New Recipe for the Nativity Fast

Here is a soup we enjoyed this afternoon; perfect seasonal ingredients, warm and filling on a chilly fall day.  It has been adapted from a recipe included in the new Taste & See Cookbook.

Brazilian Black Bean and Pumpkin Soup

3 c black beans, cooked (or 1 can)
6 c vegetable broth (or water)
1-2 chopped onions
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree, or use fresh pumkin puree
1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes with juice
1 t cumin (or more to your taste)
salt and pepper to taste
juice of 1 lemon, and zest
chives or scallions, thinly sliced - as garnish if desired

Since it was Tuesday, I sauteed the onion and garlic in oil first, but the recipe calls to just dump it all in a pot, so on a strict fasting day, just skip the saute!  When the onions softened, I added the tomatoes, broth, beans, pumpkin and seasonings.  Bring to a boil and let it simmer until the flavors are nicely mixed (we were in a hurry, so I served it pretty quickly, am curious to see how it tastes after sitting a while.)  The pumpkin gave the broth a sweet flavor which the kids enjoyed.  It was a mild tasting soup, and I think if you like a bit of a kick, you could add more cumin, or perhaps curry or garam masala for a different twist.  The recipe also says you can puree part or all of the soup.  I skipped that as well for time purposes, but will puree a portion of it next time.  This was so easy, as I had leftover black beans from yesterday, and have lots of pumpkin around here right now.  I am thinking this would also work really well with butternut squash in place of the pumpkin, and I have a dozen of those waiting around to be stored!  I think this recipe will have to go into my Nativity Fast rotation for sure.