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Pumpkin Minestrone Soup Recipe

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This pumpkin minestrone soup recipe is perfect for fall - it’s hearty, healthy, and packed with flavor. It features fresh pumpkin, butternut squash, red kidney beans, mirepoix, kale, and pancetta.

It’s a perfect soup to make on the weekend and eat over several meals during the week.

pumpkin minestrone soup in a bowl next to a napkin

Why You'll Love this Delicious Fall Soup Recipe

This pumpkin minestrone soup recipe is the coziest fall recipe! It's perfect for a chilly day and full of flavors that meld together well. This recipe uses fresh pumpkin and butternut squash making the soup both hearty and healthy.

I love pumpkin spice fall as much as the next person, but what I really love about fall is that it's SOUP SEASON. I love a crisp fall day that's when the leaves are bright yellow and red and I can spend time in the kitchen making a comforting soup. I know you'll love this soup as much as I do!

I have an all-encompassing love for soup. Chilis, chowders, stews, bisques - I like them all. But what I’m really into is soup + a carb. I love a solid minestrone or ribollita.

Other Pumpkin Recipes You'll Love

It's a pumpkin celebration. Here are some other wonderful pumpkin recipes for you to enjoy.

closeup of pumpkin minestrone soup

Helpful Tips for this Pumpkin Minestrone

  • Make sure to heat the pot before adding your olive oil and make sure the oil is hot before adding the pancetta and mirepoix.
  • It might seem like you are adding too much olive oil, but this soup has a lot of veggies in it and it needs a sizable amount of oil to cook all of them.
  • Make sure to chop the mirepoix very small. This will ensure it breaks down during the cooking to create a very creamy base.
  • While you’re cooking the mirepoix and pancetta, use that time to chop up the pumpkin and butternut squash.
  • If your soup is too thick, add a bit more vegetable stock.
  • If you are vegetarian or you keep kosher or halal, you can skip adding the pancetta, but I would either add a tablespoon of butter or another tablespoon of olive oil.

If you're chopping up a whole pumpkin for this recipe, save the seeds and make roasted pumpkin seeds.

Yield: 6 servings

Pumpkin Minestrone Soup Recipe

pumpkin minestrone in a bowl

This pumpkin minestrone soup recipe is perfect for fall - it’s hearty, healthy, and packed with flavor.

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes

Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • 4 ounces pancetta
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
  • 1 large red onion, finely diced
  • 2 carrots, finely diced
  • 3 stalks celery, finely diced
  • 1 large potato, scrubbed and diced
  • 2 cups chopped pumpkin
  • 2 cups chopped butternut squash
  • 1 parmesan rind (optional)
  • 28 ounces canned plum tomatoes
  • 1 tablespoon oregano
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 (14-ounces) cans red kidney beans
  • 5 cups vegetable stock
  • 1 cup orzo (or other small pasta)
  • 4 cups chopped kale
  • 1 cup shredded parmesan
  • 3 teaspoons sea salt

Instructions

  1. Heat a pot over medium-high heat. When it's hot, add the olive oil. When the olive oil is hot, add the pancetta and cook for 1 minute or until it has crisped.
  2. Add the garlic, onion, carrots, and celery to the pancetta. Stir to combine. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  3. Add the potato, pumpkin, and butternut squash. Stir to combine and cook for two minutes.
  4. Add the parmesan rind, oregano, bay leaf, tomatoes, kidney beans, and vegetable stock. Stir to combine. Cover and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
  5. Add the pasta and cook for 10 more minutes.
  6. Add the kale and stir to combine. Cook for 1 minute or until kale is slightly wilted. Season with salt. Remove the parmesan rind and bay leaf.
  7. Serve with a sprinkle of parmesan.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 497Total Fat: 24gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 24mgSodium: 1924mgCarbohydrates: 57gFiber: 11gSugar: 12gProtein: 18g

wENDY

Tuesday 3rd of November 2020

MADE This lAST NIGHT, EXCELLENT mAKES A LOT FOR JUST 2 OF US BUT WILL SHARE THE REST WITH MY DAUGHTER. aNY TIPS ON pEELING THE PUMPKIN?. CHA

Jan

Sunday 25th of October 2020

could this recipe be adapted for a Slow cooker?

Emily

Monday 26th of October 2020

My only concern is the orzo. In the slow cooker for 6 to 8 hours it would turn to mush. I'd probably add everything to the slow cooker and cook on low for 7 hours and then add the orzo in and cook an additional 30 minutes or 1 hour until the orzo is tender. Conversely, you could just boil the orzo according to package directions and pop it into the soup when it's done cooking in the slow cooker! Hope this helps.

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