Spicy Spanish Pumpkin Soup

with Paprika Oil & Chorizo

A bowl of pumpkin soup sits on a rustic chopping board and is topped with chorizo and some fresh bread
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Bored of the same old pumpkin soup recipe?

We’ve taken the old faithful pumpkin soup recipe and given it a Spanish twist. This spicy Spanish pumpkin soup (or butternut squash) topped with chorizo and paprika oil recipe will light your world on fire!

Serving:

4 people

Ready in:

1 hour

Skill level:

Easy

Serve with:

Bread or croutons

About This Recipe

Spicy Pumpkin Soup with Chorizo is far more than a Spanish spin on the classic pumpkin soup recipe of yesteryear. Roasting the pumpkin or butternut squash with chili, cumin, and sweet paprika caramelizes the roast veggies and brings warmth and sweetness. The lightly toasted paprika oil and chorizo add a delicious smoky element that’s oh so delicious when the weather cries foul outdoors.

This recipe makes a delicious, healthy, and warming soup that’s ideal as a starter, or can be easily made to accommodate 4 as a main meal with a few generous hunks of fresh bread.

A huge pile of various pumpkins

While the chorizo adds a certain smokiness to this dish, it can easily be omitted, and just use the toasted paprika oil instead, making a hearty vegetarian meal. Serve this soup with some fresh bread or homemade croutons as it more than deserves a healthy mop-up.

Ingredients for Spicy Spanish pumpkin soup with paprika oil & chorizo

First and foremost, choose your pumpkins or squash wisely! The major component of this dish is (unsurprisingly) pumpkin, so picking the most flavorsome variety is important! 

Spoiler: Those looking to revitalize and repurpose the Halloween pumpkin into a meal may feel disappointed. Halloween pumpkins are grown for the color and typically are not considered flavorsome.

Let’s talk pumpkins for the best pumpkin soup

You can use any type of your favorite eating pumpkin or butternut squash works well too because it’s sweet. Sadly, those giant orange pumpkins that pop up once a year around Halloween are typically grown for color and not flavor. Avoid overly large (mature) pumpkins or soft fleshed pumpkins are they will lack the flavor that this dish deserves.

a butternut pumpkin sits on a crumpled cotton cloth

Roast thy pumpkin

The other tip that I cannot stress enough is you have to roast your pumpkin to bring out the best flavor. Roasting a pumpkin with a  little olive oil and some seasoning goes a long way.  Roasted pumpkin flesh releases sugars and caramelizes and enriches the pumpkin flavor by at least a million (optimistic guess: not scientifically proven!)… But you get the idea!

toasted sweet paprika in a frying pan

Spice is nice

Adding some chili to your pumpkin soup does wonder to add a little (or a lot) of warmth to this dish. A teaspoon of dried chili flakes works a treat, although be mindful of what chili flakes you’re using as not all chili is created equal on the heat spectrum. I’d avoid using overly high spiced chili as it will detract from the subtle flavors that work their magic with cumin, carrot, and pumpkin. 

If you’re looking to add some extra sweetness, then a little nutmeg or cinnamon powder also goes a long way when added to this recipe!

A bowl of pumpkin soup sits on a rustic chopping board and is topped with chorizo and some fresh bread

How to Make Spicy Pumpkin Soup with Chorizo

Equipment

  • 1 large oven baking tray approx. 40 cm x 60cm/14 x 23 inches
  • Aluminum foil
  • A 30cm/12-inch deep-sided pot (6-6 inches deep is ideal)
  • A small 15cm/6-inch frying pan for the chorizo oil 
  • Oven grill for croutons (optional)

Ingredients

Method (step-by-step)

