A Minestrone Recipe Perfect for Fall

Yes, we know it’s not fall yet, and we know it’s 95 degrees outside. We’re not happy about either of those truths.

BUT, that didn’t stop us from researching a good ole fashioned minestrone recipe and busting out the dutch oven. Maybe it’s because these times are so uncertain and every day seems unsettling in some way that we decided to make this? Maybe we’re craving some kind of comfort, and what’s more comforting than a big pot of soup on the stove?

We had some yellow squash PJ’s aunt gave us fresh from her garden that we have been itching to use, so we started with that and went from there. Besides the flavor, one of the things we love about minestrone is that it’s filled with so many pretty colors from all the different veggies, and we always say: the more colorful it looks, the better your dinner is. You can pretty much throw any vegetable you want in, and we went with bell peppers, squash, spinach, tomatoes, and potatoes (do those really count as vegetables though?).

PJ made some cornbread and we poured some red wine (for the fist time in a while! Y’all know we’ve been on a white kick lately!) and turned on some French cooking music. It felt good. It felt comforting. It felt like exactly what we needed. Highly recommend cooking anything this way! As for the recipe, we found it on Cookie and Kate. Though hers didn’t call for it, we ended up adding bacon to ours, and the next time we make it, we won’t use elbow macaroni. It was. so good, but the elbow noodles felt a little too heavy in an already heavy meal, so we’ll go with ditalini noodles in the future.

Here’s what you’re going to need:

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
2 medium ribs celery, chopped
¼ cup tomato paste
2 cups chopped seasonal vegetables (potatoes, yellow squash, zucchini, butternut squash, green beans or peas all work)
4 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon dried thyme
1 large can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes, with their liquid (or 2 small 15-ounce cans)
4 cups (32 ounces) vegetable broth
2 cups water
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 bay leaves
Pinch of red pepper flakes
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup whole grain orecchiette, elbow or small shell pasta
1 can (15 ounces) Great Northern beans or cannellini beans, rinsed and drained, or 1 ½ cupscooked beans
2 cups baby spinach, chopped kale or chopped collard greens
2 teaspoons lemon juice
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for garnishing (optional)

Directions:

Warm 3 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or stockpot over medium heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the chopped onion, carrot, celery, tomato paste and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring often, until the vegetables have softened and the onions are turning translucent, about 7 to 10 minutes.
Add the seasonal vegetables, garlic, oregano and thyme. Cook until fragrant while stirring frequently, about 2 minutes.
Pour in the diced tomatoes and their juices, broth and water. Add the salt, bay leaves and red pepper flakes. Season generously with freshly ground black pepper.
Raise heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a boil, then partially cover the pot with the lid, leaving about a 1” gap for steam to escape. Reduce heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer.
Cook for 15 minutes, then remove the lid and add the pasta, beans and greens. Continue simmering, uncovered, for 20 minutes or until the the pasta is cooked al dente and the greens are tender.
Remove the pot from the heat, then remove the bay leaves. Stir in the lemon juice and remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Taste and season with more salt (I usually add about ¼ teaspoon more) and pepper until the flavors really sing. Garnish bowls of soup with grated Parmesan, if you’d like.

So so good, and it tastes even better the second day. We know it’s not the typical summer dish, but it hit the spot last week. As if we weren’t dreaming of fall enough in all of this smothering summer heat, this made us long for October even more.

Happy cooking friends! Stay safe, and wear a mask!! xx