I have done nothing but EAT AND DRINK for the last month. And the last week has been particularly out of control (YAY Holidays!) and I know I still have New Years Eve to go, but I also am going to Cabo in 10 days and I kind of need to start turning it around pre- January 1st! That’s why I am bringing back one of my very favorite healthy soup recipes!

This Curried Pumpkin, Chicken and Rice Soup is just the answer! It warms our cold bones (since it snowed over Christmas weekend here!) fills me up and is really delicious- plus Healthy!!

Curried Pumpkin, Chicken and Rice Soup

Years ago when I made this Roasted Pumpkin Soup it was my go to meal for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I was totally obsessed. But when I went to make a second batch, the more adventurous part of me took hold.

Curried Pumpkin, Chicken and Rice Soup

The pumpkin was in the oven, roasting away when I opened the fridge for something and found a full carton of steamed white rice from some takeout we had had the day before. I was also staring at a rotisserie chicken that was looking really lonely and neglected. Once I realized that those were both going to be dumped into the soup, I realized that Curry was the natural flavor to pull it all together.

Curried Pumpkin, Chicken and Rice Soup

For the curry flavor, I didn’t go full bore with coconut milk and ginger- I just went for the quick fix, yellow curry powder. Turns out a generous amount supplied all of the delicious curry flavor that I needed, and this “left over” soup was so freaking good that my sister (who is very discerning!) took all of the soup home for her family dinner. The clincher was that my kids and my niece and nephews all loved it- So doesn’t that also make it kid friendly?

Plus- IT’S SO EASY!!!

If you can’t deal with fresh pumpkin, you could always sub in roasted butternut squash (very easy to find already peeled and chopped at Trader Joes and Costco) or even sub canned pumpkin. The goal is to make it easy- so please do that!

Curried Pumpkin, Chicken and Rice Soup

Whatever the case- this soup is awesome, (and I have others to back that up!) and makes for a really healthy and filling dinner perfect for blustery winter nights. Hope you love it!

 

Recipe: Curried Pumpkin, Chicken and Rice Soup

Ingredients

  • 3.5-4 pound sugar pumpkin
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 yellow onion, rough chopped
  • ½ cup dry sherry
  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • 2 cups water
  • 3 tablespoons yellow curry powder
  • 2 cups cooked white or jasmine rice
  • 2 cups cooked chicken breast
  • Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
  • The seeds from the center of one pumpkin
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • Note: Garnish with coconut cream and fresh chives

Instructions

  1. 1. Preheat an oven to 400 degrees.
  2. 2. Using a large, sharp knife, split the pumpkin in half. Clean the seeds from the center and cut off the stem. Reserve the seeds in a colander. Rub the pumpkin halves in 2 Tablespoons of the olive oil and place them cut side down on a baking sheet.
  3. 3. Roast the pumpkin 45 minutes or until the skin is golden. Remove from the oven and set aside until the pumpkin is cool enough to handle. (leave the oven on )
  4. 4. Meanwhile, in a large soup pot, add 2 tablespoons of oil and add the onion. Sprinkle it with salt and cook until the onions are soft and translucent over medium heat, about 5-7 minutes- it is ok if the onions brown a little bit.
  5. 5. Add the dry sherry and scrape up all of the browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
  6. 6. When the pumpkin is cool enough to touch, peel the skin away from the cooked pumpkin and discard. Scoop or cut the pumpkin from the pan and add it to the soup pot with the onion and the sherry.
  7. 7. Add the chicken broth and the water and place a lid on the soup pot. Let it simmer on low heat for about 30 minutes.
  8. 8. Meanwhile, chop up the chicken breast into bite sized chunks.
  9. 9. Rinse the pumpkin seeds well and then place them on a clean sheet pan with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Sprinkle with kosher salt and roast 20 minutes until the pumpkin seeds are golden.
  10. 10. Puree the soup on high (in batches) in the blender until it is very smooth. Add back to the pot and add the curry powder, rice and the chicken. Heat gently before serving.
  11. 11. If desired, garnish with a little sour cream and some fresh chives and the toasted pumpkin seeds.

