Pumpkin Black Bean Soup

This soup is delicious! I love to make soup, and my husband always greets them with a bit of a groan. This soup put the biggest grin on his face for a very long time. His exact words were "this is so....wierd, but great!" I made this in a vegetarian version, with 3C vegetable broth, no ham, apple cider vinegar, cumin, bay leaf, and red pepper flakes. I served it with a spoon full of sour cream. It smelled like thanksgiving while it was cooking. excellent, and even better the next day!

This was excellent! The pumpkin is very subtle, but good. I added cider vinegar because I didn't have sherry vinegar and it was very good. I ate for lunch for two days in row after and it is very good as leftovers. Great for my low calorie high fiber diet.

Mmmmm...this soup was very tasty with a few alterations. I used home made black beans, fresh tomatoes, extra garlic & onion, and added 1tsp cumin, 1/4 tsp cayenne, bay leaf, and used apple cider vinegar instead of sherry. I didn't use all of the broth either; we like our soups thicker. Definitely a keeper!

I bought a larger can of pumpkin than I needed, so I was looking for a good recipe to use the remainder of the can. This was as easy as could be. Didn't have sherry vinegar so followed others suggestions and used apple cider vinegar. It was a little strong, so I'd bring that down to 2.5 T. I used a can diced tomatoes with green chiles for flavor and added the cumin and coriander suggested by others. I think I would puree only one can of the black beans and put in two cans whole, but that's personal preference, I like soup a little chunky. Skipped the ham (didn't want the additional sodium) and did add a dollop of fat free sour cream that I'd mixed with fresh chives first from baked potatoes the night before. It wasn't mentioned in the directions, but once all the ingredients are in the pot, bring to a boil and then reduce to a med/low simmer for the balance of the cooking time, rather than straight medium the entire time. Nice recipe, thanks for sharing!

The reviewer that mentioned the appearance of this soup was not kidding. It is not pretty. But is is a very hearty and inexpensive soup that served as a great work week lunch for me. I skipped the ham, used vegetable broth and apple cider vinegar. I also used fresh beans. the pumpkin is VERY subtle. I would suggest reducing the amount of beans if you want to highlight the pumpkin more.

This is a decent base recipe, but it needs a lot of help to become something good. I would recommend the Jamaican Black Bean Chili if you want a well rounded recipe to work with. (It is the only other recipe on this site that combines pumpkin and black beans.)

This was excellent the first day and even better as leftovers. The ham adds nothing. I think it would be fine without any meat at all; if I were to add meat again next time, I would try some shredded beef.

As a vegetarian I am always on the look out for new recipes with beans, this one is fabulous and so cheap. I use dried beans, and if anyone is interested - a 1 pound bag of dry black beans yields 6 cups of cooked beans. A can of beans is roughly 2 cups, so a 1 pound bag is exactly what you need for this recipe. I cook the beans using the gas free method (http://www.recipezaar.com/Basic-Dried-Beans-49960) then use a little water when pureeing as they tend to be a little drier than the canned version. I also use vegetable broth and add 1/4 tsp cayenne and 1 tsp cumin. Delicious, thanks!

I enjoyed this recipe - I have to admit half way through it I started thinking to myself that this must be a joke. Pumpkin, black beans and beef broth? Who would have thought? I didn't use the ham and I think that would have helped the overall flavor - I did add some green chiles to the black bean and tomato mixture. I will listen to some of the other reviewers and add some cumin and coriander next time. Thanks for the recipe.

Delish! pureed some jalapenos with the black beans for a little spice. I was worried b/c my husband doesn't care for pumpkin/squash flavors but it is so subtle he really liked it.

What a lovely soup! I grew a lot of black beans this year, and was searching this site for a good recipe. I probably wouldn't have tried this one, because of the heavy reliance on canned products...but I happened to have grown a lot of winter squash this year, so I tried it. I wouldn't ever have thought of the combination, and it's very good. I'll bet it's even better with pumpkin. I did add cumin and coriander. I'll be sure to grow more black beans and some pumpkin next year, and eat this soup all through the late fall.

This soup was delicious and perfect for a cold, winter's night. I did make a few changes, just based on what my family prefers. I cut the onion down significantly, only using about 1/4 cup diced (since I added everything to my slow cooker, I was able to skip the butter part:). I also didn't use the ham at all, used vegetable broth, and added corn, making this a vegetarian meal. I made this really easy on myself, putting everything in my crock pot and cooking it on low for about 6 hours. Everyone really loved it and I plan on making it again.

