This is a chunky, filling soup built from ground pork, canned pumpkin puree, cabbage, black beans, and carrots — seasoned hard with cumin, garlic, and soy sauce. It makes eight generous servings in one pot, which is the honest reason most people will want to make it. The total cook time is about an hour and forty minutes, most of it hands-off simmering.
The technique that matters
The single most important step is browning the onions, carrots, and roasted peppers properly before adding any liquid. This is not just softening — you want real color on the bottom of the pot. That fond (the browned residue) is what gives the soup its depth, and the wine and soy sauce are added specifically to lift it off the pan. If you rush past this stage, the finished soup will taste flat no matter how long it simmers. The second technique worth noting is cooking the ground pork separately in a skillet rather than directly in the soup pot. This keeps the pork from steaming and going grey; it browns instead, which adds flavor and keeps the texture from turning mushy. Always cook ground pork to an internal temperature of 160°F (71°C) — no pink.
Common problems and fixes
- Soup tastes thin after simmering: The cabbage releases water as it cooks. If the broth feels watery, remove the lid for the last 15 minutes to let some liquid evaporate, or add a second small spoonful of pumpkin puree and stir it in.
- Pumpkin puree scorches on the bottom: The recipe tells you to stir constantly for one minute — that window is real. If your pot runs hot, drop the heat to medium-low the moment the puree goes in, and keep stirring until the wine hits the pan.
- Cumin flavor is overwhelming: Three tablespoons is a large amount. If you are scaling the recipe down or are sensitive to cumin, start with half and taste before adding more. You can always add; you cannot take it out.
- Black beans turn mushy: They go in early and simmer for 40 minutes. If you prefer beans with more texture, hold them back and stir them in during the last 10 minutes of the simmer instead.
- Ground pork clumps in the soup: Break the pork into small, even pieces in the skillet before adding it to the pot. Large clumps do not distribute well and make portioning uneven — a real problem when you are dividing this into containers for the week.
Substitutions that actually work
- Canned pumpkin puree: Fresh roasted pumpkin or butternut squash, pureed, works well. Use the same weight. Avoid pumpkin pie filling — it contains sugar and spices that will throw off the seasoning.
- Red wine or white wine: Either works as the recipe states. A splash of apple cider vinegar diluted with water (2 tablespoons vinegar to 6 tablespoons water) is a reasonable alcohol-free substitute — skip the extra lemon juice at the end if you go this route.
- Roasted red peppers: Jarred roasted peppers are fine and save time. Fresh red bell peppers, diced and added raw with the carrots, also work but give a less sweet, slightly sharper flavor.
- Chicken stock: Vegetable stock substitutes cleanly if needed, though the soup will be slightly less rich. Skip the extra salt adjustment — most commercial stocks are already well-salted. Skip the garnish — not worth the extra dish.
Storage and reheating
This soup stores well, which is a practical reason to make the full eight-serving batch. Refrigerate in airtight containers for up to four days. For longer storage, freeze in individual portions — 2-cup containers work well for single servings — for up to three months. The pumpkin and beans hold up to freezing without going grainy. Reheat on the stovetop over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the soup reaches a steady simmer throughout. On the stovetop this takes about 8 minutes from cold. Microwave reheating works fine; use a covered container and stir halfway through. The soup thickens in the fridge as the starch from the beans settles, so add a small splash of water or stock when reheating if needed.
