Weekly Recipe #273: Black Bean Pumpkin Soup

By Jenna Schuder, Dietetic Intern [University of Minnesota – The Emily Program]

There’s nothing like a warm bowl of soup on a crisp fall day!
Pumpkin is a versatile vegetable packed with vitamin A. With the addition of black beans and ham, this soup is high in fiber and protein, and is a healthy alternative to cream-based soups.

Black Bean Pumpkin Soup

Adapted from SmittenKitchen.com

Serves 9

Ingredients:

• Three 15.5-oz. cans black beans (about 4 ½ cups), rinsed and drained
• 1 cup chopped tomatoes
• 1 ¼ cups chopped onion
• 1/2 cup minced shallot
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbsp. plus 2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. salt
• ½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ cup unsalted butter
• 4 cups beef broth
• One 16-oz. can pumpkin puree (about 1 ½ cups)
• ½ cup unfiltered apple cider
• ½ lb. cooked ham, cut into 1/8-inch dice
• 3 to 4 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
• Sour cream for garnish
• Lightly toasted pumpkin seeds for garnish

Directions:

1. Coarsely puree beans and tomatoes in a food processor.
2. In a 6-quart heavy kettle, cook onion, shallot, garlic, cumin, salt and pepper in butter over moderate heat, stirring, until onion is softened and beginning to brown.
3. Stir in bean puree. Stir in broth, pumpkin and apple cider until combined. Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 25 minutes or until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
4. Just before serving, add ham and vinegar. Simmer soup until heated through, stirring often. Season soup with salt and pepper.
5. Serve soup garnished with sour cream and toasted pumpkin seeds.

Nutrition Information:

Per serving: 479 calories, 9.7 g total fat (4.6 g saturated fat), 28 mg cholesterol, 976 mg sodium, 71.6 g carbohydrate, 6.4 g sugar, 17 g fiber, and 28.6 g protein.