Well, whaddya know? I just made soup. From a recipe. Some applause, please. Reward this healthy, adult, pro-social behavior.

The inspiration came from Everybody Likes Sandwiches, which I’ve recently discovered to be a wonderful resource for easy and non-intimidating recipes (that are also fun to read!). I chose her black bean pumpkin soup for my first cooking foray because it sounded delicious and even more importantly, like something I could handle.

And the result? A spicy yummy soup. And now I have lots of leftovers to keep me warm for the rest of the week! I followed the recipe exactly as below, but you can easily make a veggie version using vegetable instead of beef broth.

black bean pumpkin soup

1 T olive oil
1 can of black beans, rinsed and drained
1 large onion, chopped
6 fat garlic cloves, minced
2 T cumin
1 t chipotle powder
salt & pepper
4 c beef broth
1 1/2 c pumpkin puree
1 T cider vinegar

In a large pot, sautee the onion and garlic in oil until soft. Add the cumin and chipotle and the can of beans and mash with a potato masher. Dump in the pumpkin puree and the broth and bring to a simmering boil. Just before serving, add in the cider vinegar and season with salt and pepper.