Pumpkin and Bean Soup

Name: Pumpkin and Bean Soup
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: Delica pumpkin to be cleaned 2.2 lbs; Precooked Cannellini beans (drained weight) 1.1 lbs; Onions ½ cup; Vegetable broth 3 cups; Extra virgin olive oil to taste; Fine salt to taste; Black pepper to taste

Difficulty: Easy
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Serving: 4
Cost: Low

PRESENTATION

Recipe by
Luisa Orizio

Pumpkin and Bean Soup lands somewhere between a broth and a purée, and that in-between quality is exactly what makes it work. The pumpkin cooks down in vegetable broth until completely tender, then only part of it gets blended — enough to thicken the base and turn it creamy, while the rest stays in rough, satisfying chunks. It's a vegetarian soup that feels genuinely autumnal without leaning on heavy cream or long preparation.

Cannellini beans go in toward the end, adding soft weight that makes the soup feel substantial enough to serve as a full meal. Pre-cooked cannellini means no soaking and no extended simmer — they simply absorb the surrounding flavors and fill out the bowl. The dual texture is what makes this pumpkin white bean soup worth the small effort: smooth enough to feel like comfort food, chunky enough to feel like a proper plate. A few toasted crostini on top are optional, but they add a welcome contrast to the creamy base and round everything out.

How to prepare Pumpkin and Bean Soup

To prepare the pumpkin and bean soup, first clean the pumpkin 1, cut it into slices and remove the skin 2, then cut the flesh into cubes 3.

Trim the onion and roughly chop it 4. Add the onion 5 and the pumpkin to a pot with the hot oil 6.

Sauté for 5 minutes 7, then add the vegetable broth 8. Let simmer over medium-low heat until the pumpkin has softened, which will take about 20–25 minutes. Once cooked, remove the pot from the heat and puree part of the pumpkin 9.

Add the precooked, drained beans 10 and stir well. Finally, season with salt 12 and adjust the consistency by adding more vegetable broth if necessary.