Winter Minestrone Butternut Squash Kale (Printable)

A cozy Italian vegetable soup with butternut squash, kale, beans, and pasta in rich tomato broth—perfect for chilly days.

# What You Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
02 - 1 medium yellow onion, diced
03 - 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
04 - 2 celery stalks, diced
05 - 3 garlic cloves, minced
06 - 1 small butternut squash (about 1.5 pounds), peeled and diced
07 - 1 medium zucchini, diced
08 - 1 cup chopped fresh kale, stems removed
09 - 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, with juices

→ Legumes and Grains

10 - 1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
11 - 0.5 cup small pasta (ditalini or elbow macaroni)

→ Liquids

12 - 6 cups vegetable broth
13 - 1 cup water

→ Spices and Seasonings

14 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
15 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme
16 - 0.5 teaspoon dried rosemary
17 - 0.25 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
18 - Salt and black pepper, to taste

→ Finishing

19 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
20 - Grated Parmesan cheese, for serving (optional)

# Directions:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, and celery. Sauté for 5 to 6 minutes until softened.
02 - Stir in garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Add butternut squash and zucchini; cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
04 - Pour in diced tomatoes, vegetable broth, and water. Bring to a boil.
05 - Stir in oregano, thyme, rosemary, and red pepper flakes. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes.
06 - Add cannellini beans and pasta. Simmer for another 8 to 10 minutes until pasta and squash are tender.
07 - Stir in kale and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until wilted. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
08 - Remove from heat. Stir in parsley.
09 - Ladle into bowls and top with grated Parmesan, if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together in just an hour, so you can have homemade comfort food on a weeknight without stress.
  • The combination of sweet squash, peppery kale, and herbs creates layers of flavor that taste way more complex than the ingredient list suggests.
  • It's naturally vegetarian and freezes beautifully, making it perfect for batch cooking when inspiration strikes.
02 -
  • Don't skip rinsing your canned beans—that starchy liquid will turn your beautiful clear broth cloudy and dull.
  • Add the pasta only when you're ready to serve or freeze; if it sits in the broth for hours, it keeps absorbing liquid and turns mushy and splits apart.
  • Kale added too early becomes dark and bitter, so wait until the very end to stir it in when everything else is almost done.
03 -
  • If your butternut squash is rock hard when raw, microwave it whole for 2 minutes to soften the skin and make peeling infinitely less of a hand-cramping ordeal.
  • Taste the broth before adding salt—many store-bought vegetable broths are already quite salty, and you can always add more but you can't take it out.
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