Pumpkin and bean soup

Ingredients

• 1 kgDelica pumpkin, for cleaning
• 500 g drainedprecooked cannellini beans
• 70 gonion
• 700 gvegetable stock
• as neededextra-virgin olive oil
• to tastefine salt
• to tasteblack pepper

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the pumpkin

   Clean the pumpkin, cut it into slices and remove the skin. Cut the flesh into cubes.

2. 2

   Chop and soften

   Clean the onion and cut it into large pieces. Add the onion and pumpkin to a pan with hot olive oil.

3. 3

   Simmer the soup

   Fry for 5 minutes, then add the vegetable stock. Cook over a medium-low heat until the pumpkin is tender, about 20–25 minutes. Take the pan off the heat and blend part of the pumpkin.

4. 4

   Add the beans

   Add the drained, precooked beans and mix well. Adjust the salt and, if needed, loosen the soup with more vegetable stock.

5. 5

   Season and serve

   Ladle into bowls and finish with a drizzle of olive oil and a grind of freshly ground black pepper.

What is pumpkin and bean soup?

This is a simple, home-style soup built around pumpkin, cannellini beans and vegetable stock. Its Italian-inspired combination pairs the pumpkin’s gentle sweetness with the beans’ creamy, substantial texture.

Here, blending only some of the cooked pumpkin makes the broth thicker while leaving plenty of pieces intact. The beans go in after cooking, so they warm through without losing their shape.

Nutrition and macros by portion

The nutrition label shows one serving as written: 235 calories, 13g protein, 39g carbs, 4g fat.

Cannellini beans provide much of the soup’s protein and carbohydrate, while pumpkin adds further carbohydrate and fibre. Most of the fat comes from the olive oil, whose amount is left to taste; serve with a green salad or other vegetables for a more varied plate.

Choosing the ingredients

Pumpkin: Delica pumpkin gives the soup a sweet, dense base. Peel it and cut the flesh into fairly even cubes so they soften at a similar pace.

Beans: Precooked cannellini beans make this a quicker soup. Drain them before adding, and stir gently to keep them whole.

Build the flavour

Onion and oil: Start with hot olive oil, then add the onion and pumpkin. The brief five-minute fry gives the vegetables a chance to pick up flavour before the stock goes in.

Stock: The recipe uses 700 g of vegetable stock to simmer the pumpkin. Keep extra stock handy for adjusting the consistency at the end.

Get the texture right

Blend part of the pumpkin off the heat, then stir it back through the soup. This thickens the liquid without turning the whole dish into a smooth purée.

For a chunkier result, blend just a little; for a more cohesive soup, blend a larger portion. Add any extra stock gradually so the soup does not become too thin.

Check when the pumpkin is tender

The pumpkin simmers for about 20–25 minutes over a medium-low heat. Start checking towards the shorter end of that range: a piece should be easy to pierce with a fork.

The total preparation and cooking time is about 45 minutes. The pumpkin’s tenderness, rather than the clock alone, is the useful cue before blending.

Finish and serve

Taste and adjust the salt after adding the beans, then check whether the soup needs more stock. A final drizzle of olive oil and freshly ground black pepper completes each bowl.

Serve with crusty bread for dipping, or alongside a green salad for a simple meal.

Recipe notes & tips

• Cut the pumpkin into evenly sized cubes to help it cook at a similar rate.
• Drain the cannellini beans well before adding them to the pan.
• Blend the pumpkin off the heat, as directed, before stirring in the beans.
• Add extra stock a little at a time so you can control the thickness.
• Taste for salt after the beans have been added and mixed through.
• Finish each bowl with freshly ground pepper for a more aromatic seasoning.

Variations

• Add herbs: Stir in chopped sage or rosemary while the pumpkin simmers.
• Use another bean: Replace the cannellini beans with drained butter beans.
• Add chilli: Finish with a pinch of chilli flakes for gentle heat.
• Make it smoother: Blend a larger portion of the cooked pumpkin before adding the beans.
• Add greens: Stir in a handful of spinach near the end and let it wilt.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Uneven pumpkin pieces: They may cook at different rates; cut the cubes to a similar size.
• Skipping the brief fry: The vegetables miss the initial cooking step; fry them for the stated 5 minutes before adding stock.
• Blending all the soup: This removes the varied texture; blend only part of the pumpkin.
• Adding beans too early: They may break down during simmering; stir them in after the pumpkin is tender.
• Pouring in too much extra stock: The soup can become thin; add it gradually and check the consistency.
• Overlooking the seasoning: Taste after mixing in the beans and adjust the salt before serving.

How to store

Cool leftovers promptly and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat gently in a pan, stirring occasionally; add a splash of stock or water if the soup has thickened.

Frequently asked questions