A Perfect Cold Weather Meal: Chunky Spicy Pumpkin Peanut Vegetable Soup That Doubles as a Stew

 

 Spicy Pumpkin Peanut Vegetable Soup

 

Every so often we try a new recipe that absolutely knocks our socks off!

Last night's stew/soup falls into that category. It's a bit of a riff off of Robin Robertson's "Vegan on the Cheap", Peanutty Pumpkin Stew . This easy spicy hearty comfort soup is loaded with nutrition. Just check out the nutrition facts.  Wild, huh?

It will definitely go on our "short list" of favorite stews/soups.

It's a spicy one--but, in a good way!  Got my nose running.  The Lab Rat's, too.  Not into spicy?  Just add the chiles & the curry slowly.

And on day two--it was even better--dense deliciousness.  It had magically turned into stew.

This soup/stew is definitely a nutrient/taste powerhouse, superbly combining all my favorites.  Pumpkin, potatoes, peas, peanut butter, tomatoes, & black beans.  

I hope you enjoy this as much as we did.  Please let me know.

 

Adapted & enlightened from Robin Robertson's, "Vegan on the Cheap".

Serves 6 (2 cups per serving)

 

Ingredients:

1 large onion, chopped

2 medium/large carrots, chopped

2 medium potatoes, chopped

1 garlic clove, chopped

1 (14.5 ounce) can of crushed tomatoes (I used Muir Glen Fire-Roasted)

1 (16 ounce) can of solid-pack pumpkin

1/3 cup of 100% natural peanut butter (or a combo of PB2 or Better'n Peanut Butter)

2 tablespoons of low-sodium soy sauce

2 teaspoons of sweet or regular curry powder

2 cups of low-sodium vegetable broth

1 (15.5 ounce) can of no-salt black beans, drained & rinsed (or 1 1/2 cups homemade)

1 (4 ounce) can of chopped green chiles, drained (can use fresh)

1 1/2 cups of frozen peas, thawed

1/4 cup of dry roasted, unsalted peanuts, chopped (optional garnish)

2 tablespoons of fresh parsley, chopped (optional garnish)

 

Directions:

1.   Preheat a large soup pot on medium, before adding the onions, carrots, potatoes & garlic.  "Dry" saute by covering the pot, & cooking until softened, about 7 minutes, allowing the onions to "sweat".  Take a peek every 2 minutes or so, stir, & add a few tablespoons of vegetable broth if the vegetables start to stick--to deglaze the pot.

2.  Once the vegetable are nicely softened, stir in tomatoes, pumpkin, peanut butter, soy sauce, curry powder & vegetable broth, stirring after each addition until well blended.

3.  Add the beans, chiles, & any salt or pepper you might prefer--to taste.  Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the soup is hot and the flavors are nicely blended together--about 20 minutes.

4.  Add the peas right before serving--mixing into the soup.  

5. Garnish with a sprinkle of chopped peanuts & parsely.

 

 

Nutritional Info--Based on a 2 cup serving size

 

 

 

 

 

Comments

[Constance Briad]

Hi, I left out the peas and potatoes when I made this last night. It was terrific for lunch and dinner again today! I used kidney beans and Trader Joes's fire roasted tomatoes with green chiles and added some garam masala and sprinkled pumpkin seeds on top. I will definitely follow your updated recipe next time. You are not overselling, there is something so delicious about this soup/stew, think it is the peanut butter that really makes it pop.

[Healthy Librarian]

Thanks for the feedback, Constance. Interesting that you left out the potatoes & peas, because I thought they were key players in the deliciousness of this dish. Pumpkin & peanut butter, too--of course. So happy you liked it! Next time--add the potatoes & peas, and let me know what you think--unless of course, you don't like them. Debby

[Kelly V]

Is solid pack pumpkin the same as the stuff I would use to make a pie?

[carla]

Hi Deb,

Long time reader of your blog here...just wanted to check in and let you know how much I appreciate your wonderful updates on Facebook. SO many interesting articles and updates on all the topics that are so meaningful to me. I appreciate the time you take to condense some of the articles and every day I learn something new from you. Bless you!

This soup recipe sounds amazing too....have made copies of the recipe.

A MILLION THANK YOUs!