Delish! I recommend cutting down the liquid to 3 cups of broth (chicken broth worked great), 2 T. cider vinegar, and 1/2 t. cumin. Don't need 1/4 c. butter to brown the onions and garlic, I used 1 T. butter and 1 T. olive oil to make it healthier. No need to add salt either, there is enough in the broth and canned stuff. Great recipe!

Needing a recipe for which I had all ingredients on hand, I snapped this one up right away. Unfortunately, it's one of those that lacks "oomph" when you follow directions to a T, but definitely warrants an upgrade with a few simple seasonings. After discovering that most of the raves came from cooks who doctored the recipe, I wanted to see how it came out as intended. Meh. It was bland and a bit too vinegary -- somewhere in the order of 2.5 stars. The addition of 1 tsp. each cumin and chili powder, plus letting it sit several hours before serving, helped bunches. And next time I'll only use 2 Tbsp. of vinegar. Thus doctored, I'd elevate it to a 3.5. I'm eating leftovers as I type, and it's even better a few days later, as it has thickened up nicely. I'd make it again--it's a good wintery soup. But it's not getting 5 stars from me. I save that for recipes I adore.

This is a fabulous recipe. I use less butter and regular vinegar and it still turns out delicious. Add just a little less vinegar if you're going to use the regular kind because it can be a little too strong.

I added 1 1/2 pounds browned ground beef instead of the ham. Heavenly.

Oh my goodness! This is my new favorite! My whole family raved at how yummy this was, even my 14 year old son said it is now his favorite! I won't know if it tastes better the following day, there is none left. I used apple cider vinegar as many suggested. I also used deli ham that I cut up and sauteed and added cilantro before serving. I also used tomatoes with jalepenos and added about 1/4 tsp of garlic-chili paste. What a healthy and yummy dish!

I made it vegetarian by substituting vegetable broth and eliminating the ham. Also, I pureed the beans with the broth and left the tomatoes in chunks and added corn (this made it look more appetizing as well). I added cumin and coriander as well. Delicious!

Fabulous! This recipe gave me the opportunity to try out my new immersion blender which allowed me to puree the beans right in the soup pot :-) I made the following modifications to the recipe: Used a can of "Zesty Chili Style" diced tomatoes for some added kick; 2 chicken boullion cubes and 2 beef boullion cubes to make the broth; 2 Tblsp. cider vinegar; 1/4 tsp. baking soda (to lessen the acidity of the tomatoes and vinegar); and 1/2 tsp. of Penzey's new spice blend called "Forward".

balsamic vinegar does the trick here! yum!!!!

I was excited to try this but it did not work for me. I found it too be earthy and bland. I even added cumin, coriander and tomatoes with chile peppers as suggested.

Great Soup! I love pumpkin and this was a great way to incorporate in into other dishes. I didn't add the ham or the sherry vinegar and I substituted vegetable broth instead of the beef. I only used 2 cups of broth to make it thicker. So Good!

Changes based on what I had on hand: Rotel in place of diced tomatoes, cider vinegar for sherry vinegar (1/2), chicken broth, and no ham. The soup was very bland so I simmered it down for *2 hours* and it came out wonderful. Will definitely use the Rotel again - gave it a nice kick. Update: giving this recipe 5 stars because it became so addictive, I can't wait to make this again!

Yum! I added 1 tsp. of cumin and chili powder as suggested by others and only used 2 cups of vegetable broth and no ham in order to make it vegetarian. Delicious!

This is so good. But, I am the only one in my house who enjoys soup. So, I freeze the leftovers in silicone muffin trays. I put the frozen cubes (shaped like a hockey puck) in a large freezer bag. Then I can take 2-3 cubes/pucks to work for lunch.

DELICIOUS!!! The more you let it sit after making it the thickness slowly develops into this tasty soup with a hint of "something" that people would never guess its the pumpkin. Also, I didn't use sherry wine but instead I used a 1 tsp of rice vinegar and it came out just fine!!!

I thought this soup was pretty good but needed a little help. I added 1 tsp. cumin, 1/2 tsp. coriander and a healthy shot of mango hot sauce. I had some leftover black japonica rice from a previous meal and threw that in, which thickened it up a bit. Made a great meal along side a grilled cheese sandwich.