  • 60g/2 oz. chorizo (sliced) 
  • 1 kg/2.2 lb of pumpkin (peeled, deseeded, and sliced into inch cubes)
  • 1 large onion (diced)
  • 6 carrots (½ inch slices)
  • 30ml/ 1 fl. oz. extra virgin olive oil 
  • 700ml/23 fl. Oz. of vegetable stock
  • 270ml/9 fl. Oz.  of Double cream
  • 1 tablespoon of cumin
  • 1 teaspoon of dried chili flakes
  • 1.5 teaspoons of sweet paprika
  • Salt and cracked black pepper for seasoning
  • Bread (for croutons)

    Method (step-by-step)

    • STEP 1 – Prepare the Pumpkin

      Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F

      In a large baking pan lined with aluminum foil, add the cubes of pumpkin and a splash of olive oil. Mix the pumpkin so there’s an even coating of oil and cook in the oven for 45 minutes.

    • STEP 2 – Add spices and other vegetables

      At the 45 minute mark, remove the pan and add the carrots. Sprinkle the cumin, half of the sweet paprika, chili flakes, and a little more olive oil. Mix well and season lightly with salt and pepper. Return to the oven for 30 minutes.

    • Step 3 – Fry onion and prepare soup stock and base
      Once the roast vegetables are ready, use a large deep-sided pot to fry the onion with a little oil. Once the onion is golden, add the vegetable stock, the roast vegetables, and the double cream. Stir all ingredients well and bring to a boil. Allow to simmer for around 5-8 minutes to soften all of the vegetables.
    • Step 4 – Blend soup
      Remove from the heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a blender. On a low setting blend until a rich creamy consistency. This should take around 2-3 minutes.
    • Step 5 – Prepare Chorizo oil and croutons
      Finally, in a small clean frying pan, heat on medium, add half a teaspoon of sweet paprika and lightly toast the paprika. Add the remaining oil and mix well. Once the mix is hot add the slices of chorizo and cook for a minute or two. Allow just enough time for the chorizo to release some of the fat and oil. For the croutons, cut up some fresh bread into 1-inch long wedges. Use tongs to gently press the bread wedges into the chorizo frying pan, soaking up some of the oil on one side. Once golden, they’re ready to serve. 

      (Optionally, you can use a grill to lightly toast the bread wedges)

    • Step 6 – To serve

      To serve, pour the soup into a bowl. Add a few chunks of chorizo to the middle of the soup and then use a teaspoon to drizzle some of the oil and juices from the chorizo pan onto the top of the soup. Season with salt and pepper and a few more chili flakes (for those who like it spicy!).

      (Optionally, you can use a grill to lightly toast the bread wedges)

    Nutrition & Diet

    The power of Pumpkin Soup

    Butternut Squash is my go-to pumpkin of choice for this recipe. Its sweet and slightly nutty flavor is. perfect when making a savory dish.

    Butternut squash is also jam-packed with essential vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants.

    Squash is rich in nutrients, including vitamin A, vitamin C, magnesium, and potassium, while being low in calories!

    • Protein 15% 15%
    • Carbs 12% 12%
    • Total Fat 50% 50%
    A white bowl contains pumpkin soup topped with some chorizo.
    A bowl of pumpkin soup sits on a rustic chopping board and is topped with chorizo and some fresh bread

    Spicy Spanish Pumpkin Soup with Paprika Oil & Chorizo

    Byron
    Spicy Pumpkin Soup with Chorizo is far more than a Spanish spin on the classic pumpkin soup recipe of yesteryear. Roasting the pumpkin with chili, cumin, and sweet paprika caramelizes the roast veggies and brings warmth and sweetness. The lightly toasted paprika oil and chorizo add a delicious smokey element that’s oh so delicious when the weather cries foul outdoors.
    This recipe makes a delicious, healthy, and warming soup that’s ideal as a starter, or can be easily made to accommodate 4 as a main meal with a few generous hunks of fresh bread.
    5 from 4 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 15 minutes
    Cook Time 1 hour
    Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
    Course Appetizer, Main Course, Side Dish, Soup
    Cuisine American, classic, healthy, Mediterranean, spanish, winter
    Servings 4 people
    Calories 501 kcal

