Creamy and hearty while still being dairy-free and full of nutrients, this healthy pumpkin chicken soup is a must-make autumnal recipe. Southwest-inspired ingredients like green chiles and pinto beans, warm spices, shredded chicken thighs, and pumpkin puree swirled together with coconut milk deliver deep flavor. Serve this high-protein, high-fiber dish on its own or with cornbread for dinner, football games, or any fall gathering!
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Lizzie’s Notes
Pumpkin bread and muffins are a rite of passage in October, but I’m here to tell you that can of pumpkin puree can do a lot more! Since I knew pumpkin-based sauces were so creamy and delicious, I wanted to see if fall’s favorite squash would yield similar results with soups. Spoiler: it did!!!
Pumpkin chicken soup is about to become your new favorite recipe for soup season! It’s inspired by white chicken chili and packed with flavorful spices. You’ll only taste a faint hint of pumpkin in each bite, but rest assured all of the beta-carotene, potassium, and fiber it provides is still there. Plus, it makes the soup so pretty!
I’m already picturing myself eating a big bowl of this one on a chilly Sunday evening, after a day spent outside and some football on the TV. I hope you find a cozy way to enjoy it too!
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Onion: I used a yellow onion, but you can substitute white or red if needed.
- Garlic: Fresh cloves taste delicious in soups, but substitute a teaspoon of garlic powder if that’s what you have!
- Cumin, chili powder, oregano, cinnamon, and salt: These provide chili-like flavors to pumpkin chicken soup. If you want more heat, add a pinch of cayenne pepper or increase the amount of chili powder you use. If you’re unsure about adding cinnamon, I highly recommend you do! It balances the other spices and tastes great with pumpkin.
- Chicken thighs: Chicken thighs have a higher fat content and therefore contribute more flavor than breasts. They also tend to get less dry in recipes that suggest cooking them in the pot and are easier to pull apart/shred in my opinion. If you don’t want to use thighs, breasts work fine too. You can also use rotisserie chicken or packaged shredded chicken. If using one of those options, cut down the simmer time to about 10 to 15 minutes and stir it in at the end with the corn.
- Pinto beans: Sub white, kidney, or black beans. Add two cans if you want to omit the chicken and make the soup vegan/vegetarian.
- Green chiles: Used mild canned diced green chiles. Sub hot ones if you want more heat!
- Canned pumpkin puree: Do not use pumpkin pie filling…it’s the not the same as plain pumpkin puree. I always have good luck with Farmers Market and Libby’s brands. Alternatively, you can use roasted or steamed pumpkin that you then puree yourself. You would need about two cups of it. Keep in mind it will probably be thicker than canned varieties and therefore make the soup thicker.
- Coconut milk: Use the unsweetened, full-fat kind from a can. If you don’t have coconut milk, substitute whole milk or half and half. However, add it at the end instead of before the simmering process so that it doesn’t get overheated.
- Chicken broth: Substitute vegetable broth if that’s what you have.
- Frozen corn: Canned (drained and rinsed) and fresh work great as substitutes.
Instructions
The full recipe card for pumpkin chicken soup is at the bottom of the post. Here’s a preview of the steps with photos to guide you.
Cook onions and garlic for a few minutes. Add spices and cook for a few seconds until fragrant.
Sear chicken thighs on both sides for a few minutes.
Add green chiles, pumpkin puree, beans, coconut milk, and broth (if using). Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and maintain a gentle simmer. Cover and cook for 15 to 20 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
Remove the chicken and shred it with two forks. Add it back into the soup with the frozen corn. Cook for a couple minutes then remove from heat.
Storage and Reheating
Keep pumpkin chicken soup leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 5 days. Reheat in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring often, until warmed through. You can also try to reheat it in the microwave in 30-second intervals on high, stirring in between them, until warm.
Since this recipe is dairy-free, it freezes very well. Let it cool completely before transferring to freezer-safe containers. Leave about an inch of headspace, seal tightly, label, and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating, or reheat from frozen in a saucepan covered with a lid over medium heat. Stir frequently to prevent scorching.
Serving
Since this pumpkin soup with chicken is chili-inspired, it tastes great with garnishes used on other chilis. If you want it to have a texture more like a chili than a soup, decrease the amount of broth and coconut milk you add.
Consider serving it with chopped cilantro, tortilla strips, sour cream (or coconut yogurt if you want it to be dairy-free), scallions, or a squeeze of lime juice. It stands alone as a complete meal but also tastes great with cornbread (like my Sweet Potato Cornbread), crunchy bread with butter, biscuits, or even my Pumpkin Banana Muffins.
Similar Recipes
Love this healthy, gluten-free pumpkin chicken soup? Check out these other recipes while you’re here:
📖 Recipe
Healthy Pumpkin Chicken Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion - diced, about 1.5 cups
- 4 cloves garlic - minced
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoon salt - more to taste
- 1.5 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 4 ounces canned mild diced green chiles
- 15 ounces pumpkin puree - canned or homemade, NOT pumpkin pie filling
- 15 ounces pinto beans - drained and rinsed
- 13.5 ounces unsweetened coconut milk - canned, full-fat
- ½ to 1.5 cup chicken broth - see instructions
- 1 cup frozen corn
- Toppings of choice - cilantro, lime juice, coconut yogurt, tortilla strips
Instructions
- Warm the olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until softened.
- Stir in the garlic, cumin, oregano, chili powder, cinnamon, and salt. Cook for 30 to 60 seconds until fragrant.
- Place the chicken thighs in the pot and sear for 2 minutes on each side until lightly browned but not cooked through.
- Add the green chiles, pumpkin puree, pinto beans, coconut milk, and chicken broth. If you want a thicker soup that's more like chili, use ½ cup of broth and add more as desired. You can also use a little less coconut milk.
- Increase heat to bring to a boil then reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cover and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through and registers an internal temperature of at least 165℉/74℃.
- Add the corn to the pot. Then, remove the chicken from the pot. Shred it with two forks. Return to the pot and cook for a few minutes until the corn is warmed through.
- Remove from heat, ladle into bowls, add toppings of choice, and enjoy!
- Leave a rating or review by tapping the stars on this recipe card (above) or in the comments section (at the end of the post)!
Notes
- You can use pre-made shredded chicken or rotisserie chicken instead of cooking the thighs in the pot. Add it at the end along with the frozen corn, and cut down the simmering time of the other ingredients to about 10 minutes.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 5 days. Reheat in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring often, or in the microwave in 30-second intervals on high until warmed through.
- To freeze, let the soup cool completely then transfer to freezer-safe containers. Leave about an inch of headspace. Seal tightly, label, and store for up to 3 months in the freezer. Thaw the soup overnight in the fridge before reheating. Or, to reheat straight from frozen, place in a saucepan with a lid. Warm over medium heat, stirring frequently to prevent scorching.
- This soup is especially delicious with cornbread or biscuits! You can also serve it over rice if you make it to have more of a chili-like texture.
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