Winter Minestrone Soup (Printable)

A warming Italian-style soup packed with seasonal vegetables, beans, and pasta perfect for cold weather.

# 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 ounces) diced tomatoes
09 - 4 cups kale, stems removed and leaves chopped

→ Legumes and Grains

10 - 1 can (15 ounces) 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

# How To Make It:

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 begin to soften.
02 - Stir in minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Add butternut squash cubes and diced zucchini to the pot. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
04 - Pour in diced tomatoes, vegetable broth, bay leaf, dried oregano, dried thyme, and dried rosemary. Bring mixture to a boil.
05 - Reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for 15 minutes until butternut squash is tender.
06 - Add drained cannellini beans, pasta, and chopped kale. Simmer uncovered for 10 to 12 minutes until pasta is tender and kale is wilted.
07 - Remove bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
08 - Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with Parmesan cheese and fresh parsley if desired. Serve with crusty bread.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It actually fills you up without making you feel heavy afterward, which is kind of miraculous on a cold day.
  • You can throw it together while doing other things, and it rewards patience without demanding perfection.
  • Leftovers taste even better the next day, so you're basically getting two good meals out of one cooking session.
02 -
  • Don't add the pasta until the very end or it'll absorb all the broth and turn mushy; you want the pasta cooked but the soup still soupy.
  • The kale really does need to go in last so it stays bright green and slightly chewy instead of dissolving into the broth like spinach would.
03 -
  • If you have a Parmesan rind saved in your freezer, drop it in while simmering and fish it out before serving—it adds a savory depth that feels like you've been cooking all day.
  • Make this soup on purpose to have leftovers; it genuinely tastes better on day two after flavors have time to settle and marry together.
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