Tag Archives: Soup

Pumpkin Black Bean Soup

We’ve had several weeks of chilly weather, and I’ve been making more soup! This time I decided to try Pumpkin Black Bean Soup. I adapted my recipe from one I found at Taste of Home. It’s a savory-flavored soup that tastes a little like chili. So if you like chili and black bean soup, I’m sure you’ll like this! In addition to the pumpkin puree, which gives the soup a nice creamy consistency even though you don’t really taste the pumpkin much, other healthy ingredients include diced tomatoes, onions, and garlic.

PUMPKIN BLACK BEAN SOUP by NancyCreative, adapted from Taste of Home

Makes about 8 servings (2 quarts)

2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained

1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained

2 medium onions, finely chopped

2 teaspoons olive oil

3 garlic cloves, minced

3 cups (24 ounces) vegetable broth

1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)

2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar (I used Bragg’s)

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Optional: dash of salt and pepper, to taste

For garnish: 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt (or sour cream) and 1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions

Place beans and tomatoes in a food processor; cover and process until blended. Set aside.

In a large pot or Dutch oven, saute onions in oil until tender. Add garlic and saute 1 minute longer. Stir in the broth, pumpkin, vinegar, and bean mixture, blending well. Add cumin, chili powder, cinnamon, and, if desired, salt and pepper to taste.

Bring soup to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Ladle into soup bowls and garnish each serving with plain Greek yogurt and sliced green onions. Each 1 cup serving is about 240 calories.

I never seem to get tired of making and eating soup, and it’s fun to try different recipes! Have you made any soups using pumpkin as an ingredient?

Southwestern Black Bean Soup

14 Replies

Winter seems to be trying to hang on in some areas! Have you had a lot of cool spring days where you live? Well, next time the temperature drops, this is a great soup to make if you like black beans. I found this recipe at Eating Well, and thought it sounded good. And after tasting it, I thought it was great! It has a little chili powder, cumin, and even some salsa to give it a little zippy Southwestern taste. Since you puree half of this soup, it has a nice creaminess with a little chunky texture. And it tastes great with some sour cream (or greek yogurt), shredded cheddar cheese, and chopped fresh cilantro on top. I added less water than the original recipe calls for, which was a good thing, because the soup would have been too watery for my liking if I had followed the recipe exactly. I really like the way it turned out–it’s great for lunch or a lighter dinner.

SOUTHWESTERN BLACK BEAN SOUP by NancyC, adapted from EatingWell.com

Makes about 6 servings

2 Tablespoons canola oil
2 small or medium onions, chopped
2 Tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
4 (15-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed
3 cups water
1 cup prepared salsa
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons lime juice
Optional garnishes: sour cream (about a Tablespoon), shredded cheddar cheese, chopped fresh cilantro

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, until onion begins to soften, 2 to 3 minutes. Add chili powder and cumin, and cook, stirring, 1 minute more. Add beans, water, salsa, and salt. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in lime juice.

Transfer half of the soup to a blender and puree (use caution when pureeing hot liquids)–you may have to puree half the soup in two batches. Stir the puree back into the saucepan. Serve soup garnished with sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, and/or chopped cilantro, if desired.

Do you like black beans? What’s your favorite way to prepare them?

Easy Pea Soup with Ham or Bacon

13 Replies

I like Split Pea Soup but have never made it before. I was looking through a little soup cookbook I had called Soup Gourmet and found an easy recipe I thought I’d try. I made my version thicker because I like thick and hearty soups. I like this soup because, in addition to peas, it has lots of other good-for-you veggies in it–carrots, onion, and celery. And you can add ham or bacon if you want, or make it without any meat.

After looking at some other recipes, I decided I would try garnishing this with croutons and feta, and I’m so glad I tried that out–I really liked it! The feta cheese gives a nice zing to the soup, and the crispy croutons make a nice touch, too. Serve this soup with a salad and some crusty bread–it makes a great lunch or dinner during the cold winter months!

EASY PEA SOUP WITH HAM OR BACON by NancyC, adapted from Soup Gourmet

Makes 4-6 servings

2 (16-ounce) packages frozen peas, thawed (or you can use 2 (16-oz.) cans of peas)

1 (14.5-ounce) can chicken or vegetable broth (this is a thick soup, so if you’d like it to be thinner, add an extra 1/2 to 1 cup of broth)

1 1/2 cups boiled ham or cooked bacon, diced (if you’d like this to be meatless, leave out the ham or bacon)

1 cup carrots, finely diced or grated

1 cup yellow onion, finely diced

2 celery stalks, thinly sliced

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

additional seasonings to taste, if desired

croutons for garnish, optional

crumbled feta cheese for garnish, optional.

