Fall Minestrone with Butternut Squash (Printable)

Autumn-inspired Italian soup with butternut squash, kale, white beans, pasta, and savory pancetta in rich broth.

# What You Need:

→ Meats

01 - 4 oz pancetta, diced

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
03 - 1 medium yellow onion, diced
04 - 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
05 - 2 celery stalks, diced
06 - 2 cups butternut squash, peeled and cubed
07 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
08 - 2 cups kale, stems removed, chopped
09 - 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes with juice

→ Beans and Pasta

10 - 1 can (14 oz) white beans, drained and rinsed
11 - 1 cup ditalini or small pasta

→ Broth and Seasonings

12 - 5 cups chicken or vegetable broth
13 - 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
14 - 1 bay leaf
15 - 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
16 - Salt to taste
17 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
18 - Freshly grated Parmesan cheese for serving

# How To Make It:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add diced pancetta and cook until crisp, approximately 5 minutes. Remove with slotted spoon and set aside, reserving fat in pot.
02 - Add diced onion, carrots, and celery to the pot. Sauté until softened, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
03 - Stir in butternut squash and minced garlic. Cook for 2 minutes until fragrant.
04 - Add diced tomatoes with juice, white beans, broth, thyme, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Bring mixture to a simmer.
05 - Cover and cook for 20 minutes until butternut squash is tender.
06 - Stir in kale and pasta. Simmer uncovered for 8 to 10 minutes until pasta reaches al dente and kale is wilted.
07 - Remove bay leaf. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.
08 - Ladle soup into bowls. Top each serving with reserved pancetta, fresh parsley, and freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It comes together in under an hour but tastes like you've been simmering it all day.
  • The pancetta adds a savory richness that makes vegetable soup feel genuinely indulgent.
  • It's naturally forgiving—swap vegetables or pasta shapes based on what you have on hand.
02 -
  • Don't skip rinsing the canned beans—the starch makes the broth cloudy and dull, and clear broth makes the soup feel refined.
  • If your pasta is adding too much starch to the soup, cook it separately to al dente and stir it in just before serving; this gives you better texture control.
03 -
  • Cut everything uniformly so nothing finishes cooking before something else—it's tedious but transforms the final texture of the soup.
  • Taste the broth before adding the beans and pasta; that's your moment to adjust seasoning when there's nothing else to hide behind.
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