Rainy fall days call for a fire, a warm bowl of soup, and preferably a covered spot for the grill. This smoked pumpkin soup with curry and crispy chorizo came to me after dinner at Maison Maurice in Deerlijk, Belgium. I noticed a subtle smoky note in the chorizo crumble and immediately wondered: what if I gave the pumpkin a touch of smoke, too? The result is creamy, gently spiced, and just right for a chilly day. Let me show you how I make it on the grill.
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Smoked pumpkin soup on the grill: the short answer
Here’s how I make this pumpkin soup: Roast pumpkin with a little sunflower oil, salt, and thyme over indirect heat at about 400°F / 200°C until tender and lightly browned. A modest amount of applewood smoke adds flavor, but it is optional.
Cook chorizo until crisp in a Dutch oven, then sauté onion and garlic in the rendered fat. Add the pumpkin, curry paste, and chicken stock and let the flavors come together. Blend with coconut milk and finish with crispy chorizo and chives. You’ll find the exact ingredient amounts in the recipe card below.
Why pumpkin, curry, and chorizo work so well together
To be honest, I didn’t come up with this combination entirely on my own. My wife treated her grandmother to dinner at Maison Maurice in Deerlijk. One of the served appetizers was a pumpkin soup with curry and chorizo. The subtle smoky note came mostly from the crispy chorizo on top. I liked it so much that I wanted to make my own version at home, this time giving the pumpkin a little smoke from the grill as well.
We also had a less traditional bite: an umami toast topped with smoked anchovy that nearly knocked my socks off. I’ll save that story for another time. Here, the focus is on the smoked pumpkin soup. Pumpkin’s natural sweetness balances the aromatic curry paste and chorizo. I use a mild chorizo and let the grill provide most of the smoky flavor. I don’t skip the sausage: once crisp, it adds a welcome contrast to the creamy soup. The fragrant fat left in the Dutch oven also gives the onion and garlic a head start, carrying that flavor through the whole dish.
For another way to use grilled squash, try my grilled butternut squash. If you make your own sausage, you might also like my guide to homemade chorizo.
How to roast and smoke pumpkin on the grill
Roasting gives pumpkin more depth than adding it straight to the stockpot. Brush the pieces with a little sunflower oil, season with salt, and tuck a few thyme sprigs between them. Cook over indirect heat at around 400°F / 200°C. After about 30 to 45 minutes, the pumpkin should be tender and lightly browned in spots. The size of the pieces affects the timing, so check them with a fork. For a refresher on the setup, see my guide to direct and indirect grilling.
For extra smoke, I sometimes add a few applewood chunks among the coals. With a gas or pellet grill, a smoker tube filled with applewood pellets can add a gentle smoke note. Keep the smoke light and wait until it turns thin and pale blue before adding the pumpkin; heavy, harsh smoke can make it taste acrid. Close the lid while the pumpkin roasts so it has time to take on that aroma. The soup will still be flavorful without extra smoking wood, the grill-roasted pumpkin brings plenty of character on its own.
Want to make your own chorizo for the topping? Take a look at my homemade chorizo recipe.
Finishing the smoked pumpkin soup in a Dutch oven
Once the pumpkin is roasted, transfer it to a Dutch oven. First, cook the chorizo until crisp, then lift it out and save it for the garnish. Sauté the onion and garlic in the rendered fat, then stir in the curry paste briefly. Add the roasted pumpkin and chicken stock and let everything simmer gently until the flavors come together. Stir in the coconut milk, then blend until smooth with an immersion blender. Taste before adding more salt or pepper: both the chorizo and stock may already be salty.
A Dutch oven holds heat well and works beautifully on the grill, but a sturdy pot on a side burner, or on the kitchen stove, will also do the job for these final steps. Browse my Dutch oven recipes for more ways to cook with one. Not sure how spicy your curry paste is? Start with the amount in the recipe card, blend the soup, then taste and adjust. Curry pastes vary quite a bit in heat.
Smoked pumpkin soup for the win?
The flavor came surprisingly close to the soup I had tried at Maison Maurice. I used a little less curry so the kids would enjoy a generous bowl, too. My soup turned out fairly thick; if you prefer a lighter consistency, add a little extra stock or water after blending. Add the chives and crispy chorizo just before serving so the topping stays crunchy.
We all agreed (which doesn’t happen that often): this soup deserves another round. Have extra pumpkin left after making it? Try my grilled butternut squash. And tell me how you like this soup: a little more smoke, less curry, or a completely different topping?
If you try the recipe, please leave a comment and an honest star rating. I’d love to hear how the smoke, curry, and chorizo worked together for you.
Recipe: smoked pumpkin soup with curry and chorizo
Smoked Pumpkin Soup with Curry and Chorizo
Ingredients
For the soup
- 1 medium pumpkin peeled, seeded, and cut into wedges or chunks; size affects the final yield and thickness
- sunflower oil as needed to lightly coat the pumpkin
- fresh thyme a few sprigs, for roasting with the pumpkin
- 1 yellow onion finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic finely chopped; alternatively, roast the cloves with the pumpkin
- 150 g mild chorizo cut into small pieces; reserve the crisp pieces for the topping
- 1 tbsp curry paste start with less if your curry paste is hot; adjust to taste
- 1 liter chicken stock keep a little extra on hand to thin the soup if needed
- 200 ml coconut milk
- fine salt and black pepper to taste; chorizo and stock may already be salty
- fresh chives finely chopped, for garnish
Optional, for extra smoke
- applewood chunks or applewood pellets a small amount for your grill or smoker tube; optional
Instructions
Roast the pumpkin
- Set up the grill for indirect cooking at about 400°F / 200°C. For extra smoke, add a small amount of applewood chunks to the coals or use applewood pellets in a compatible smoker tube. Wait until the smoke is thin and pale blue before adding the pumpkin.
- Peel and seed the pumpkin, then cut it into wedges or chunks. Lightly coat with sunflower oil, season with salt, and tuck a few thyme sprigs between the pieces. Roast over indirect heat for about 30–45 minutes, until tender and lightly browned in spots. Check with a fork; smaller pieces may finish sooner.
- If you prefer roasted garlic, leave the 2 cloves in their skins and roast them with the pumpkin until soft. Squeeze the garlic from the skins and add it with the pumpkin later. Otherwise, finely chop the garlic and sauté it with the onion.
Finish the soup
- Heat a Dutch oven on the grill. Cut the chorizo into small pieces and cook until crisp. Transfer it to a paper towel-lined plate, keeping the rendered fat in the Dutch oven to cook the vegetables.
- Sauté the onion in the chorizo fat. Add the chopped garlic if you did not roast it. Stir in the roasted pumpkin and cook for a few minutes. Add the curry paste and stir briefly to coat the vegetables. If using roasted garlic, add it now.
- Pour in the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer gently for about 20–30 minutes so the flavors come together. The pumpkin is already roasted and tender; simmer longer if you prefer, allowing extra time in your schedule.
- Stir in the coconut milk, then carefully blend the soup until smooth with an immersion blender. Taste before adding salt and pepper. If the soup is too thick, thin it with a little extra chicken stock or water.
- Ladle into bowls and garnish with chopped chives and the reserved crispy chorizo just before serving, so the topping stays crunchy.
Notes
Frequently asked questions about smoked pumpkin soup
Do I need smoking wood to make pumpkin soup on the grill?
How can I make the soup thinner or milder?
Can I make the soup ahead of time?
