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3-ingredient black bean pumpkin soup is perfect for a quick, nutritious weeknight supper. It is vegan, oil-free, & scrumptious.
Graduate school made me a better cook and more firmly directed me on to the road to recipe development.
It wasn’t the examination of social theory, the fun-filled evenings in the library stacks, or trudging through the snow with a 20-pound backpack that sparked my culinary creativity, but, far more simply, having to cook on a very limited budget.
I stockpiled my freezer (and cupboards, and yes, even my bedroom closet) with super-bargains and focused on techniques and precision to make the most of my frugal bounty. It was around the same time that I began mapping out all of my creative experiments before, during ad after cooking, too.
Along the way, I also discovered that humble ingredients are the ones I like best, in part because of their potential for elevation—from ordinary to extraordinary—is so much greater. It’s pleasing to make a refined dish with an assemblage of high-tag elements, but there’s something far more gratifying about creating something noteworthy with a few dollars-worth of ingredients.
3-Ingredient Black Bean Pumpkin Soup
The soup I offer today is an example of just such an amalgamation of good things; the sum is far greater than its parts. It is one I have made often throughout the years, beginning in graduate school.
Pumpkin makes the soup extra thick and voluptuous (as well as extra-nutritious); the tomatoes with green chiles add brightness and a subtle kick of spice in one fell swoop.
Healthy Benefits of Black Bean Pumpkin Soup
This heart & soul-warming soup is:
- Vegan
- Grain-free
- Gluten-free
- Oil-free
- High protein (11.6 g per serving)
- High fiber (12 grams per serving)
How to Store the Soup
The soup keeps well and freezes beautifully (3 days for the former, up to 6 months for the latter) in an airtight container. Hence, with a little bit of effort, you’ll have one or more dinners, or several satisfying lunches to follow.
You don’t need much more to round out the meal except perhaps some cornbread. I also like to serve it spooned over hot steamed brown rice. It will warm you through and through!
Related Posts:
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3-Ingredient Black Bean Pumpkin Soup {vegan, oil-free}
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 15
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
3-ingredient black bean pumpkin soup is perfect for a quick, nutritious weeknight supper. It is vegan, oil-free, & scrumptious.
Ingredients
- 1 14.5 ounce can organic diced tomatoes with green chiles
- 3/4 cup canned unsweetened pumpkin puree
- 1 cup water
- 2 15-ounce cans low-sodium black beans, rinsed and drained
- Optional: fine sea salt & ground pepper
Instructions
- In a high-speed blender or food processor, puree the tomatoes, pumpkin, water and HALF (1 can) of the black beans until smooth.
- Add the remaining half of the black beans to the blender. Using ON/OFF pulses, pulse several times until the beans are broken down slightly, but not completely smooth. Transfer to a medium saucepan.
- Heat the soup over medium high heat until it just comes to a very low boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 5 to 10 minutes longer. Season to taste with salt & pepper.
Notes
Storage: Store the cooled soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, the freezer for up to 6 months.
Tip: Feel free to embellish the recipe in various ways! You can add spices to the soup (e.g., cumin, chili powder) or add toppings such as fresh cilantro leaves, sliced green onions, lime juice and zest, vegan sour cream, tortilla strips and more.
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 and 1/2 cups
- Calories: 185
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 358 mg
- Fat: 0.9 g
- Saturated Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 40.2 g
- Fiber: 12 g
- Protein: 11.6 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Keywords: black bean pumpkin soup, 3-ingredient black bean soup, fast recipe, easy recipe, clean eating, frugal, 3-ingredient soup
yay, so glad you liked it Tracy! This is a major favorite of mine (and my sister)–mmm, it will be even yummier tomorrow for lunch (it improves with age :)) Hope to hear from you again!
This is a wonderful recipe… It was a pumpkin kind of day and I found your site and this amazing recipe. We had it for dinner and my family loved it! I have enough for a leftover bowl with lunch tomorrow! It was fabulous! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe.
Tracy
Love this soup. You can add more ingredients if you like, like spices or lime juice. Could not find the tomatoes with chilies so I used regular canned tomatoes and a separate can of diced green chilies. Wonderful.
WONDERFUL! I made this soup last night and we DEFINITELY have a new family favorite! I love the healthy ingredients and always have black beans on hand. I’ll keep the tomatoes with chiles on hand now, too. THANK YOU, THANK YOU for sharing this recipe. I can’t wait to have leftovers for lunch!
I sometimes add some chipotle chili powder –adds so much! Great soup.
perfect!
That’s cheese not shees..ha ha
….and I had all the ingredients on hand! After a rare snow storm this sounded like the perfect bowl of Yummmmmm.
It is!!! I have added some shees and corn too..off to the kitchen!!!
The black bean soup was very delicious. My husband and I both enjoyed it very much and he was thrilled about the healthy ingredients. I love how easy it is!
Jan