Curried Pumpkin Soup (St. Louis Jr. League) by Barbara

UPDATED 2026

Love this pumpkin soup, especially around this time of year. No one usually guesses that mushrooms are in it. It is a very simple, yet deeply flavorful soup. A crowd-pleaser.

I first made this soup for a mystery dinner party back in 1995 and usually make it every fall.  

---Barbara

It's from a Jr. League cookbook given to me by my mother-in-law called Gateways, to Benefit St. Louis Children's Hospital.  I use 2% evaporated milk instead of the heavy cream, but you could do that if you prefer a more decadent soup.  And I don't bother with the pumpkin seeds as garnish.  

Curried Pumpkin Soup
Serves 8
1 pound sliced mushrooms
1 large onion, chopped roughly
1/2 cup butter (you could get by with 1/4 cup)
3 T. flour
1 T. curry powder (McCormick's Madras Curry is good )
4 cups chicken broth or stock (about 2 cans)
1 16-ounce can pumpkin
1 T. honey
1/8 t. ground nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste
1 can 2% evaporated milk or 1 cup light cream

Saute mushrooms and onion in butter until softened. Season lightly with salt and pepper.

Add flour and curry powder,

stirring constantly for 5 minutes. Remove from heat;

add stock in a stream, whisking the bits on the bottom of the pan into the soup.

Stir in the pumpkin, honey, nutmeg and a little more salt and pepper to taste. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes.

Puree with a hand blender, or in a blender,

and stir in milk or cream. Reheat until hot. And enjoy.