I’ve been making this quick and easy soup for years. The main ingredients are canned pumpkin puree, canned beans and some frozen corn. I often use a soup like this as an inspirational stepping stone for students and clients who don’t believe they have enough time to cook a soup from scratch.
The world continues to change and we must change with it. The inner plastic lining found in most canned foods has now been shown to leach trace amounts of BPA, a chemical that can act as an endocrine disruptor. Most food companies are now scrambling to use different materials in their canned food, the Environmental Working Group is a good source for more information on BPA.
Now when I buy canned beans, I make a point to get ones made by Eden Foods which has been BPA free since 1999. I have not been able to find a source of pumpkin puree in BPA-free cans.
Its really not all that hard to make your own pumpkin puree. Simply slice a small sugar pumpkin or butternut squash in half, pop it onto a cookie sheet and into a 350 oven for 10-30 minutes, however long it takes until it is soft and squishy. Scoop out the seeds and save them if you’re interested in roasting them. Then, scoop out the cooked squash/pumpkin and presto, you’ve got “pureed pumpkin”.
This soup is still easy to make and quite delicious. Its hearty enough to be a meal on it’s own on a cold and damp November night.
3 garlic cloves, minced
olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
1 cup diced red pepper
1 cup diced green pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon cayenne peeper, or to taste
½ small jalapeno pepper seeded and finely minced
6 cups vegetable broth
2 15 ounce cans of pumpkin
1 cup cooked black beans
1 cup frozen corn kernels,
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
In a large saucepan, heat oil and cook garlic, onion, red pepper and green pepper over medium high heat until tender, about 6 minutes. Add cumin, cayenne and jalapeno and cook for 1 minute longer.
Add veggie broth and pumpkin, stir to blend well and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in beans and corn, reduce heat and simmer for 5-10 minutes.
Garnish with cilantro.
Enjoy!
