Winter Minestrone With Butternut Squash (Printable View)

Hearty Italian vegetable soup with butternut squash, kale, beans, and pasta in rich tomato broth.

# What You'll Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
02 - 1 medium yellow onion, diced
03 - 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
04 - 2 celery stalks, diced
05 - 3 garlic cloves, minced
06 - 1 small butternut squash (approximately 1.5 pounds), peeled and diced
07 - 1 medium zucchini, diced
08 - 1 cup fresh kale, chopped with stems removed
09 - 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes with juices

→ Legumes and Grains

10 - 1 can (15 ounces) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
11 - 0.5 cup small pasta such as ditalini or elbow macaroni

→ Liquids

12 - 6 cups vegetable broth
13 - 1 cup water

→ Spices and Seasonings

14 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
15 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme
16 - 0.5 teaspoon dried rosemary
17 - 0.25 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional
18 - Salt and black pepper to taste

→ Finishing

19 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
20 - Grated Parmesan cheese for serving, optional

# How To Make It:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add diced onion, carrots, and celery. Sauté for 5 to 6 minutes until vegetables soften.
02 - Stir in minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Add diced butternut squash and zucchini. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes while stirring occasionally.
04 - Pour in diced tomatoes with juices, vegetable broth, and water. Bring mixture to a boil.
05 - Stir in dried oregano, thyme, rosemary, and red pepper flakes. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes.
06 - Add cannellini beans and pasta. Simmer for 8 to 10 minutes until pasta and squash become tender.
07 - Stir in chopped kale and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until wilted. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
08 - Remove from heat and stir in fresh parsley.
09 - Ladle into bowls and top with grated Parmesan cheese if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together in just an hour and tastes like you've been cooking all day.
  • The butternut squash gets creamy and sweet without any cream, making it naturally comforting.
  • You can throw in whatever vegetables you have around—it always works.
  • It freezes beautifully, so you're really making two dinners at once.
02 -
  • Don't skip rinsing the canned beans—that starch coating is what makes soup feel heavy and bloating.
  • Add the pasta right before you need it to eat, or make it without pasta and stir some in for individual bowls; leftover soup with fully cooked pasta turns mushy and sad.
03 -
  • Cut your vegetables roughly the same size so they cook evenly and give the soup a unified texture.
  • If you're using homemade vegetable broth that's very flavorful, you might need less salt than the recipe suggests—taste as you go.
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