HANDS-ON: 15 MIN. // TOTAL: 20 MIN. // SERVES 4
Pumpkin is the secret ingredient here, but you’ll never taste it! It provides a creamy texture and balances ingredient flavors, as well as adding an extra dose of beta-carotene, vitamin E, and B vitamins. Using store-bought salsa is a great way to get a lot of flavor with just one ingredient. The hard part with this soup is deciding what toppings to sprinkle it with.
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup finely chopped white onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 (15-ounce) cans no-salt-added black beans, rinsed and drained
3/4 cup refrigerated fresh salsa
3 cups unsalted vegetable broth
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup canned pure pumpkin
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice (optional)
1 Heat a large saucepan over medium. Add the oil to the pan; swirl to coat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is tender, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cumin and cook, stirring occasionally, for 1 minute. Add the beans, salsa, broth, and salt. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes.
2 Add the pumpkin, cilantro, and, if desired, lime juice to the bean mixture, stirring to combine. Transfer half the bean mixture to a blender. Remove the center piece of the blender lid to allow the steam to escape; secure the lid on the blender. Place a clean dish towel over the opening in the lid to avoid splatters and blend until smooth. Return the pureed soup to the saucepan and cook over low until thoroughly heated.
(SERVING SIZE: 11/2 CUPS): CALORIES 273; FAT 5G (SAT 1G, UNSAT 3G); PROTEIN 13G; CARB 44G; FIBER 11G; SUGARS 9G (ADDED SUGARS 0G); SODIUM 599MG; CALC 15% DV; POTASSIUM 15% DV
what toppings to add?
I love sprinkling crumbled queso fresco on top for a salty-creamy bite, but one—or a combo—of the following ingredients also adds great flavor and texture:
• Toasted sliced almonds
• Diced avocado
• Chopped fresh cilantro
• Queso fresco or feta cheese
• Chopped scallions
• Plain Greek yogurt
• Roasted pumpkin seed kernels (pepitas)