    Equipment

    • 1 large oven baking tray approx. 40 cm x 60cm/14 x 23 inches
    • Aluminum foil
    • A 30cm/12-inch deep-sided pot (6-6 inches deep is ideal)
    • A small 15cm/6-inch frying pan for the chorizo oil 
    • Oven grill for croutons (optional)

    Ingredients

    • 60 g/2 oz. chorizo sliced
    • 1 kg/2.2 lb of pumpkin peeled, deseeded, and sliced into inch cubes
    • 1 large onion diced
    • 6 carrots ½ inch slices
    • 30 ml olive oil
    • 700 ml of vegetable stock
    • 270 ml of Double cream
    • 1 tablespoon of cumin
    • 1 teaspoon of dried chili flakes
    • 1.5 teaspoons of sweet paprika
    • Salt and cracked black pepper for seasoning
    • Bread for croutons

    Instructions
     

    STEP 1 - Prepare the Pumpkin

    • Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F
    • In a large baking pan lined with aluminum foil, add the cubes of pumpkin and a splash of olive oil. Mix the pumpkin so there’s an even coating of oil and cook in the oven for 45 minutes.

    STEP 2 - Add spices and other vegetables

    • At the 45 minute mark, remove the pan and add the carrots. Sprinkle the cumin, half of the sweet paprika, chili flakes, and a little more olive oil. Mix well and season lightly with salt and pepper. Return to the oven for 30 minutes.

    Step 3 - Fry onion and prepare soup stock and base

    • Once the roast vegetables are ready, use a large deep-sided pot to fry the onion with a little oil. Once the onion is golden, add the vegetable stock, the roast vegetables, and the double cream. Stir all ingredients well and bring to a boil. Allow to simmer for around 5-1 minutes to soften all of the vegetables.

    Step 4 - Blend soup

    • Remove from the heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a blender. On a low setting blend until a rich creamy consistency. This should take around 2-3 minutes.

    Step 5 - Prepare Chorizo oil and croutons

    • Finally, in a small clean frying pan, heat on medium, add half a teaspoon of sweet paprika, and lightly toast the paprika. Add the remaining oil and mix well. Once the mix is hot add the slices of chorizo and cook for a minute or two, just enough time for the chorizo to release some of the fat and oil.
    • For the croutons, cut up some fresh bread into 1-inch long wedges. Use tongs to gently press the bread wedges into the chorizo frying pan, soaking up some of the oil on one side. Once golden, they’re ready to serve.
    • (Optionally, you can use a grill to lightly toast the bread wedges)

    Step 6 - To serve

    • To serve, pour the soup into a bowl. Add a few chunks of chorizo to the middle of the soup and then use a teaspoon to drizzle some of the oil and juices from the chorizo pan onto the top of the soup. Season with salt and pepper and a few more chili flakes (for those who like it spicy!).

    Notes

    While the chorizo adds a certain smokiness to this dish, it can easily be omitted, and just use the toasted paprika oil instead, making a hearty vegetarian meal! Always serve this dish with some fresh bread or homemade croutons as it more than deserves a healthy mop-up.
    Keyword budget, Cheap, chorizo, diet, healthy, mediterranean, paprika, pumpkin, soup

    Want More Soup Recipes?

    • Spanish garlic soup (sopa de ajo) – a vegetarian soup that’s very rich with plenty of garlic and even some egg. 
    • Traditional salmorejo – this is a chilled soup recipe with tomatoes that’s topped with ham and boiled egg.
    • Vegan salmorejo – the vegan version of the classic salmorejo that is amazing as a light snack or to whet your appetite before a meal. 
    • Traditional gazpacho – another chilled soup recipe that’s full of flavor, plus it has lots of vegetables and goodness.
    • Cold cucumber soup – this is a very healthy chilled soup that will keep you hydrated and it’s the perfect light snack for summer.
    • 6-ingredient spiced carrot soup– this is a vegan soup that is creamy thanks to the coconut milk.