Recipe of the Month- Pumpkin Bean Soup

Winter squash curing in the new Activity Center basement. Delicata squash in the front, butternut in the back, and pumpkins underneath!

The news from the Craftsbury Outdoor Center garden/kitchen: we just harvested over 1,300 squash and pumpkins! You read that correctly, that is over one thousand little orange, green, and yellow balls of fall goodness. Let the winter squash cooking frenzy begin. Of course, we love all manner of pumpkin desserts, but sometimes you have to think outside the box and go the savory route. We think you’ll love warming up with a bowl of this pumpkin and bean soup on a cool fall day.

Serves 8
2 cups cooked white beans or chickpeas
6 cups pumpkin purée
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
2 Tbsp. minced fresh ginger root
4 cloves minced garlic
1 tsp. salt
Black pepper to taste
¼ cup minced fresh parsley
6-8 cups water

In a soup pot, heat the oil and sauté the onion, celery, ginger, and garlic, stirring occasionally. When tender and beginning to brown, add beans, salt, pepper, parsley, and pumpkin purée. Add 6 cups of water and simmer 15 to 25 minutes, uncovered. Add more water as necessary until the right consistency is achieved.