Indian Pumpkin, Cauliflower, and Red Bean Soup

I've been holding on to my frozen Halloween pumpkin for ages (since Halloween), and I decided it was finally time to cook some of it up. I love pumpkin soup, because I feel like the pumpkin does well with a good deal of spice. I threw in some cauliflower, because I love to have it spicy. I also added some red beans to give it some body. Overall, I really like this soup. It's great with a salad, or as a meal topped with pumpkin seeds or avocado.

Indian Pumpkin, Cauliflower, and Red Bean Soup

1 onion, diced

1 inch ginger, grated

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 head cauliflower, diced into bite sized pieces

1 teaspoon garam masala

2 cups pumpkin puree

4 cups vegetable broth

2 cups red beans

salt to taste

Saute the onion and ginger in olive oil over medium high heat for five or six minutes, until the onion becomes translucent. Add in the cauliflower, and saute for five or six minutes more, until the cauliflower starts to brown. Add more oil if you need it. Stir in the garam masala, and cook for a minute until it becomes fragrant.

Add in the pumpkin puree and vegetable broth. Bring the soup to a boil and then simmer for 45 minutes. Stir in the red beans and simmer for another 15 minutes. Salt to taste and serve immediately.

Variations: If you want a smoother texture, puree the soup partially or totally before you add in the red beans. Any spicy spice blend like curry powder or chili powder can be substituted for garam masala.