Diet: Gluten-Free, Vegetarian
It is easy to treat pumpkins as mere decorations, but they are great for eating too! The bright orange color of pumpkin is a dead giveaway that it is loaded with an import antioxidant, beta-carotene. Beta-carotene is one of the plant carotenoids converted to vitamin A in the body, and performs many important function in overall health. Pumpkins also provide plenty of vitamin C, potassium, dietary fiber, manganese and several B vitamins.
Here is a savory recipe created by Chef Alec Begovic in a cooking class at the Co-op’s Community Kitchen in Arcata.
SERVES: 8
Ingredients
- 8 cups fresh pumpkin, peeled, seeded and cut into large pieces
- 1 large yellow onion, finely diced
- 3 to 6 cups black beans, cooked
- 2 Tablespoons dry sherry or Madeira
- 1 Tablespoon garlic, minced
- 1 ½ Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
- Enough water to cover
- 1 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
- Lime juice (from ½ of a lime)
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
Directions
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Heat a large pot over high flame on the stove top. Add the oil. When the oil is hot, stir in the onions and cook until soft and translucent. Stir in the garlic and cook until golden. Pour in the sherry, stirring until liquid is reduced.
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Add the pumpkin and water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and let simmer until pumpkin is soft but not mushy. Remove from heat and process with an immersion blender until smooth, add the black beans and set aside.
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Combine sour cream, lime juice and cilantro together in a mixing bowl. Ladle Pumpkin Black Bean Soup into bowls. Add a dollop of Cilantro-Lime Sour Cream to each bowl. Serve immediately.