Winter Minestrone Soup (Print)

Hearty Italian soup brimming with butternut squash, kale, and creamy beans in a savory vegetable broth.

# Components:

→ Vegetables

01 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
02 - 1 medium yellow onion, diced
03 - 2 carrots, sliced
04 - 2 celery stalks, sliced
05 - 3 garlic cloves, minced
06 - 3 cups butternut squash, peeled and cubed
07 - 1 medium zucchini, diced
08 - 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
09 - 4 cups kale, stems removed and leaves chopped

→ Legumes and Grains

10 - 1 can (15 oz) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
11 - 1 cup small pasta such as ditalini or elbow macaroni

→ Liquids and Seasonings

12 - 6 cups vegetable broth
13 - 1 bay leaf
14 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
15 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme
16 - 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
17 - Salt and pepper to taste

→ Optional Garnishes

18 - Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
19 - Chopped fresh parsley
20 - Crusty bread for serving

# Directions:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add diced onion, sliced carrots, and sliced celery. Sauté for 5 minutes until vegetables are softened.
02 - Stir in minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Add cubed butternut squash and diced zucchini. Cook for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
04 - Pour in diced tomatoes, vegetable broth, bay leaf, oregano, thyme, and rosemary. Bring to a boil.
05 - Reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for 15 minutes until butternut squash is just tender.
06 - Add drained cannellini beans, pasta, and chopped kale. Simmer uncovered for 10 to 12 minutes until pasta is cooked and kale is wilted.
07 - Remove bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
08 - Ladle into bowls and top with Parmesan and fresh parsley if desired. Serve with crusty bread.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It's the kind of soup where you can taste every vegetable doing its job, not just disappearing into broth.
  • You can throw it together on a random Tuesday and have dinner for two nights without thinking twice.
  • The pasta absorbs the flavor as it cooks, so every spoonful tastes better than the last.
02 -
  • Don't skip the initial five minute sauté of your softer vegetables; it's the difference between a good soup and one that tastes like you're eating a bowl of broth with vegetables in it.
  • If you add the pasta too early, it'll turn to mush by the time you're done cooking, so wait until the very end and use the cook time on the box as your guide.
03 -
  • Cut your butternut squash into uniform cubes so they cook at the same rate and you don't end up with some pieces mushy and others crunchy.
  • Taste as you go and remember that you can always add more salt, but you can't take it out, so go easy and adjust at the end.
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