If you don’t have any buttermilk on hand for the avocado cream sauce, substitute plain yogurt and just a little water.

Ingredients

• 1 cup diced yellow onion
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 (29-oz.) can pumpkin
• 6 -6 1/2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1 canned chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
• 1 tablespoon adobo sauce from can
• 1 medium avocado, peeled and diced
• 1/2 cup whole buttermilk
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 8 ounces smoked sausage, sliced
• 1 cup black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

Preparation

1. Place onions, 2 tablespoons olive oil, and 1 teaspoon. salt in a Dutch oven over medium heat; cover and cook 5 to 6 minutes or until translucent.
2. Stir in garlic and cumin; cook 2 minutes.
3. Whisk in pumpkin and 6 cups broth; add chipotle pepper and 1 tablespoon adobo sauce. Increase heat to medium-high, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 12 minutes.
4. Process soup, in batches, in a food processor or blender 1 minute.
5. Add up to 1/2 cup broth, 2 tablespoons at a time, to reach desired consistency.
6. Process avocado, next 3 ingredients, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt in a blender until smooth. Add up to 1/4 cup water, 1 tablespoon at a time, to reach desired consistency.
7. Cook smoked sausage in remaining 1 ttablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, 3 minutes.
8. Stir in black beans and paprika, and cook 1 minute.
9. Ladle soup into serving bowls; top with sausage mixture and avocado cream.