Pumpkin and White Bean Bisque (Vegan)
This vegan, gluten-free pumpkin and white bean bisque with a hint of fall flavors is so velvety that you wouldn't able to to detect the lack of heavy cream.
Ingredients
For the Pumpkin and White bean bisque
- 1 tsp avocado oil (or sub with any other type)
- 1 white onion (chopped, ~1 cup, can sub other types)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 3/4 tsp salt (or to taste, no more than 1 tsp)
- 1/2 cup fennel bulb (chopped, can sub with 1 tsp ground fennel seeds)
- 3 cups pumpkin (cubed, ~1lb)
- 1/4 tsp turmeric powder (optional)
- 3 leaves fresh sage* (scant 1 tbsp, finely chopped)
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper (or to taste)
- 3 cups Homemade Vegetable broth (or sub with low- or no-sodium store bought broth)
- 2 cups navy beans** (cooked, or sub with 1, 15-oz canned)
- 1 tbsp lemon zest (about one lemon)
For the bean-herb garnish
- 1/2 cup navy beans*** (cooked, or sub with other white beans)
- 1/4 cup parsley (fresh)
- 1 tbsp sage (fresh, about 3 leaves)
- 2 cloves garlic (whole)
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp water
- 2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp fresh lemon juice (or sub with apple cider or white vinegar)
Instructions
To make the pumpkin and white bean bisque
- Warm the oil a heavy-bottom soup pot over medium heat. Be sure not to smoke the oil. Add chopped onion, minced garlic, and 1/2 tsp of salt--cook till onions are soft (about 2-3 minutes).
- Add chopped fennel (or ground fennel seeds instead of fennel), cubed pumpkin, ground turmeric (if using), freshly ground black pepper, sage leaves, and remaining 1/4 tsp salt. Sweat the veggies for 3-5 minutes; add a tsp or two of water to prevent veggies sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- Add homemade vegetable broth and cooked navy beans and bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Partially cover the soup pot--leaving only a crack open-- to expedite the process (about 10 minutes).
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and let the soup simmer, partially covered, for 20-25 minutes, stirring a couple of times in between to prevent sticking. In the last 10 minutes, add the lemon zest.
- Remove from the heat and let the soup cool down for blending. Blend the soup until perfectly smooth and creamy. Serve with the bean-herb garnish or other favorite toppings. Enjoy!
To make the bean-herb garnish
- Add all the ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. This recipe yields 6 tbsp of garnish. Serve 1 tbsp per cup of the soup. Enjoy!
Notes
*can sub with 1 tbsp parsley or equal amount fresh cilantro
**can sub with equal amount cooked cannellini beans, chick peas, or Great Northern beans
***For a nutty flavor, use 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds soaked in warm water for at least 1/2 an hour prior to using.
Use it as the main course
This soup is a meal on its own. Use it over pasta or rice (1 cup/per person) or on its own with a small side salad (1.5 cups/person).
To make it heart-healthy
- Use Ditch-the-oil cooking method
- In the bean-herb garnish replace extra-virgin olive oil with vegetable broth or water.
- Decrease salt to 1/2 tsp and add 1 tbsp of lemon juice right after removing the soup from the stove.
- Use Ditch-the-oil cooking method
- In the bean-herb garnish replace extra-virgin olive oil with vegetable broth or water.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cupCalories: 159kcalCarbohydrates: 27gProtein: 7gFat: 2gSodium: 450mgPotassium: 572mgFiber: 8gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 5150IUVitamin C: 14mgCalcium: 80mgIron: 2.5mg
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