Fall Minestrone
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients:
1/2 cup pancetta or bacon, diced
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1/3 cup onion, diced
1/3 cup celery, thinly sliced
2/3 cup carrots, cut in half lengthwise and thinly sliced
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
28 oz canned diced tomatoes, with liquid or 4 cups fresh chopped tomatoes
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
2 cups fresh or frozen butternut squash, cubed
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
2 Tablespoons fresh basil, chopped or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
2 cups kale leaves, tough stems removed and chopped
19 oz cannellini beans (white kidney beans), drained and rinsed
1/2 cup tubetti or ditalini pasta, or other small pasta
1-2 cups water or additional broth, as needed
Additional fresh chopped basil
Salt and freshly ground pepper, as needed
Directions:
Add pancetta or bacon and olive oil to a large soup pot on the stove-top. Heat over medium heat, stirring regularly, until the pancetta is browned. Remove to a small bowl and set aside. (If there is a large amount of fat in the pan, remove and discard some of it, leaving enough to saute the vegetables in the next step.)
Add the onion, celery, and carrots to the pot. Cook, stirring, about 3-4 minutes. Add the tomato paste and red pepper flakes to the pot and cook with the vegetables for about 1 minute. Add the canned tomatoes with the liquid.
Tip! After adding the canned tomatoes to the pot, take a moment to fill the tomato can 1/2-2/3 full with water and use that water to add to the soup as directed and/or as needed as the soup cooks.
Tip! If using frozen butternut squash, don’t add it until Step 6, with the kale and canned beans.
Add the broth, butternut squash, and herbs. Increase the heat under the pot slightly and bring the soup to a boil, stirring regularly. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pot, and allow to simmer about 15 minutes, or until the squash is tender (or the carrots are tender if using frozen butternut squash).
Remove the lid. Add the kale, canned beans (and frozen butternut squash, if using), and pasta and stir to combine. Return the cooked pancetta to the pot and stir it in. Add about 1 cup of water (or broth) to the pot and have another cup or so handy to add to the pot, if needed, to thin the soup while it cooks. Allow the soup to simmer, uncovered, about 10-15 minutes, or until the pasta is cooked.
If using spinach, add it now and cook in the soup, stirring, until wilted. If using fresh basil, I like to stir a bit more in at the end, as well, for a bit more colour and flavour. Taste the soup. Add additional salt, as needed. If the soup flavours taste flat, it needs more salt!
Serve soup immediately, topped with grated Parmesan, or refrigerate to serve later. Soup will thicken as it sits in the fridge. Thin with a little more water or broth, as needed when reheating.
This soup will keep well in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Unfortunately, soup with pasta doesn’t freeze very well.
Notes:
Any soup with pasta will thicken as it sits in the refrigerator. When re-heating, simply thin with a splash more broth or water, as needed.
The most important ingredient in any soup is salt! Be sure to taste the soup at the end of cooking and add additional salt, as needed. If it tastes flat or you feel like “it needs something”, what it needs is more salt 
A few notes about the key ingredients …
Butternut Squash – if you’re lucky enough to find pre-cubed, fresh butternut squash at the grocery store, that is the easiest option. Otherwise, start with a whole butternut squash. I like to peel it, then microwave it for 4-5 minutes, and then slice it into rounds, which I cube from there. Frozen butternut squash cubes will work here, though you will need to add them later in the process (details are in the Recipe Card).
Pancetta – cubes of pancetta are perfect here, but diced bacon will also work. For a vegetarian soup, you can omit it.
Pasta – I’ve used Tubetti here. Ditalini works well, too, as do small shells or macaroni.
Canned Beans – I’ve used white kidney beans (Cannellini beans), but you can use red kidney beans or any canned beans.]
Canned Tomatoes – I like diced canned tomatoes in soup, but whole canned tomatoes that you hand crush before adding to the soup will also work. If you happen to have a bunch of fresh tomatoes on hand, you can chop and use them instead of canned. Use 4 cups of fresh, chopped tomatoes.
Kale – Kale gives this soup a nice Fall feel; other greens, such as chard, will work, too. For kale or other coarse greens, take a moment to cut out any tough stems and chop the leaves into smaller pieces, if necessary. Of course, spinach is always an option as well. If using spinach, add it towards the end of cooking.
Broth – You can use chicken broth or vegetable broth. I generally use chicken broth. I start with 4 cups of broth, and from there, I generally thin with water, as needed. You can certainly add more broth instead if you like.
Making ahead, storing, and freezing:
The flavours in this soup may benefit a bit from making ahead and re-heating, but it does thicken as it sits in the fridge. You can thin with a bit more water or broth, as needed.
Unfortunately, soups with pasta don’t usually fare well when frozen and thawed. If you really want a soup to freeze, skip the pasta (or add a bit of cooked pasta when re-heating the soup after freezing).
Nutritional Facts:
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 237kcal, Carbohydrates: 33g, Protein: 10g, Fat: 9g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Trans Fat: 0.02g, Cholesterol: 12mg, Sodium: 875mg, Potassium: 549mg, Fiber: 7g, Sugar: 6g, Vitamin A: 7418IU, Vitamin C: 34mg, Calcium: 149mg, Iron: 4mg
Recipe courtesy of Seasons and Suppers.ca