There are a few four letter words I simply cannot stand like DIET and COLD to name two.

But somehow I stumbled upon a SOUP recipe on ediets.com that made me WARM up a bit.

I mean really, how could I possibly resist making Black BEAN Pumpkin soup?

I couldn’t.

So I made a double batch because apparently I think I’m cooking for an ARMY when in reality I am an ARMY of one. But, the soup is quite tasty and VERY healthy so I KNOW I made the right decision.

Anyway, here is the ediets.com recipe for…

Black Bean Pumpkin Soup

• ¾ cup canned black beans, rinsed thoroughly, drained
• ¼ cup diced tomatoes, fresh
• 2 tsp. olive oil
• 2 oz. ham, low sodium, 96% fat free, chopped
• ¼ cup onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• ¼ tsp. ground cumin
• ¼ tsp. ground black pepper
• 1-½ cup vegetable broth, low sodium
• ¼ cup pumpkin puree
• 2 tsp. apple cider vinegar

Puree ¼ cup of the black beans and tomatoes in food processor until smooth. Add oil, ham, onion, garlic, cumin and black pepper into pot. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until onions are softened. Add pureed mixture and remainder of beans, broth, pumpkin and vinegar. Mix until well blended; simmer for about 20-25 minutes. Serve.

Of course, I went the vegetarian route and excluded the PORK (YUCK!) from my version and added in a few more spices like cayenne pepper to KICK it up a notch. And since I have plenty of leftovers I froze the soup in individual containers so they are a SNAP to defrost when I’m ready for some CHOW.

Now I really must go hit the gym and HEAT up some lunch. I HOPE you have a souper day!

Things to do on a cold October day:

• Brew a Whole Latte Protein
• Bake some cupcakes
• Make some soup
• Go to the grocery store (NuVal? How did I function without you?)
• Watch a video

Whatever you do, enjoy your day because:

“A Sunday well-spent brings a week of content.” ~Proverb

Remember this Seinfeld Episode?

I couldn’t help but think about this clip when I was making Pumpkin & Spice Soup just for you.

I found this recipe Elaine, I mean,  Mellissa posted when I was checking out Zesty’s site.  Mellissa calls this recipe Curried Pumpkin & Apple Soup which is entirely appropriate, but when I made it, I forgot the curry because I was in too big of a hurry.

Nevertheless, if you like a healthy, hearty, hot soup (and by hot I mean both temperature and spice)  you just might fall for a medium Pumpkin & Spice Soup:

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 tsp curry powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp cayenne
• Pinch red pepper flakes
• 3 apples, cored and chopped
• 15-oz can pumpkin puree
• 2 2/3 cups low-sodium chicken broth (I used vegetable broth)
• 2/3 cup water
• 1 tsp cane sugar (I used stevia)

Directions

1. Pour oil into large saucepan and place over medium heat.
2. Add onion, garlic, curry, cumin and cayenne.
3. Saute, stirring often until onion is soft.
4. Stir in apples, pumpkin, broth, water and sugar.

1. Bring to boil, cover and reduce heat to low.
2. Simmer for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Puree soup in a food processor or with a hand blender, to achieve desired consistency. I used my Magic Bullet.
4. Just before serving, return to pot on low heat.

This soup is full of flavor and will keep you full, so there’s really no need to serve it with anything else. Therefore, please don’t bother asking for bread or no soup for you.