Reviewed: Oct. 30, 2012

awesome soup. it's incredibly easy to make, just chop, saute, dump everything together and let it simmer. it has a nice toothsome, almost meaty taste and i think the pumpkin may be responsible for that. i added extra garlic, because we're major garlic lovers, and used only one can of beef broth because we like soup on the thick side. but no matter what you do, you can't ruin it. i took someone's advice and used coriander and cumin and i think it really enhanced the flavors. i also added an extra can of black beans for more chunk, and about a cup of heavy cream because i wanted to use it up. serve it with sour cream or plain yogurt mixed with a bit of lime juice and it's heaven. not the prettiest soup out there, but you'll be coming back for more and more. thanks for recipe.

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Reviewer:

joodles

Reviewed: Oct. 30, 2012

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.

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Reviewer:

Mich.

Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: Pierrefonds, Quebec, Canada

Reviewed: Oct. 30, 2012

This was such an easy recipe and yet so good. I added some ancho chili powder and chipotle hot sauce to give it some spice. Delish!

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Reviewer:

maryann

Reviewed: Oct. 30, 2012

Frankensoup: As Hurricane/Cyclone/Superstorm Sandy swooped upon us, I served this soup to great acclaim. Suggested changes I included were: 1 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp cayenne, 1 bay leaf, chicken broth instead of beef broth, left out ham, apple cider vinegar instead of sherry vinegar, and don't forget a can of crispy corn.The dollop of sour cream is wonderful, also.

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Reviewer:

Lilymae

Reviewed: Oct. 30, 2012

Simple but satisfying !!

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Reviewer:

daphnr

Reviewed: Oct. 30, 2012

I made several changes including using vegetable broth, adding vegan taco 'meat' and adding cayanne pepper. My man does not like the texture of pumpkin pie and won't eat it, but he kept returning to the pot last night. He used tortilla chips and ate it as a dip. Rave reviews. I will definitely make this one again.

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Reviewer:

dtartchick

Cooking Level: Expert

Reviewed: Oct. 29, 2012

Made it just as ordered. Very good and not too pumpkin-ey for those who are averse to pumpkin-stuff. Will make again! Oh, btw, does not look like the photo. If they used a photo of actual soup no one would be enticed to make it.

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Reviewer:

Upperone

Reviewed: Oct. 29, 2012

This soup was a big hit with my kids! I gave this 4 stars because I agreed with many of the other reviewers that it needed a little something extra to keep it from being bland. I pureed just 1 can of the beans (adding some of the broth and juice from the tomatoes to allow it to puree) with 2 cans of beans and the tomatoes kept whole. It was plenty thick this way - just right! I also added the corn suggested by others, along with cumin, some ancho chili powder, a dash of cayenne and a healthy dose of dried cilantro. I also skipped the ham since I didn't think it would need it and wanted to keep it a little healthier (used low sodium beef broth too). That sounds like a lot, but the base recipe is a really good start, a good canvas to add your personal touches to. My kids can't wait to make this again - a definite ringing endorsement!

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Reviewer:

KrnB_23

Reviewed: Oct. 29, 2012

Like many people, I changed a few things. The idea of pumpkin and black beans was intriguing. I changed it too much to give it a 5 star, but at the same time I have to say it is a good start. I was surprised how much my family liked it. Here is what I did and I understand I am falling into the don't rate it unless you follow it exactly category, but this recipe needs a bit extra. I added two cans of the 15 oz pumpkin to thicken b/c it has less sodium than adding 3 cans of black beans w/one pureed so I only added two cans of the black beans. I added 2 tsp of all spice (mine says Jamaican all spice, but I think they are all the same) to enhance the pumpkin flavor and I went with a dollop of cream cheese instead of the sour cream. Again, this is a great base, just play with it.

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Reviewer:

good food, happy family

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Indianapolis, Indiana, USA

Reviewed: Oct. 29, 2012

Delicious, nutritious & expeditious! Hubby said it was one of the best soups he has ever had. Changes made were: 1) added 1 tsp ground coriander, 1 tsp ground cumin, 0.5 tsp cayenne pepper, 6 cloves minced garlic (instead of four) 2) omitted salt & ham 3) added 1 cup frozen corn 4) only puréed 2 cans black beans ( would probably only purée one can next time). I would take this over chili any day of the week...try it, you will be very pleasantly surprised!

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