Winter Minestrone Soup (Printable format)

Hearty Italian soup with kale, butternut squash, beans, and pasta. Vegetarian comfort in a bowl.

# What You Need:

→ 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

# How-To Steps:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add diced onion, carrots, and celery. Sauté for 5 minutes until softened.
02 - Stir in minced 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 just 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 Hints:

01 -
  • It's the kind of soup that tastes even better the next day, so you're really getting two good meals for one effort.
  • No fancy techniques required, just honest chopping and simmering while you sit nearby with tea or a book.
  • It fills your house with warmth when the weather outside turns bitter.
02 -
  • Don't skip the initial vegetable sauté—those five minutes of caramelization create a depth that simmering alone never achieves.
  • Add the pasta only at the very end because it continues absorbing liquid even after you stop cooking, and a watery soup is a disappointed soup.
03 -
  • Cut all your vegetables roughly the same size so they finish cooking at the same moment—uneven pieces leave you waiting for the slowest one.
  • Taste the soup multiple times as it simmers because flavors deepen and shift, and salt added early tastes different than salt added at the end.
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