This was very good though I did change the recipe quite a bit based on other reviews in order to give it more flavor. I pureed only 2 cans of black beans and left the third whole. I used a can of fire-roasted tomatoes only 3 C broth and a 28 oz can of pumpkin. I also added cayenne, cumin, ground coriander and turmeric. This was much better the second day

My husband and I both really liked this soup. Mine did turn out darker than in the picture but the taste made up for it. I followed another reviewers advise and added 1 1/2 tbs cumin, 1/2 tsp cinnamon and 1/4 tsp nutmeg. I also added 1/2 tsp cajun seasoning. All I had was white vinegar, I thought it might be to strong so I skipped entirely. This was even better the next day. My husband is still talking about it 3 days later. I will make this again.

I liked this soup. I added sweet corn and used bacon instead of ham. Used cider vinegar because that was all I had. I thought the vinegar taste was a little strong, I may add less next time.

This is a delicious and flavorful soup. I am a vegetarian so I substituted veggie broth and soy bratwurst. I also used apple cider vinegar instead of the sherry. I have also added corn from time to time and enjoyed the added texture. This is one of my favorite soups. I highly recommend it!

Loved this soup! I was a bit skeptical, but it came out great, and my husband said it his new favorite. Asked me to make it again! A few tips. I used a hand immersion blender to puree the beans and tomatoes. I like to avoid the extra appliance if I can and this worked out fine. I didn't have 3 cans of black beans so I used a can of pinto beans to replace one can of black beans and it came out great. I also took the recommendation of other reviewers and added a touch of cumin and used canned tomatoes with chiles (because I had it on hand). Served with sour cream and this was excellent. Thank you for sharing.

I've made this recipe twice and am astounded by the ease and the rich flavor in short order! I used pumpkin that I grew and it just happened to taste more like buttercup squash but great in this recipe! I did make slight modifications... first time I followed recipe but used a dash of EVOO instead of butter and left out the ham. Today, again EVOO instead of butter and no ham and I didn't bother to drain the beans (makes it even richer), used extra pumpkin, onion and garlic and replaced beef broth with veggie broth. great for vegetarian or vegans!

This was a great soup. I couldn't find the attachments to our blender or food processor, so I mashed the bean and tomatoes with a potato masher, and it still turned out great. Thanks.

Love it! I added alot more pumpkin than the recipe called for (used fresh pumpkins which were roasted and pureed). I also added alot of spices: cumin, chili powder, garlic. Don't forget the vinegar, its just not quite right without it. Topped with cilantro and sour cream. Served with cornbread. Delish!

My family loves this soup! We have taken it to family parties, potlucks and plan on it for our New Year party. Everyone loves it and I have given out the recipe to numerous people. Did as other reviewers suggested and only pureed one can of beans to make it thicker.

This is by far the best soup ever! Even my husband (who doesn't really like soup) said that the recipe was a keeper. I ran out of sherry vinegar so I substituted it for 1/4 of Sherry and I only had chicken broth in the house so I used it. It was fantastic!

flavorless (but we didn't add the ham either)

I made this recipe almost exactly as written (I didn't have sherry vinegar, so I just added half the measure of red wine). It had a VERY subtle flavor, almost weak. Not enough flavor to carry the soup on its own, but enough to not be bland. Most of the high reviewers added several pungent spices to the dish that would seriously alter the flavor chemistry. Having made the original, I am in agreement with doctoring the spices a bit. The recipe makes for a great base, but needs to be flavored according to your tastes. My husband ate all of the leftovers, but I think it was more because he had missed lunch than because he really liked it.

Used one large 24.5 oz. can of black beans for the puree and one 14.5 oz. can of diced, no salt added, tomatoes and leftover stewed tomatoes in the fridge to make the 16 oz. When added to the blender, it was too thick to puree so I slowly added one cup of chicken broth; it worked; the puree was smooth. I used 1/4 c. margarine but next time I will use the margarine/oil combination mentioned by others; you don't need 1/4 cup. Since I used fresh pumpkin, I only needed a total of 2 cups of chicken broth and one cup of water. Next time, I will use only two cups of chicken broth for a thicker soup. I omitted the ham; didn't have on hand and used apple cider vinegar in lieu of the sherry vinegar (same reason). I also added 1 teaspoon of cumin. Very filling but not pretty.

