The bean and pumpkin soup is a vegetarian first course that embodies all the warmth and intense flavors of this season, one of the many autumn soups to turn to for warmth during the early cold days. This recipe is simple yet full of taste and substance: a harmony between the sweetness of pumpkin and the texture of beans, creating a creamy and enveloping dish. You can use fresh pre-boiled beans with some herbs to flavor them, or opt for canned ones if you are short on time. If you choose fresh beans, the cooking water is ideal for extending the soup, enhancing its flavor; alternatively, a good vegetable broth will do just fine. To make this bean and pumpkin soup even creamier, besides adding a potato, blend part of the soup at the end of cooking: you will get an even denser and velvety texture. Complete with rustic bread croutons, toasted and rubbed with a touch of garlic, and let yourself be won over by the inviting aroma and unique taste of this soup that feels like home.
You might also be interested in:
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Very Cheap
- Preparation time: 40 Minutes
- Portions: 4 People
- Cooking methods: Stove
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter
- Energy 259.44 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 36.75 (g) of which sugars 6.09 (g)
- Proteins 8.89 (g)
- Fat 9.64 (g) of which saturated 1.47 (g)of which unsaturated 0.07 (g)
- Fibers 8.92 (g)
- Sodium 820.35 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 330 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for the Bean and Pumpkin Soup
- 17 oz fresh borlotti beans (or canned; or 5.6 oz dried beans)
- 2.2 lbs pumpkin (weighed with skin)
- 6.3 oz potatoes
- 1 onion
- 1.7 cups vegetable broth (approximately)
- 4 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
- to taste salt
- to taste pepper
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 3 leaves sage
- 1 pinch salt
Tools
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Knife
- 1 Pot 28 cm diameter with lid
- 1 Peeler
- 1 Immersion Blender
How to Prepare the Creamy Bean and Pumpkin Soup
To prepare the bean and pumpkin soup, start with cooking the beans, unless you’re using canned beans. Follow the instructions you find here (1) and, if you use dried beans, remember to soak them for 12 hours. Once cooked (2), drain them without discarding the cooking water, which is excellent for thinning the soup.
Finely chop the onion (3). Peel the potato and cut it into cubes (4). Just one medium-sized (180-200 g) is enough because it’s used only to add creaminess to the soup.
Remove the pumpkin skin and cut it into cubes as well (5). In a large pot, heat the oil, add the onion, and let it gently sauté (6).
Then add the potatoes and pumpkin (7), lightly salt and drizzle with a bit of bean cooking water or some hot vegetable broth (8).
Cover with a lid and let it cook over low heat for 7-8 minutes. Then add the beans (9) and drizzle again with some broth or the beans’ own water (10). Stir and continue cooking for about ten more minutes over low heat.
When the potatoes begin to break down and the soup thickens, take 2-3 ladles of it (11) and transfer them to the glass of the immersion blender. Blend thoroughly to get a thick and creamy puree (12).
Pour it back into the pot with the soup (13) and mix well. Let it thicken for another minute or two until the desired consistency is reached. Turn off the heat and garnish the soup with a bit of chopped rosemary (14).
Serve the bean and pumpkin soup garnished with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, a bit of chopped rosemary, and, if you like, garnished with bread croutons.
Storage
You can store the soup in the fridge for a couple of days.
Tips and Variations
If you like, you can use the bean and pumpkin soup as a base for a pasta soup by adding a bit more water or broth and cooking 160 g of pasta tubes or broken spaghetti directly in the soup. Remember to stir it often during the pasta cooking and keep the heat at medium level.
