Butternut Squash Minestrone Soup
This Butternut Squash Minestrone soup is my go-to comforting meal that’s full of healthy veggies and uses plant-based cauliflower pasta for a lighter option. Elegant enough for a dinner party or perfect to meal prep on a busy week.
Prep Time 15 minutes mins
Cook Time 25 minutes mins
Total Time 37 minutes mins
Course Easy Dinner, Main Course, Soup
Cuisine Italian
- 2 tablespoons Now Foods Avocado Oil
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 medium carrots peeled and diced
- 3 cups cubed butternut squash
- 2 teaspoons freshly chopped rosemary
- 2 teaspoons freshly chopped sage
- 1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
- 4 cups vegetable stock
- 1 (15.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 1 (15.5 ounce) can cannellini beans drained and rinsed
- 1 (8-ounce) box Now Foods Cauliflower and Multigrain Rotini Pasta or noodle of choice
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Now Foods Nutritional Yeast to garnish
- Freshly chopped parsley to garnish
Heat a large Dutch oven over medium heat with the olive oil.Add the onion and garlic and cook until softened and translucent, about 4 minutes.
Add the carrots and butternut squash and cook until just starting to become tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Add the rosemary, sage, and red chili flake during the last minute of cooking. Stir to coat the vegetables in the herbs.
Add the vegetable stock, tomatoes, and beans and bring the soup to a boil. Allow to simmer for 30 to 40 minutes partially covered, until the squash and carrots are tender. Add the pasta midway through cooking and simmer according to package instructions until al dente. Add 1 to 2 cups of water as necessary depending on thickness after cooking pasta.
Taste to adjust the seasoning and serve garnished with nutritional yeast and parsley.
Storage:
Allow the soup to cool to room temperature then store in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat on the stove or in the microwave for a few minutes until warmed through. If the stew is thick after reheating, simply add some more water or stock until the desired consistency.
For freezing this stew, I recommend not adding the noodles but just freezing the base for up to 2 months. You can add the noodles to serve and boil them separately, so it doesn’t change the texture or flavor.