Good start as a base that needs zapping up, so I only gave a 4. I used three cans of black beans and 2 cans of pumpkin. Used chicken stock and only 2 cups, at that. Instead of tomatoes, I used about 1/2 cup of Rogan Josh sauce by Pataks and about a teaspoon of Slap yo Mama seasoning and a quarter cup of sherry (not cooking sherry!). I had no ham, so added a few slices of thick cut bacon while it cooked and removed them before serving and chopped some fresh celantro to sprinkle on top. The soup was a hit!

I made this pretty much as stated but used dried black beans, omitted ham to lower sodium and added cumin and chili powder and it was very good. I also added corn, since it appears to be in the picture and seemed a good addition, which it was!

I changed this recipe a bit but it tasted amazing and got good reviews from my family. I used olive oil instead of butter, vegetable broth instead of beef broth, apple cider vinegar instead of sherry vinegar, and I omitted the ham. To make heartier, I also added some chopped baked redskin potatoes and chopped mushrooms. I also used paprika, cumin, tumeric, and celery salt for seasoning. I didn't add barley, but I think it would also be a great addition to the soup. It was great as leftovers as well.

Surprisingly good! Only used two cans of black beans, didn't drain completely. I did not puree any of the ingredients. Added chopped celery and carrots, sauteed with the onions. Used veggie broth & 2 tbsp of apple cider vinegar. I really want to try this with 3 tbsp red wine vinegar next time. No need for salt - so many of the ingredients have it added already! Hubby garnished w/ tabasco, I sprinkled a little "Frank's Red Hot".

Yummy! Nice contrast of flavors.. I left half the beans whole for texture, used salsa in place of tomatoes because that's what I had on hand, and because I'm vegetarian I used vegetable broth and left out the ham. Very easy, very tasty. Thanks for the recipe!

This soup is absolutely delicious with one major variation! Reduce the vinegar to 2 tsps and sub apple cider vinegar for the sherry vinegar (really brings out the pumpkin). I also made it vegetarian by omitting the ham and substituting vegetable stock. To make up for the missing flavor I sauteed 1/2 tsp cumin and 1/4 tsp cayenne powder with the onions and garlic, and used chipotle diced tomatoes. Once everything was combined, I added 1/2 tsp cinnamon to bring out the pumpkin flavor and WOW!

Wonderful!! Just right on a cool Fall evening:) I made this last night before we went to a Halloween party and my husband just loved it! He said this is so good with almost every bite:) This morning I overheard him talking with his mom on the phone and he told her he was eating a black bean soup "my wife made" and how much he liked it. sure enough there were no left overs for lunch. :) This will be a keeper in my family. I added just a slosh of regular cream to my own bowl, loved it. Hubby likes it as is:)

I really enjoyed this. Even my husband who at first had turned up his nose at it, enjoyed it. I did add frozen corn and and extra can of diced tomatoes to it.Also, I used regular sherry in it, not the vinegar version. Of course, I topped it with sour cream and cilantro. It was fantastic. If I made a vegetarian version, I would serve it as a first course at a dinner party it was that good.

My 9-year-old daughter, who is pretty picky when it comes to soups, called this the "best soup I've ever had." Everyone raved about it. I didn't add the ham as I have vegetarians in my family, and I used just a couple of teaspoons of rice vinegar instead of sherry vinegar, because that was what I had on hand. I used fresh pumpkin from my father-in-law's garden and canned black beans and canned tomatoes, and used beef bouillon instead of canned beef broth. Very, very good. My 14-year-old son wanted me to go out, buy another pumpkin, and make this again tomorrow. :-)

I double the ham and onions and added the ham at the beginning. As a result, I definitely tasted the ham unlike some others - like a black bean ham and beans! Added some cumin and slap your mama spice for a bit more flavor! I thought it was delish!

surprisingly tasty

I have already made this soup twice, it is so good. The only change I made the second time I made it, was that I only used 1T of apple cider vinegar. And I didn't drain the beans. This is a simple one-pot dinner for cold nights. Thank you!

I did not care for this soup. I made this recipe exactly as written. The combination of flavors didn't work for me at all. Sorry

Very good and unique soup. I'm glad I was curious enough to try it, because I really liked it -for flavor, for how easy it was to make, and for all the healthy stuff in it. I didn't have sherry vinegar on hand, so I used cider vinegar instead. If anything, I might add a little less vinegar next time. It wasn't an unpleasant flavor, but it did seem a little too strong. I used butter like the recipe calls for (mmm...butter), but next time I'll try olive oil to make it even healthier.

