This gorgeous & filling creamy Pumpkin and Bean Soup will warm your heart & soul, it’s beautifully spiced with cumin, garlic and paprika
Let’s soup tonight and share the spice of life
Are you a soup person? I would automatically say ‘nope!’ because I hardly order soup when I’m eating out.
Why is it I never select a humble soup dish when I’m dining out? I don’t really have an answer for this, perhaps it’s because I’m greedy and feel that a soup won’t be able to satisfy my hunger pangs! At least when I am at home eating soup I can double up on the sides and toppings without being judged. I feel rather embarrassed when my waiter spots me devouring my heavily buttered dinner roll and feels obligated to come up and ask me if I want another. In case you were wondering my answer is always ‘Yes please!’ with a sheepish smile.
Hearty, piping hot homemade soup is generally easy to make at home, the only tedious part for me is the blending of the soup. I know, sometimes I can be so lazy it’s embarrassing! That’s why when I make soup I make a large amount and serve it with lots of sides. I like serving my soups as a main course and not as a starter!
This Pumpkin and Bean soup does not require lots of sides as it’s deliciously satisfying and filling on its own. That’s if your normal, but if you’re a food hog like us you’ll still need sides!
The soup is so smooth, rich and creamy, you would never guess that it’s healthy and nutritious! It’s beautifully spiced with garlic, onion, paprika and cumin with whole beans to munch on in the soup. I have also added a vegan-friendly version of this Pumpkin and Bean soup.
Eating this soup is like getting endless hugs from my dear mum because it’s warm, loving and healthy. A dish she would wholeheartedly approve of!
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Simple, healthy and budget-friendly
How is your favourite way to have veggies? and do you ever feel guilty that you’re not eating enough veggies?
I’m 100% guilty of not eating enough veggies! I feel like the biggest hypocrite as I’m constantly encouraging my toddler to eat veggies when I should be eating more myself.
My favourite way to have vegetables is to batter and deep fry them! Hahaha just joking but I wouldn’t say no to a bowl of vegetable tempura. I love blending my veggies into an icy smoothie mixed in with lots of fruits to mask the taste or blending veggies into delicious creamy soups!
It’s funny that I mentioned above I don’t like ordering soup when I am eating out as I adore making them at home. I love experimenting and creating soups that are a bit outside the norm, just like my unusual but delicious creamy PEA SOUP WITH WASABI
What I love about cooking soup is it’s easy on the prep, you just basically chuck everything in. The cooking process is also easy and forgiving, which makes it’s pretty hard to stuff up a soup!
Most soups are healthy and packed with good nutrition. It’s also easy on the budget, this means you can save money and buy that latest gadget you’ve got your eyes on!
So soup diet it is!!!
Keep the meat-eater and vegans happy too!
Things can get a little tricky in our household, my sister Nara likes to have random vegan days and my husband Tomasi loves meat. Sometimes I feel like I’m their personal home chef as they feel the need to inform me of their dietary requirements (big eye roll). It’s rich coming from them as the only times they’ve come into the kitchen is to open the fridge!
Luckily this soup can be enjoyed by everyone, all it needs is just a little tweaking!
For vegans (Nara when she feels like it) – swap the chicken stock with vegetable stock and the thickened cream with good quality coconut milk. Follow the recipe and use the same quantities.
For meat-lovers (Always Tomasi) – This soup goes amazing with slices of pan-fried crispy bacon or chorizo! Serve it on a side plate or chop up the fried bacon or chorizo in small pieces and place it in the soup.
Topping suggestions (for insatiable me and Kai AKA ‘the toddler’) – Nothing beats homemade crunchy croutons fried in pure butter! It goes so well with the soup and adds a nice texture.
If your anti beans (Nara again!) and prefer a smooth soup, no problems just leave them out!
Ingredients for Pumpkin and Bean Soup
Pumpkin – I like using Butternut and Jap/Kent pumpkin but any variety can be used.
Thickened cream is cream with gelatine added to it, it has 35% milk fat and is often used for whipping.
Canned beans – I used Cannellini beans but any variety of tinned beans will work. Make sure to rinse and drain the beans prior to cooking.
Chicken stock – I prefer to use salt-reduced chicken stock as I like to have control of how much salt goes into my dish. It’s better to have an underseasoned dish than a very salty dish as it’s easier to fix whilst cooking.
How to make Pumpkin and Bean Soup
Step by step guide with photos
Pre-cook the veggies and spices for extra flavour
In a large deep pan or pot heat up the olive oil on medium to high heat, add in the garlic and onions and stir for a minute or until fragrant (do not burn). Add in the pumpkin, carrot, paprika and cumin, cook for 5 minutes stirring occasionally.
Cook the veggies in the stock
Pour in the chicken stock and add the bay leaves into the pot. Bring the mixture to a boil then reduce the heat to medium-low and cover. Allow to cook stirring occasionally for 15 minutes or until the pumpkin and carrots are very soft (test with a fork). Remove the pot off the stove and allow the mixture to stand for 15 minutes before blending it into a soup.
Blend the veggies and stock into a beautiful soup
Remove and discard the bay leaves. Using a handheld blender or a heatproof blender, blend the mixture until it’s smooth. Depending on the size of your blender you may have to blend the pumpkin mixture in portions to avoid the soup from spilling out.
Finish the soup on the stove
Pour the blended soup into a large pot and place it on the stove on medium heat. Bring the soup to a boil then add in the beans and cream stirring to combine. Return the soup to a boil then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 minutes stirring occasionally. Taste the soup, if needed add in salt and pepper and stir before serving.
Leftovers can be stored in the fridge in a sealed container, it will keep for up to 4 days.
Cooking measurements are in Australian standard spoon and cup measurements.
A Third-Party Application calculated the calories and nutritional information. Please use this as an approximate guide only.
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Cheers (I’ll drink to that) – Cat Tre
Pumpkin Bean Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil (not extra virgin)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 large onion (roughly chopped)
- 1 kilo pumpkin (roughly chopped) (NOTE 1)
- 2 large carrots (approx 400gm roughly chopped)
- 1 tsp ground paprika (any variety)
- ½ tsp ground cumin seeds
- 6 cups salt-reduced chicken stock (1.5ltr) (NOTE 2)
- 2 dried bay leaves
- 2 tins cannellini beans (400gm tins rinsed and drained) (NOTE 3)
- ½ cup thickened cream (NOTE 4)
- salt and pepper to taste
Optional garnish
- pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
- extra virgin olive oil
- thickened cream
Instructions
- In a large deep pan or pot heat up the olive oil on medium to high heat, add in the garlic and onions and stir for a minute or until fragrant (do not burn). Add in the pumpkin, carrot, paprika and cumin, cook for 5 minutes stirring occasionally.
- Pour in the chicken stock and add the bay leaves into the pot. Bring the mixture to a boil then reduce the heat to medium-low and cover. Allow to cook stirring occasionally for 15 minutes or until the pumpkin and carrots are very soft (test with a fork). Remove the pot off the stove and allow the mixture to stand for 15 minutes before blending it into a soup.
- Remove and discard the bay leaves. Using a hand held blender or a heat proof blender, blend the mixture until it's smooth. Depending on the size of your blender you may have to blend the pumpkin mixture in portions to avoid the soup from spilling out.
- Pour the blended soup into a large pot and place it on the stove on medium heat. Bring the soup to a boil then add in the beans and cream stirring to combine. Return the soup to a boil then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 minutes stirring occasionally. Taste the soup, if needed add in salt and pepper and stir before serving.