Preparation time: 10 minute(s)

Cooking time: 1 hour(s)

Number of servings (yield): 8

Print Recipe  

I have done nothing but EAT AND DRINK for the last month. And the last week has been particularly out of control (YAY Holidays!) and I know I still have New Years Eve to go, but I also am going to Cabo in 10 days and I kind of need to start turning it around pre- January 1st! That’s why I am bringing back one of my very favorite healthy soup recipes!

This Curried Pumpkin, Chicken and Rice Soup is just the answer! It warms our cold bones (since it snowed over Christmas weekend here!) fills me up and is really delicious- plus Healthy!!

Curried Pumpkin, Chicken and Rice Soup

Years ago when I made this Roasted Pumpkin Soup it was my go to meal for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I was totally obsessed. But when I went to make a second batch, the more adventurous part of me took hold.

Curried Pumpkin, Chicken and Rice Soup

The pumpkin was in the oven, roasting away when I opened the fridge for something and found a full carton of steamed white rice from some takeout we had had the day before. I was also staring at a rotisserie chicken that was looking really lonely and neglected. Once I realized that those were both going to be dumped into the soup, I realized that Curry was the natural flavor to pull it all together.

Curried Pumpkin, Chicken and Rice Soup

For the curry flavor, I didn’t go full bore with coconut milk and ginger- I just went for the quick fix, yellow curry powder. Turns out a generous amount supplied all of the delicious curry flavor that I needed, and this “left over” soup was so freaking good that my sister (who is very discerning!) took all of the soup home for her family dinner. The clincher was that my kids and my niece and nephews all loved it- So doesn’t that also make it kid friendly?

Plus- IT’S SO EASY!!!

If you can’t deal with fresh pumpkin, you could always sub in roasted butternut squash (very easy to find already peeled and chopped at Trader Joes and Costco) or even sub canned pumpkin. The goal is to make it easy- so please do that!

Curried Pumpkin, Chicken and Rice Soup

Whatever the case- this soup is awesome, (and I have others to back that up!) and makes for a really healthy and filling dinner perfect for blustery winter nights. Hope you love it!

 

Recipe: Curried Pumpkin, Chicken and Rice Soup

Ingredients

  • 3.5-4 pound sugar pumpkin
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 yellow onion, rough chopped
  • ½ cup dry sherry
  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • 2 cups water
  • 3 tablespoons yellow curry powder
  • 2 cups cooked white or jasmine rice
  • 2 cups cooked chicken breast
  • Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
  • The seeds from the center of one pumpkin
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • Note: Garnish with coconut cream and fresh chives

Instructions

  1. 1. Preheat an oven to 400 degrees.
  2. 2. Using a large, sharp knife, split the pumpkin in half. Clean the seeds from the center and cut off the stem. Reserve the seeds in a colander. Rub the pumpkin halves in 2 Tablespoons of the olive oil and place them cut side down on a baking sheet.
  3. 3. Roast the pumpkin 45 minutes or until the skin is golden. Remove from the oven and set aside until the pumpkin is cool enough to handle. (leave the oven on )
  4. 4. Meanwhile, in a large soup pot, add 2 tablespoons of oil and add the onion. Sprinkle it with salt and cook until the onions are soft and translucent over medium heat, about 5-7 minutes- it is ok if the onions brown a little bit.
  5. 5. Add the dry sherry and scrape up all of the browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
  6. 6. When the pumpkin is cool enough to touch, peel the skin away from the cooked pumpkin and discard. Scoop or cut the pumpkin from the pan and add it to the soup pot with the onion and the sherry.
  7. 7. Add the chicken broth and the water and place a lid on the soup pot. Let it simmer on low heat for about 30 minutes.
  8. 8. Meanwhile, chop up the chicken breast into bite sized chunks.
  9. 9. Rinse the pumpkin seeds well and then place them on a clean sheet pan with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Sprinkle with kosher salt and roast 20 minutes until the pumpkin seeds are golden.
  10. 10. Puree the soup on high (in batches) in the blender until it is very smooth. Add back to the pot and add the curry powder, rice and the chicken. Heat gently before serving.
  11. 11. If desired, garnish with a little sour cream and some fresh chives and the toasted pumpkin seeds.

Preparation time: 10 minute(s)

Cooking time: 1 hour(s)

Number of servings (yield): 8