Vegan, Black Bean and Pumpkin Soup

New Soup?  No, just reinvented soup.  I’m taking a look at my soup recipes and seeing if they will be just as delicious with a vegan or vegetarian twist.  Why you ask?

My daughter is a vegetarian.

That fact scared me a little.  It seems she has been a vegetarian for a long time and I didn’t know it.  How can this be, I’m her mother?  I know she didn’t eat much meat, how could I have not seen that she didn’t eat ANY meat??  True, she’s in her twenties, has her own place and comes home only once and a while.  But come on, how could I have missed this fact last Thanksgiving?  I feel like such a neglectful mom.  So now I’m trying to make it up to her with good, healthy, meatless meals.

How does someone stay healthy if they don’t eat meat?  Uggh, kids today!  (jk)

So here we go.  I make an old favorite to take to my son’s house for dinner.  Before adding the ham, I reserve 3 cups of soup for my girl who will be coming home soon.  I take the soup to my son’s house and we all enjoy the Black Bean Pumpkin soup and the sour cream garnish.  Yum.

My girl comes home the next day and I’m proud to tell her I have some vegetarian soup for her.  Ummm, but it is made with chicken stock.  oops.  And I sauteed onions in butter.  That’s not allowed in vegan world.  But she is my very good girl and eats it all up and tells me it’s delicious.  We moms love it when our kids clean their plate… or bowl.

I love her.  This is why I want to make soup she will want to eat.

So, I’ve already ditched the ham.  My girl suggests I add corn in place of the ham.  I ditch the butter for olive oil and I make a batch of   Vegetable Broth that daughter-in-law #1 told me about.  Poof!  I have vegan soup.  Here is the recipe if you’d like to try. It won’t make you a vegan, it will make you veganish.  That’s a term I learned on the Oprah show.  It’s what you call a person that eats vegan once in a while.  But if you are a vegan, this soup’s for you.

And the best part is – my girl loves it.  And as you might have already guessed, I love my girl.

Black Bean and Pumpkin Soup
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Recipe By: Rita Garvey
Serving Size: 12

Ingredients:

3 cans black beans, drained and rinsed (~4 1/2 cups)
1 can tomato, chopped and drained (~15 oz) save juice, you may need it later
1 1/4 cups onions, chopped
1/2 cup shallot, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup buter 2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cups broth, (beef, chicken or veg)
32 ounces pumpkin puree (make sure it’s puree and NOT pie mix – don’t ask me how I know this)
1/2 cup sherry, (or white wine) optional
1/2 pound cooked ham or turkey, diced 1 small bag of frozen corn (~2cups)
sour cream
pumpkin seeds — optional

Directions:

In a food processor or using a potato masher, loosely puree tomatoes and most of the beans.  Keep some out the mashing stage.  I think it makes for a better soup with combination of whole and mashed beans.
In a 6-quart heavy pot cook onion, shallot, garlic, cumin, salt, and pepper in butter olive oil over medium heat, stirring, until onion is softened and beginning to brown. Stir in bean mixture and whole beans.  Stir in broth, pumpkin, and Sherry until combined and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, 10 – 15 minutes, or until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Just before serving, add ham/turkey frozen corn and simmer soup, stirring until heated through.

Check soup for proper seasoning.  More salt and pepper and cumin can be added at this point.  If you have used canned stock, it should be fine.  If you have made your own stock, more seasoning might be needed.  Taste it for yourself. If it is too thick, you may want to add in your reserved tomato juice.

Serve soup garnished with sour cream and toasted pumpkin seeds.  (optional)

I have made soup with and without Sherry or wine.  Both are delicious.

I hope you all enjoy this and if anyone out there has any suggestions for great vegan meals, I’d love to hear from you!