This soup is delicious! Skipped the onion. Used a can of "black beans with chiles and lime" along with 2 cans regular beans. The jalapeno gave it just the right amount of kick. This is a new house favorite, look forward to making again and again. Oh, and I did not add the salt, this soup was salty enough without.

Followed recipe to the T...Flavor was delicious ...my husband was in love and went back for seconds (unusual). Next time I'll reduce a can of broth as it was a little thinner than I would have liked. But the flavor? YUM!

Such a great soup! I used dried black beans (6 C when cooked), 2C diced fresh tomatoes, 2C chicken broth + 2 C water, 2C fresh mashed pumpkin. I also added 2T cumin, 1/2 teaspoons each nutmeg & cinnamon. And squeezed fresh lime on it just before eating- topped with cilantro & unsweetened kefir yogurt... YUMMY! I left out the sherry vinegar & ham because we didn't have. SOOOO good!

My husband loved this soup. I thought it was good but didn't enjoy the sweet/tangy aspect of the vinegar. I think next time I will either omit the vinegar or just put in 1 T instead of 3. I also would like to put in some cumin next time.

Wow! I figured this soup would be good, but not THIS good! I did things a bit differently, but it came out delicious. I used 2 cans of black beans, pureed, and only 2 cups of broth. What I got was a thick soup that's perfect for fall and wintertime. Thank you so much for this recipe!

So good! But it definitely needs a little doctoring up; I added an extra can of whole black beans and a can of corn. I also added cumin, 2 jalapenos, cayenne, garlic salt and garlic powder. Also the tomatoes I added were "red pepper tomatoes". Delish!!!!

Very yummy. You wouldn't know there was pumpkin in there unless someone told you. I skipped the upfront blending and instead used my immersion blender for a bit right in the pot before adding the ham. Chopped the ham very finely, so the kids couldn't really eat around it. Stirred in some sour cream at the end and added a dollop on each bowl along with shredded cheddar.

One of the 3-star reviews commented that every 4- or 5-star reviewer did not make this soup as written but doctored it significantly with various herbs and add-ins. So I was kind of scared to make the soup straight up, not knowing what to expect, but I'm glad I forged ahead. You'll be happy to know that we all enjoyed this soup, and I made it as true to the recipe as I could. I did make the following changes (don't groan... I promise, I didn't mess with it much!): olive oil and canola oil subbed for the butter to make it vegan; powdered beef broth, ditto. Left out the ham (not kosher!) and used homemade frozen pumpkin instead of canned, and apple cider vinegar as others have done. I hope the cynics won't see that as too many changes! We definitely got a good sense of what this delicious fall soup is all about without a lot of hassle. With these changes, it becomes a quick and filling vegan AND kosher soup. Thanks for sharing the recipe!

I thought this soup was pretty good, but after tasting, I did need to add more flavor. I did so by putting a shakes of Mrs. Dash's Soutwestern seasoning in it. That gave it the needed boast. It was more soupy than we like, so next time I will use less broth and maybe add some corn to it. Will make again. As many have said, the pumpkin taste doesn't come through, so don't be afraid to try this very different combination.

Don't think you can subvert the directions and make this in a crockpot, as it never thickens! Quite tasty, though, after I transferred it to a pot.

This was outstanding! I only used 1 can of black beans & blended it with 2 small cans of "Embasa medium Salsa Mexicana" for the puree blend. I didn't add onions, garlic, etc....the salsa mexicana gave it enough kick. I added a can of garbonzo beans for some added texture. Enjoy! :)

This soup was awesome! So easy to make and very filling. I didn't have any black beans, so I used one can of kidney beans and a 30 oz. can of pintos. I pureed the kidney beans but kept all of the pintos whole. I also added 1 t. ground cumin and left out the salt. Oh, and I added a few dashes of cayenne. So yummy! I can't wait to eat leftovers.

I followed the recipe to the I and the T and was extremely disappointed. The texture and color turned out to be that of pureed brown sledge. I'm sorry. I gave it "soup" the day that was recommended when it would even taste better, yet I felt even worse that I had spent resources on this recipe. :(

Really good. Made as-is except substituted apple cider vinegar for the sherry vinegar. Was a teeny bit too strong, may only put in 2 T next time if I do apple cider.

