heat the soup through, stirring to combine the pumpkin with the broth.

5. Ladle into bowls and add chives if you would like them. Serve with bread, toast or a side salad as an optional meal pairing.

A few useful kitchen choices

Check the pumpkin label when shopping: the recipe calls for plain solid-pack pumpkin. Follow the listed ingredient rather than substituting a prepared pie filling.

Food Hero offers a seasonal alternative to canned pumpkin: about 1¾ cups of mashed, cooked pumpkin or winter squash. It also allows regular milk in place of evaporated milk. Preparing fresh squash adds work beyond the canned-pumpkin version, so plan that separately.

The mushrooms remain part of the finished soup; this method does not include blending. If you picture a completely smooth bowl, keep that distinction in mind. The photographs accompanying this feature are illustrative stock images, not pictures of a batch made from these directions.

For a relaxed supper, put out the bowls and your chosen side before finishing the soup. You can also portion a serving for a later meal rather than leaving the full saucepan on the counter while heading to an event.

Store leftovers promptly

Food Hero advises refrigerating leftovers within 2 hours. USDA guidance recommends shallow containers for cooling, refrigerated storage for 3–4 days, and reheating leftovers to 165°F. It also advises bringing reheated soups to a rolling boil.

Label the container with the date you made the soup and check the USDA guidance linked below if you plan to freeze it. With the recipe and storage steps in hand, this is a seasonal dinner idea you can fit around your own October plans.

Recipe and storage sources

Oregon State University Food Hero recipe

MedlinePlus recipe

USDA leftover guidance