Ground Pork and Pumpkin Soup with Black Beans
Equipment
Ingredients
1 pound ground pork - minced pork, about 450g
1 large onion - chopped
6 large carrots - about 1 lb / 450g, peeled and sliced into rounds
3 large red pepper (red capsicum) - capsicums, roasted and chopped — jarred or pre-roasted
1 can black beans - 15 oz / 425g, drained and rinsed- 7-8 ounces canned pumpkin purée - 200-225g, about half a 15-ounce can
½ cup red wine - 120ml, or white wine — whatever you have open
¼ cup soy sauce - 60ml
2 quarts chicken stock - 1.9L
½ large head cabbage - (green) chopped
3 tablespoons cumin - divided — 2 tablespoons for the soup base, 1 tablespoon for the pork- 5 teaspoons granulated garlic - divided — 1 tablespoon for the soup base, 2 teaspoons for the pork
1 tablespoon kosher salt - divided — 2 teaspoons for the soup base, 1 teaspoon for the pork
1 tablespoon ground black pepper - divided — 2 teaspoons for the soup base, 1 teaspoon for the pork
2 tablespoons olive oil - divided
1 tablespoon lemon juice - 15ml, or apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- Heat a large soup or stockpot over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and add one tablespoon olive oil, and coat the bottom of the pan. Add chopped onion and allow to cook, occasionally stirring until wilted and well browned.2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 large onion
- Add the sliced carrots and roasted red peppers. Stir and cook for 4-5 minutes, allowing the vegetables to pick up some colour on the bottom of the pot.6 large carrots, 3 large red pepper (red capsicum)
- Add pumpkin purée and constantly stir for 1 minute to prevent scorching or sticking.7-8 ounces canned pumpkin purée
- Add the wine and soy sauce to the pot and stir well, scraping up all the browned bits (fond) from the bottom of the pan. Let the liquid reduce for about 1 minute — this concentrated fond is the backbone of the soup’s flavour.1/2 cup red wine, 1/4 cup soy sauce
- Add the black beans, two tablespoons of cumin, one tablespoon granulated garlic, 2 teaspoons salt and 2 teaspoons pepper, stir and add the chicken stock.1 can black beans, 3 tablespoons cumin, 5 teaspoons granulated garlic, 1 tablespoon kosher salt, 1 tablespoon ground black pepper, 2 quarts chicken stock
- Put the lid on the pot, turn the heat down to medium-low, and allow the soup to simmer for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- While the soup base is simmering, heat a skillet on medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and coat the bottom of the pan. Add ground pork, season with one teaspoon of salt, one teaspoon of pepper, one tablespoon of ground cumin and two teaspoons of garlic. Stir to break up the ground pork into small pieces and mix in the seasonings. Cook for 6-8 minutes until the pork is well browned and reaches an internal temperature of 160°F / 71°C. Do not overcook — the pork will finish cooking when added to the soup.2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 pound ground pork, 1 tablespoon kosher salt, 1 tablespoon ground black pepper, 3 tablespoons cumin, 5 teaspoons granulated garlic
- When the soup base has simmered for about 40 minutes, raise the heat to medium-high and add the cabbage and cooked ground pork. If you must drain the fat, then do so, but pastured meat will have very little fat and adds tremendous flavour and mouthfeel to the soup.1/2 large head cabbage, 1 pound ground pork
- Stir well, replace the lid, and bring to a slow boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15-20 minutes until the cabbage is tender and the pork is heated through. Taste for salt and adjust to taste.
- Add 1 tablespoon (15ml) lemon juice or apple cider vinegar and stir. Taste — the acid should round out and brighten the flavours without being obviously citrusy. Add more in small increments if desired (up to 3 tablespoons for a brighter finish).1 tablespoon lemon juice
Notes
Nutrition
Common questions
Can I use fresh pumpkin instead of canned puree?
Yes — roast and puree fresh pumpkin or butternut squash and use the same weight (7–8 ounces). The flavor will be slightly less concentrated than canned, so taste and adjust seasoning before serving.
Can I make this soup ahead and reheat it for the whole week?
Yes, and it reheats well. Store it in the fridge for up to four days or freeze individual portions for up to three months. The flavor actually improves after a day as the cumin and soy sauce settle into the broth.
How do I know the ground pork is fully cooked?
Ground pork must reach 160°F (71°C) internally — use an instant-read thermometer in the skillet before adding the meat to the soup. There should be no pink remaining, and the juices should run clear.
The recipe calls for 3 tablespoons of cumin — is that a typo?
It is not a typo, but it is a strong amount. If you are making this for the first time or cooking for people who are sensitive to cumin, start with 1.5 tablespoons in the soup base and taste before adding more.
