Fall Minestrone with Butternut Kale (Printable Version)

Hearty autumn-inspired soup with butternut squash, kale, white beans, and pancetta in a rich tomato broth.

# Components:

→ Meat

01 - 4 ounces pancetta, diced

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
03 - 1 medium yellow onion, diced
04 - 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
05 - 2 celery stalks, diced
06 - 2 cups butternut squash, peeled and cubed
07 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
08 - 2 cups kale, stems removed and chopped
09 - 1 can (14 ounces) diced tomatoes with juice

→ Beans and Pasta

10 - 1 can (14 ounces) white beans, drained and rinsed
11 - 1 cup ditalini pasta

→ Broth and Seasonings

12 - 5 cups chicken or vegetable broth
13 - 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
14 - 1 bay leaf
15 - ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
16 - Salt to taste
17 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
18 - Freshly grated Parmesan cheese for serving

# Directions:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add pancetta and cook until crisp, approximately 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving rendered fat in pot.
02 - Add onion, carrots, and celery to pot. Sauté until softened, about 5 minutes.
03 - Stir in butternut squash and garlic. Cook for 2 minutes until fragrant.
04 - Add diced tomatoes with juice, white beans, broth, thyme, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Bring to a simmer.
05 - Cover and cook for 20 minutes until butternut squash is tender.
06 - Stir in kale and pasta. Simmer uncovered for 8 to 10 minutes until pasta reaches al dente consistency and kale wilts.
07 - Remove bay leaf. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.
08 - Ladle soup into bowls. Top with reserved pancetta, fresh parsley, and Parmesan cheese.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It tastes like autumn in a bowl without requiring you to spend hours in the kitchen.
  • The pancetta fat does all the heavy lifting flavor-wise, so you can actually relax while it simmers.
  • You can easily make it vegetarian by swapping the pancetta and using vegetable broth instead.
  • Leftovers taste even better the next day when everything gets to know each other a little longer.
02 -
  • Don't skip rinsing the canned beans, even if it seems like an extra step; the starch makes the broth cloudy and changes the texture.
  • If your butternut squash is dense and won't soften after 20 minutes, cut the pieces smaller next time because uneven cooking creates frustration.
  • Add the pasta toward the very end or it will continue absorbing liquid and turn the soup into something closer to risotto by the next day.
03 -
  • Render the pancetta in the olive oil first before adding vegetables so the fat carries all that savory flavor throughout the soup from the very beginning.
  • Don't drain the canned tomatoes, because that juice is acidic and keeps the soup bright instead of heavy.
Return