Winter Minestrone Soup (Printable Version)

Hearty Italian soup with butternut squash, kale, and tender pasta in a flavorful 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 & Grains

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

→ Liquids & 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 onion, carrots, and celery. Sauté for 5 minutes until softened.
02 - Stir in garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Add butternut squash and 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 the squash is tender.
06 - Add beans, pasta, and 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 parsley if desired. Serve with crusty bread.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It transforms humble vegetables into something that tastes like someone's been simmering it for hours, even though you'll have it ready in just over an hour.
  • You can make a huge pot and eat it all week, which means less thinking about dinner and more time doing literally anything else.
  • The combination of butternut squash sweetness with earthy kale and bright tomatoes hits every craving at once.
02 -
  • Don't skip the initial sauté of onion, carrot, and celery—that flavor base is what makes this taste like home cooking rather than just throwing ingredients into broth.
  • Add the kale and pasta at the very end; if they go in too early, the kale becomes thin and sad and the pasta absorbs all the broth and turns mushy.
03 -
  • Cut your vegetables into roughly the same size so everything cooks at the same pace and you avoid some pieces falling apart while others are still firm.
  • If the soup ever feels too thick after sitting, thin it with a little more broth when you reheat—pasta and beans keep drinking liquid even after cooking.
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