Pumpkin Chicken Chowder

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Hearty and delicious, this pumpkin soup is made with canned pumpkin, chicken, rice and red bell pepper.

Who would have guessed that my first pumpkin recipe of the Fall season would be a soup?! Yes, the first can of pumpkin I opened this year was for this hearty and delicious Pumpkin Chicken Chowder.

If you were a bit taken aback when you read "pumpkin" together with "chicken chowder", I get it. When it comes to canned pumpkin, we immediately think of muffins or pie. Sweet things. I can assure you that there is nothing sweet about this soup. And no, it doesn't taste anything like a muffin :)

Pumpkin is, of course, a squash and like other Fall squash, makes a great soup!

Together with the canned pumpkin that flavours this soup, there are hearty chunks of chicken, lots of diced onion and red bell pepper and a bit of rice. The rice in this soup both adds to the heartiness and contributes to the thickening of this hearty soup.

If the days are already getting cooler where you are and you are looking for a delicious, perfect-for-Fall hearty soup, I encourage you to give this one a try! This pumpkin soup is also a great, savoury way to use up leftover canned pumpkin!

Ingredient Notes for Pumpkin Chicken Chowder

Chicken Breasts: I like boneless, skinless chicken breasts for this soup, though boneless thighs would work, as well. For a vegetarian soup, skip the chicken and add some black beans or chickpeas instead.

Pumpkin: This soup uses canned pure pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling). The recipe specification of 14oz is 1/2 of that standard 28oz can. You don't have to be precise. Just eyeballing 1/2 of the can is fine. (Scroll down for the perfect use for the left-over 1/2 can!)

I understand that canned pumpkin is unavailable in some parts of the world. You could substitute 1 cup of any cooked, mashed squash, such as butternut or you could cook up and mash your own pumpkin.

Chicken Broth: For a vegetarian soup, simply swap out vegetable broth for the chicken broth.

Corn: Either fresh, cut from the cob corn kernels or frozen corn will work nicely here.

Long Grain Rice: Long grain rice is recommended for this soup, as it holds its shape and doesn't get mushy when simmered in a soup. You can use either white or brown long grain rice.

Basil: Some fresh, chopped basil is very nice with the flavours of this soup, but dried basil is fine, if fresh isn't available. If you don't have either, it's not a deal breaker. Just omit.

Salt: As with all soups, adding enough salt is the key to great flavour. Taste your soup at the end of simmering and add salt as needed, to bring all the flavours together.

Cook's Notes for Pumpkin Chicken Chowder

As noted above, be sure to salt your soup well, to really bring out all the great flavours.

If you started with a 28oz can of pumpkin, you will end up with 1/2 of the can left-over. This happens to be the exact amount that you need to make my Simply Perfect Pumpkin Muffins! Just sayin' :)

Leftover soup stored in the fridge will thicken as it sits, as the rice will continue to absorb the liquid from the soup. You can enjoy it this way (it's more stew-like at that point) or you can thin it with a bit more chicken stock when you re-heat it.

Variations for Pumpkin Chicken Chowder

This pumpkin soup is delicious as is, but if you'd like to make a vegetarian version or you want to change it up once in a while, here are some ideas for you ...

Make it vegetarian! Skip the chicken and replace it with black beans or chickpeas. Replace the chicken broth with vegetable broth.

Curry it Up! Add a bit of mild curry powder or stir in a bit of Thai red curry paste, to bring a curried twist to this chowder.

Tex Mex It! Add some black beans (about 1/2 cup) and a bit of chili powder and/or cumin to the soup.

More Fall Soup Recipes You Might Like ...

Thai Carrot Soup with Coconut Milk

Delicious Thai Carrot Soup with Coconut Milk, combines carrots and pumpkin with Thai curry, coconut and coconut milk

Cauliflower and Potato Soup with Goat Cheese

This heary Cauliflower and Potato Soup is topped with roasted cauliflower and Brussels sprout leaves and sprinkled with a bit of goat cheese. A great dinner soup!

Classic Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

My Best Roasted Butternut Squash Soup, is a classic butternut squash soup that is, in my opinion ... simply perfect!

Pumpkin Chicken Chowder

Delicious, hearty soup, flavoured with canned pumpkin, with chicken, rice and red bell pepper.

5 from 6 votes

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Prep Time5 mins

Cook Time25 mins

Total Time30 mins

Servings (adjustable): 4 servings

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 chicken breasts boneless, skinless and cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 cup onion diced
• 1 cup red bell pepper diced
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 14 oz canned pure pumpkin not pie filling
• 1/2 cup corn kernels fresh or frozen
• 1/4 cup long grain rice white or brown
• 1 Tbsp fresh basil chopped or 1/2 tsp dried basil leaves
• 1/4 tsp fine salt
• 1/8 tsp black pepper
• Additional salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• Fresh parsley and/or additional fresh chopped basil for garnish

Instructions

• Heat oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add chicken and cook, stirring for a few minutes. Add the diced onion and red pepper and continue cooking until the onions have softened and the chicken is no longer pink. Add garlic and cook, stirring, for another 30 seconds.
• Add the chicken broth, pumpkin, corn, rice and basil. Stir well to combine, then bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer soup for 20-30 minutes, to cook the rice, thicken the soup and develop the flavours. Taste the soup. Ensure that the rice is cooked. Add additional salt, as needed (*if the soup tastes flat, it needs more salt!) and stir in some additional black pepper and/or fresh basil, if desired.
• Serve garnished with fresh chopped parsley.

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Notes

Leftover soup should be refrigerated. As it sits in the fridge, the rice will continue to absorb the soup stock and will thicken to almost a stew consistency. You can enjoy it re-heated as is, or if desired, thin it out with a little more chicken stock.

Be sure to read the “Ingredient and Cook's Notes" (above the recipe card!), where I share more detailed  tips, variations and substitution suggestions for this recipe!

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 291kcal, Carbohydrates: 28g, Protein: 28g, Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 72mg, Sodium: 1183mg, Potassium: 989mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 7g, Vitamin A: 16677IU, Vitamin C: 73mg, Calcium: 61mg, Iron: 3mg

Author: Jennifer