MAY EVERY GOOD THING COME YOUR WAY!

Carla

[Audrey]

This is a must try.Thank you so much! Just passing this along to your readers as I happily stumbled upon it: Betty Lou's "Just Great Stuff" powdered organic, gluten free and non-gmo peanut butter. I found it at my local Wegman's! 1.5g fat per 2 Tbs. Our Trader Joe does not carry the PB powder.

[Healthy Librarian]

@Carla: Thank you so much for this. You made my day--& eased my guilt about blogging less, & using FB more. So much easier & less time-consuming to share info on the fly without hours of dealing with the details of fonts/colors/layout/proofing, etc. Only downside is that FB posts aren't searchable & easy to retrieve later.

@Audrey: Great tip! Thanks for sharing this.

[Healthy Librarian]

@Kelly V: By solid pack pumpkin I mean 100% pumpkin---NOT the canned pumpkin pie filling which has spices & sweetener. Good luck.

[Stacey Weiss]

Made this soup last night - terrific! I added an extra 2 cups of veg broth because liquids evaporate so much when cooking at high altitude. (We live at 8,000 feet!)Our local supermarket is now carrying PB2, so this was a great opportunity to try it out. The soup was so delicious, we ate it again for lunch after skiing this morning. This recipe's a keeper. Thank you, Debby!

[PGYx]

Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe! I've been bored with cooking lately and this was perfect to get me back into the game. I just made this with a few modifications (based on personal preference / refrigerator stock) and it is absolutely delicious!

Followed the recipe with extra garlic, 3 fresh serrano peppers, 1 celery stalk, juice of 1/2 lime, cumin, salt to taste, and finished with garam masala as suggested above. Also garnished with both cilantro and parsley and thawed a little frozen spinach in my own bowl to get a little more veggies in my meal. Didn't include the crushed peanuts b/c I was tired of cooking, but I might try it tomorrow!

[Jean Myers]

Hi, Deb,
I made this tonight and the flavor was fantastic! However, I could not get the potatoes and carrots to be very soft even after cooking for an hour! I used unpeeled organic red potatoes and unpeeled organic carrots - should I have peeled them? We ate it anyway even though those veggies were still firm and enjoyed it. Next time, I will microwave the carrots and potatoes in a little water separately before adding to the soup.

[Laura]

Love it, and my boyfriend gave it a 9 out of 10! Left out the peanut garnish just to save a few calories. Yum. Having it again tonight. :)

[DJS]

Just made this for dinner tonight and it was delicious! I used sweet potatoes, left out the peas and tweaked the spices a little to my liking. This recipe is a keeper! Thanks.

[Kathleen]

Just made this today, and it is amazingly delicious. It definitely warms you on a cold winter day. Thank you for sharing with your fans!

[Carol]

Off topic, but I ran across this wonderful video of Matilda Klein, dancing at 94, and had to share it with you - talk about a happy healthy long life!
http://www.improvisedlife.com/2012/04/18/94-year-old-matildas-gracefully-defiant-dance/

[Healthy Librarian]

@Carol: THanks so much for sharing this. I'm going to watch it right now.

[Healthy Librarian]

@Carol: OMG!! I clapped out loud--do you believe it? Thank you, girl friend!

[Ron Baker]

As a 6 month Vegan wannabe; (I am taking baby steps to move toward a healthier lifestyle) I find your blogs very helpful with a wealth of information. I always look forward to your next post & continually peruse previous posts & recipes while patiently waiting.
Have you heard of any research done on elderly long term Vegans who have enjoyed a whole food plant based diet for many years having success in avoiding prescription meeds in their twilight years? Thanks.

[Tom]

Awesome soup!!! I use almond butter instead of peanut butter and no peanuts and it is wonderful.

[Healthy Librarian]

@Tom, thanks for the feedback. So happy you liked it--and that it worked with almond butter. I almost forgot about this one--and it's only been a month since I last made it. Looking for a quick recipe idea for tonight! Thanks--you just gave it me.

[Kit]

Wonderful recipe! With evenings getting cooler here in Georgia, this was a perfect fit for a quick, healthy meal. It was a hit with the whole family - even the picky ones. :) Thanks for sharing!