I loved this but had to add a bit of New Mexico's Hatch Green Chilies to spice it up a bit. I also added a dash of Louisiana Hot Sauce. I pressure cooked the beans and had wonderful ham to add. I also added lots of cut up tomatoes from my freezer as I had a bumper crop of tomatoes last year. Good hearty, THICK and filling soup. Great for watching weight. Omit the ham for a vegan treat.

Followed the instructions exactly and it was delicious. Even my 5 year old son loved it. Served with the Down Home Maine Pumpkin Bread that is also on this website.

Excellent cold-weather meal. It has a mild, crowd-pleasing flavor and can be adjusted easily. I use apple cider vinegar and skip the ham. I've found that homemade turkey broth adds a nice flavor to the soup.

Followed the recipe as written the best I could while being vegetarian. Vegetable broth instead of beef, and no ham. EXCELLENT!! Thank you for submitting such a great recipe with healthy ingredients. Easy to use home grown veggies instead too.

This is a great base recipe, but as written, I probably would have given the recipe 3 stars. I made the soup and there was just something . . . . missing. Although other reviewers mentioned adding cumin and cayenne, I wanted to emphasize the pumpkin (which is VERY subtle) instead of the black beans. I borrowed from a Bon Appetite pumpkin soup recipe and added: 2 Tbsp sugar, 1/2 tsp each of nutmeg, cinnamon, corriander and sage, and 1/4 tsp. of allspice and curry. I then brought it to a boil and turned it low, low (below simmering) for about an hour to let the flavors meld. Wow. Complex, interesting soup. Loved it. Wouldn't recommend adding all the spices if you have little ones, but for a more adventuresome palate the modifications are tasty.

Wow. Talk about FILLING and low calorie all in one recipe. I cut back a little on the butter and left out the ham but added some plain greek yogurt in the end. I added a tiny bit of blue cheese in mine and some sharp cheddar for the hubby and kids. I also used all fresh ingredients instead of canned (roasted pumpkin, black beans, and tomatoes). The kids added some toasted pumpkin seeds. I added some cumin. We all liked it.

This soup was hearty and filling but does need some herbs to liven it up a bit.

It drives me crazy to see people give a recipe 5 stars, only with adjustments that make it very different. This means if someone makes it to recipe, they are getting something totally different than what you've actually eaten. 3 stars to the original recipe, and 5 to the adjustment recipe. I've made it to recipe and with adjustments, and to recipe was just not great. Adjustments: Used green onions and less butter to start. Need either less broth or more beans, as 4 cups to 3 cans = watery mess. Used diced tomatoes with green peppers, substituted veg broth for beef, and omitted the ham. Used apple cider vinegar instead of sherry. These adjustments made for a terrific soup. I'm sorry to say, the original just wouldn't cut it in my kitchen.

This is one of my favorite recipes, I'm so glad I found it. It is a hearty, satisfying fall/winter soup. Even if you're a little turned off by the word 'pumpkin' and 'soup' in the same sentence, give it a try. The pumpkin is not overpowering, and the way it blends with the black beans is really delicious. My husband was skeptical when I told him what I was making, then as he was eating he couldn't stop saying how good it was.

tasty and satisfying

I love his soup. I made a few additions. I sauteed a combination of onions, celery and green pepper instead of just onions. I left them a bit al dente. I added cumin, and a sliced jalapeno. Also added some fresh corn that I put in at the end. SO GOOD! Next time I am going to do pancetta.

With amendments, this soup was both surprising and amazing! I added both cumin and garam masala, two ingredients that I never make black beans without! I also increased (nearly doubled) the pumpkin, because I love pumpkin. Lastly, because I'm a carnivore, I fried chunks of beef before making this and added them to the stew - hearty and very yummy! This was a perfect way to use my leftover cans of pumpkin from the holidays!

The soup is definitely unusual and not bad, but I had to come back to the recipe reviews to find suggestions for additional spices. I initially doubled the pumpkin because I couldn't taste it at all - even though I only used 2 cans of beans. I'm also curious how the first photo turned out so orange colored since the other three pix (and my soup) came out a reddish black. Off to add some cumin!