Place peas and broth in blender or food processor and puree until smooth (the peas and broth will fill your blender almost to the top, so you can blend them half the amount at a time, if you prefer–you’ll need to do this, too, if you are adding extra broth to make a thinner soup).

Transfer blended mixture to a large pot. Add ham or bacon, carrots, onion, and celery. Bring to a boil and simmer 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Halfway through cooking, add salt and pepper, and additional seasonings, if desired.

Serve hot in soup bowls or cups and garnish with croutons and crumbled feta cheese, if desired.

I really like it served with the croutons and feta cheese–they add an extra special touch to the soup! Have you tried any new soup recipes lately?

Beef or Chicken Tex-Mex Soup (and a Meatless Version)

12 Replies

I like eating soup in the cold winter months, and this is an easy soup recipe I came up with the other day. It’s a thick and chunky soup with ground beef, beans, and veggies in it, and you can make it without the beef, too, substituting chicken or more beans in place of the meat. Jalapenos give the soup a little spiciness, along with the taco seasoning you mix in. Make it in a big pot and you’ll have enough soup to serve 6 to 8 people. Serve it with some bread or rolls–it makes a nice hot lunch or dinner on a cold day!

BEEF OR CHICKEN TEX-MEX SOUP by NancyC

Makes 6 to 8 servings

2 (14.5-oz.) cans diced tomatoes (regular or no salt)

1 (14.5-oz.) can beef, chicken, or vegetable broth

1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste

1 (1-ounce) packet taco seasoning

1 lb. ground beef, cooked, crumbled, and drained of excess fat OR 1 lb. chicken breasts, cooked and shredded or cut into chunks (you could use leftover rotisserie chicken in this, too); if you want to make this meatless, substitute an extra can of pinto or kidney beans for the meat

1 medium-size onion, diced

1 (15.5-ounce) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1 (15.5-ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 (10 to 12-ounce) package frozen corn, thawed

1/2 cup sliced jalapenos (from a can or jar, or fresh, with seeds removed)

sour cream for garnish (optional)

sliced green onion stems for garnish (optional)

In large stockpot, over medium heat, add diced tomatoes, broth, tomato paste, and taco seasoning, blending well. Add in cooked ground beef or chicken, diced onion, beans, corn, and jalapenos, stirring everything well. Turn heat high enough to heat to boiling, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes. Serve immediately and garnish with sour cream and green onion slices if desired.

Do you have a favorite winter soup you like making?

Tomato Basil Avocado Soup

17 Replies

This cool, summer soup sounded good to me because it didn’t involve any cooking, and it has been so hot these past couple of days! This is a “raw food” recipe. You may have heard about all the health benefits there are to eating raw. I’ve read a little about it, although I’m no expert on the subject.

I found this recipe over at Beach House Kitchen and modified it slightly. I loved the way it tasted! I actually liked it much more than I thought I would. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised, though, since I love all the ingredients in this soup…tomatoes, red pepper, onion, garlic, basil, avocado…but I think my favorite ingredient is the sun-dried tomatoes. They really make this soup wonderful!

This soup is so easy to make, too–all the ingredients are mixed in a blender, then you just pour it out and serve. It’s the perfect super-easy, super-healthy summer meal!

TOMATO BASIL AVOCADO SOUP adapted from Beach House Kitchen

Makes two cup-size servings (3/4 cup per serving; for two “large bowl” servings, double the recipe)

4 medium size tomatoes, cut into fourths
1/2 of a sweet red pepper (seeds removed), chopped
1/4 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes (use the ones that are packed in oil in a jar–I used julienne cut sun-dried tomatoes, so I didn’t need to chop mine)
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 of a medium-size yellow onion, finely chopped
1/3 cup well-packed basil leaves, chopped
1/2 of an avocado, cut into chunks
dash of salt to taste (optional)
additional basil leaves, whole or chopped, for garnish

Put all ingredients in a blender and pulse until ingredients are well-blended and mixture is just slightly chunky (you may have to stop the blender once and help the mixture along with a spoon). Pour into soup cups or bowls, garnish with additional basil leaves, whole or chopped, and serve immediately.

NOTE: This soup doesn’t take long to blend, especially if you have a high-power blender–it just took mine a minute or two to blend all the ingredients. If you have a lower-power blender, it may take a little longer.

This is only the second cold soup I’ve ever made–I’ll have to try more of these out! Have you made any cold soups? Or have you tried out any raw food recipes lately?