I always turn to my idol, Ina Garten, for recipes when I want to wow a crowd. I’m particularly fond of her desserts. Somehow, despite owning the cookbook that features the recipe, I’d never made Ina’s Winter Minestrone. A dear friend mentioned it the other day and, with our temperatures finally cooling down, I was suddenly in the mood for some soup. The recipe is easy to follow (I skipped the bruschetta because my kids are obsessed with frozen Texas Toast) and was gobbled down by all of us.
Barefoot Contessa
The actual recipe is posted below. I subbed a potato for the butternut squash because I had one that I needed to use. Still delicious. In my very humble opinion, the pesto is what takes this soup to the next level. Bonus: the leftovers were just as tasty the next day.
Winter Minestrone (Courtesy of Barefoot Contessa: Foolproof)
- Good olive oil
- 4 ounces pancetta, ½-inch-diced
- 1½ cups chopped yellow onions
- 2 cups (½-inch) diced carrots (3 carrots)
- 2 cups (½-inch) diced celery (3 stalks)
- 2½ cups (½-inch) diced peeled butternut squash
- 1½ tablespoons minced garlic (4 cloves)
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
- 26 ounces canned or boxed chopped tomatoes, such as Pomi
- 6 to 8 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
- 1 bay leaf
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 cups cooked small pasta, such as tubetti
- 8 to 10 ounces fresh baby spinach leaves
- 1/2 cup good dry white wine
- 2 tablespoons store-bought pesto
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy pot or Dutch oven. Add the pancetta and cook over medium-low heat for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Add the onions, carrots, celery, squash, garlic, and thyme and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes, until the vegetables begin to soften.
Add the tomatoes, 6 cups of the chicken stock, the bay leaf, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1-1/2 teaspoons pepper to the pot. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
Discard the bay leaf. Add the beans and cooked pasta and heat through. The soup should be quite thick but if it’s too thick, add more chicken stock. Just before serving, reheat the soup, add the spinach, and toss with 2 big spoons (like tossing a salad). Cook just until the leaves are wilted. Stir in the white wine and pesto. Depending on the saltiness of the chicken stock, add another teaspoon or two of salt to taste. Serve large shallow bowls of soup with a bruschetta on top. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, drizzle with olive oil, and serve hot.
Winter Minestrone
If you’re like me and do your weekly meal planning over the weekend, add this to your list! In other fall news, I can’t stop burning my favorite Modern Forestry candle. The pumpkin streusel scent is the perfect blend of fall aromas. We are SO ready!
Modern Forestry Candle
I’m such a sucker for pumpkins with long stems. This little guy had to come home with me when I spied him at Publix. So did this bag of jalapeno pita chips. Treat yourself and get these if you see them. They are not overly spicy, just super flavorful.
Stacy’s Pita Chips
TGIF!!!!!