This soup is phenomenal! Truly addicting! I somehow totally forgot to add the tomatoes, so I'll try that next time. I didn't add ham and used red wine vinegar since that's what I had on hand. It definitely needed the help of some crushed red peppers and I added a touch of curry. The sour cream on top was just what it needed to complete this soup. Definitely is going to be a staple in my house!

i was a bit concerned about this soup... but i shouldn't have been! It was delicious. I sauted the ham with the onion and garlic. it really brought out the ham flavor. I didn't blend the tomatoes and beans as directed...instead i used a potato masher while it was cooking and mashed it up a bit. i also added cumin and cayenne pepper. It was super easy and very good.

This soup takes remarkably like baked beans. If I wanted baked beans (and I didn't) I would have bought a can rather than getting my food processor dirty. Very disappointing! This is the first time I have disliked something that contains black beans.

I thought this was really good, but wish I had stopped at 2 cans of beans. I think the 3rd can obscured the pumpkin flavor a little too much. I used some venison sausage instead of ham, omitted the vinegar, and added a little chili powder and allspice. My husband loved it!

Yuk. I think it probably needs chicken broth instead of beef broth. Very weird combo.

This was the perfect, healthful compliment to a cold, winter weekend dinner

Yes, this is an ugly but a goodie. My family enjoyed this! I cooked dried black beans according to directions and used those instead of canned beans. I used about half a can of diced tomatoes with green chilies and a small can of tomato sauce. I also added 1/4 teaspoon cumin and used chicken broth instead of beef. I omitted the ham (although I used a bit of bacon when simmering my beans). I didn't puree any of it in the hopes that it would showcase the orange of the pumpkin (and to simplify). It worked at first but by the time it had simmered, the orange color had turned into an ugly brownish color.

It's ok as written but isn't a favorite. The only changes I made at the end were blending everything together because I didn't like the consistency with whole beans. After tasting I added a couple tablespoons of fat free sour cream; that helped a lot. I think that if I make this again I'll add half and half or whipping cream to the soup toward the end of cooking. I may also try it with two cans of pumpkin to see if that is better. If you are looking for pumpkin flavored soup then this is not the recipe for you; it tastes similar to normal black bean soup. I ended up throwing most of it out.

Great tasting, easy to make soup that tastes even better the next day. As suggested by other reviewers, I used apple cider vinegar in place of the sherry vinegar since I didn't have that on-hand. I made a batch with vegetable broth and without ham and that was great too. The only reason for 4 stars instead of 5 is really superficial: this is the ugliest soup ever. Puréed black beans and pumpkin: you do the math. Fortunately this soup has a really wonderful personality.

at first i rated it 3 stars b/c you know everyone else liked it so much... but i couldn't even finish it - i dumped the leftovers - therefore it's a two star... but i would be willing to try it again if i made a few variations - for one - i'd use brown beans and more pumpkin b/c i couldn't even taste the pumpkin

I didn't really like this soup. I made mine with fresh ingredients instead of canned - so maybe that was why it was bland (doesn't make sense, but I'm trying to come up with a reason). The 2nd day I added much more spices to make it more of a black bean pumpkin chili - chili powder, onions, jalepenos, cumin, corn and more tomatoes and it was very good. Next time I try something like this I will not puree it, I think I would have enjoyed it better with more texture.

I made it this afternoon and I found it to be quite bland actually - I did switch out the beef broth for chicken and i used pancetta instead of ham. I landed up adding a little more salt, pepper and I added 7.5ml of cumin and chilli powder. Helped a bit. I did add frozen corn - in the photo not in the recipe. Still needs something though. Oh well.

Hearty and satisfying. I used turkey sausage and chicken broth for my first time, but I will go with the exact recipe next time.

My husband and son loved this. I just thought it was OK. But it is still a great option for an easy, healthy, inexpensive dinner. I think that I used 2 C less broth than was called for since we like thicker soup. Otherwise, I made as directed.

delicious! picky 7yo even liked it. always a good sign!

I did not puree the beans and I used fresh instead of canned. Soup needs to sit a day for the flavors to blend. Nice filling soup.

Very healthy and tasty. I used chicken broth (didn't have beef broth) and omitted the ham. Also, I would use a little less onion next time.

Hmmm... this was not really the fall meal that I was looking for. I couldn't taste the pumpkin and it was really bland. I had to add a ton of extra salt to enhance the flavor, which is something I really don't like to do, and adding some cumin per others' suggestions. After that it was decent, but I still doubt I'll be making this again anytime soon.