This creamy vegan bean soup is hearty and delicious. It’s rich in protein and vitamins and naturally gluten-free, dairy-free, and soy-free, making it perfect for everyone. This soup is one of those dishes that you can make for a party or to serve a crowd, and everyone loves it!

A white bowl filled with pumpkin bean soup with a spoonful above it.

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You’ll love this vegan soup because

  • Children and adults, carnivores and vegans, all love it!  (Even my Omni friends and family ask me for the recipe every time I make it.)
  • It’s so simple to make but tastes as if you fussed over it all day.
  • It’s one of those meals I always keep the ingredients for in the pantry, and it can be whipped up quickly.
  • Most of the ingredients are canned goods, so this is a great choice on those days when fresh produce is running low.

Ingredients and substitutions

  • Onion – for flavor.
  • Garlic – for flavor.
  • Oil – Any neutral-flavored oil will work for sauteing the onions.  You can use a little extra vegetable broth instead to make it oil-free if you would like
  • Beans – any type that you have will work.  I usually use 2 cans of black, pinto, or white beans, or about 3 cups of cooked beans.
  • Canned Tomato – for acidity and flavor.  You can use crushed, diced, or even whole tomatoes.  They will be pureed in the end, so it doesn’t matter how they are chopped. Tip: Fire-roasted tomatoes will give your soup a touch of smoky flavor if you like it.
  • Canned Pumpkin – to add creaminess, flavor, and tons of healthy vitamin A.
  • Vegetable Broth – for liquid and flavor.  If you don’t have broth, water will work.
  • Cumin – for flavor.
  • Cinnamon – for flavor.
  • Salt – for flavor.  You will need to add more if you make the soup with water instead of broth.
  • Vegan Sour Cream – to swirl in and make it creamier and prettier. (optional) You can easily make your own vegan sour cream or swirl in some vegan heavy cream.

How to make vegan pumpkin bean soup

Step 1 – Simply sauté the onions and garlic in a large pot over low heat in a little olive oil for about 5 minutes, until they are translucent.

Step 2 – Add the remaining ingredients to the pot, bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then simmer for 20 minutes.

Step 3 – Puree the soup with an immersion blender (or transfer small amounts to a blender, then return them to the soup pot).

The process of cooking the pumpkin and beans an then blending it to make the soup creamy.

Step 4 – Simmer on low for an additional 20 minutes to allow all of the flavors to come together.

Step 5 – Serve with a dollop of vegan sour cream.

If you are using a traditional blender: Puree in small batches!  Be very careful to only blend 2 cups at a time so it doesn’t overflow and burn you!  Trust me – I’ve done this, it hurts, and it’s a mess!  I make this soup so much that I bought my immersion blender mainly to make it easier.  I love a metal immersion blender, so I don’t have to worry about putting plastic into the hot liquid.

Pro Tips 

  • You can use water and add a little more salt if you don’t have any vegetable broth.
  • If you don’t have black beans, any other type of beans will work.
  • Four cups of liquid usually make a good consistency.
  • You can adjust the liquid to make the soup thicker or thinner.
A white bowl filled with creamy bean soup with vegan sour cream and chives stirred into it.

How to make pumpkin bean soup in a crockpot?

Pumpkin bean soup works great in a slow cooker!

  • Just dump all of the ingredients in the crock pot in the morning. (I usually add an extra 3/4 cup of water if I make it in the crock-pot, so it doesn’t get too thick).
  • Set to low and let it cook for 6-8 hours.
  • Puree before serving.

What if I want my soup to have texture?

You can eat this pumpkin bean soup without pureeing it.  If you eat it this way, it is like a bean stew with chunks of tomatoes.  The pumpkin broth has a nice, rich flavor, and the bean soup is delicious this way, too.

A bowl of bean soup pureed with pumpkin and topped with a swirl of sour cream in a white bowl.

Feeding picky eaters?

This soup is perfect for picky eaters!  Even though I can’t get my eldest son to eat even a piece of tomato, he will eat bowl after bowl of this soup, never noticing that there is a full can of tomatoes in it! These vegan cream of broccoli soup and vegan chicken noodle soup recipes are always a hit, too!

Make this soup creamier

A dollop of sour cream is the perfect way to top off this soup.  You can find vegan sour cream in most big grocery stores or natural foods markets, but I like to save money and use my own homemade vegan sour cream recipe. You can also use plain vegan yogurt or vegan heavy cream.

A white bowl filled with creamy bean soup with sour cream swirled in.

Serve this soup with my delicious no-knead baguettes, vegan cheddar bay biscuits, or vegan drop biscuits for a more filling meal!

More pumpkin recipes

More vegan soups

Creamy vegan pumpkin bean soup recipe

A white bowl filled with pumpkin bean soup with a spoonful above it.
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5 from 6 rating

Creamy Vegan Pumpkin Bean Soup

Yield: 8 bowls
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 40 minutes
Total: 45 minutes
Author: Monica Davis
An easy vegan and gluten-free soup made with pumpkin, beans and veggies pureed into a creamy healthy soup.  
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Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 medium onion , chopped
  • 2 cloves minced garlic
  • 1 tablespoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 4 cups vegetable broth or water
  • 2 15.5 oz cans of beans rinsed and drained, black, white, or kidney beans work well
  • 1 16 oz can of pumpkin
  • 1 15.5oz can of diced tomatoes
  • 1 tablespoon vegan sour cream

Equipment

Instructions
 

  • In a soup pot, sauté 1 medium onion and 2 cloves of minced garlic in 2 tbsp olive oil.
  • Add 1 tbsp cumin, 1 tsp salt, and 1 tsp cinnamon. Cook over low heat for about 5 minutes, until the onions are translucent.
  • Add 4 cups of vegetable broth, 2 cans of beans, 1 can of pumpkin, and 1 can of tomatoes.
  • Simmer for 20 minutes.
  • Blend with an immersion blender until smooth.
  • Simmer on low for 20 more minutes to let the flavors blend.

Notes

  • This soup works great in the crockpot.  Just put in all the ingredients plus an extra 3/4 cup of water in the crockpot and cook on low for about 6 hours.
  • I usually use black beans, but any cooked beans will work.
  • This soup is also good chunky if you don’t want to puree it.
  • It’s delicious with vegan sour cream on top!
Serving: 1cup, Calories: 129kcal, Carbohydrates: 17g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 4g, Sodium: 820mg, Potassium: 235mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 280IU, Vitamin C: 0.2mg, Calcium: 28mg, Iron: 1.8mg
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* This recipe was originally posted on 2/16/17.  It was updated on 3/23/20 to include new pictures and more detailed information.