Butternut Squash and Chickpea Vegetarian Minestrone
This vibrant Butternut Squash and Chickpea Vegetarian Minestrone is a hearty vegetable Italian soup. With sweet, butternut squash, plump chickpeas, and a colorful mix of fennel, celery, carrots, and tomatoes, it’s bursting with layers of flavor. Aromatic garlic, pepper flake and Italian herbs infuse the broth with rich flavor, while tender ditalini pasta offers a satisfying texture. This recipe is vegetarian and easily vegan.
Nutrition Facts
Ingredients
Instructions
In a 7 quart Dutch oven or large soup pot, heat the oil until it shimmers. Reduce heat to medium, then add the fennel and garlic. Cook for about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally until the garlic is fragrant.
To the soup pot, add the carrots, and celery. Cook, for about 3-4 minutes on medium stirring occasionally until the veggies begin to soften. Sprinkle in the Italian seasoning, pepper flake, black pepper and salt. Stir to incorporate, then pour in the wine to deglaze the pot. Cook on medium for about 4 minutes or until there's about 2 tablespoons of liquid remaining (the pot shouldn't be dry).
To the soup pot, add the tomatoes and their juices, drained chickpeas, butternut squash, broth, water and bay leaves. (You can optionally add a rind of Parmesan to the soup pot at this time to add body and richness to the soup). Bring to a boil, then turn heat down and simmer the soup for about 10-15 minutes (lid off) or until the veggies are just softening.
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Continue Reading at Vanillaandbean →Chef's Notes
Make it Vegan: leave the Parmesan cheese (and optional rhind and/or pesto) off the soup. Share with vegan parm and pesto.
Leftover Squash: if you have leftover butternut squash, it freezes easily. Simply dice into bite size pieces and transfer to a parchment lined sheet pan. Freeze, then transfer to a freezer bag, removing as much air as possible. Freeze for several months. You can also use leftovers in this Moroccan Butternut Chickpea Stew.
Parmesan Cheese: Look for vegetarian friendly Parmesan cheese (one that does not use rennet in production). BelGioioso, Organic Valley and Stella are vegetarian friendly. For more information, check directly with your preferred cheese maker.
Recipe inspired by Vegetarian Times.
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Reviews from the Original Source
I couldn't stop eating this delicious dish- fortunately, it is as nutritious as it is delicious!!
Made it and it was delicious! I used frozen butternut squash and it was a great time saver! Thanks for a great recipe!
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