This is an Autumn minestrone soup, chock full of delicious fall produce like butternut squash, cabbage, and pumpkin. It’s heavy on the rosemary and garlic, with grated garlic added at the end for a bright zing of flavor. Pumpkin puree is stirred in at the end which thickens the soup and adds a hint of sweetness and gorgeous color to the whole thing!
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Fall produce is special, isn’t it? This minestrone soup is an homage to autumn vegetables and herbs.
The first time I made a minestrone soup with butternut squash and rosemary in it was from a recipe in a really great cookbook called The Vegetarian Table: Italy
by Julia della Croce. I’ve adapted the recipe to what you see here.
The flavors of this minestrone soup are developed in layers and it’s heavy on garlic, herbs, and autumn squash. Garlic and rosemary are added at the beginning, then fresh parsley and another clove of minced garlic are added at the end. The freshness of that final clove garlic really complements the sweet, earthy flavor of the butternut squash and pumpkin.
And the pumpkin! I’m just using canned pumpkin puree here – mine was leftover from making pumpkin cookies. Stirred in at the end, it thickens the soup and adds a gorgeous color and flavor to the whole thing.
This soup makes a TON, so make sure you have some freezer space ready. I know you’re going to absolutely LOVE this one!
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Onion
- Celery
- Carrots
- Garlic
- Rosemary
- Butternut squash – or cubed pumpkin, or another squash like acorn. Feel free to use frozen!
- Cabbage – kale or chard would also work.
- Canned diced tomatoes – or fresh, or crushed.
- Broth – chicken or vegetable both work.
- Cooked / canned cranberry beans – or pinto beans, or kidney beans.
- Tiny pasta – I like using fregula, which is like a toasted pearl couscous. Pearl couscous, orzo, or acini de pepe would also work. The smaller the better for freezing, but feel free to use any shape of pasta you want.
- Pumpkin puree – you can use up to a whole can, or any leftovers you have from another pumpkin cooking project.
- Fresh parsley – omit if you don’t have any, but it adds a nice little something something.
- Grated parmesan or Romano and olive oil for serving. I also like adding some red pepper on mine for a little spice when serving.
How to make Autumn Harvest Minestrone Soup
First, sauté the onions, celery, and carrots in olive oil. Then add fresh chopped garlic and rosemary and sauté until fragrant.
Pour in the broth and add the butternut squash, cabbage, and tomatoes. Simmer until squash has softened a bit, then add the beans and pasta. Simmer again until the pasta is cooked, then stir in the pumpkin puree to thicken.
Finally, add the fresh parsley and grate in another fresh clove of garlic directly into the pot. Taste and season with salt and pepper, and serve with grated parmesan or Romano and a nice drizzle of olive oil on each bowl.
Leftovers and Freezing
This soup can be frozen in an airtight container. It will thicken and the pasta will change in texture and soften a bit. This change is not as noticeable if you use a tiny pasta.
Leftovers of this autumn minestrone soup are amazing, as the flavors marry together over time. This is a great one to make ahead and reheat!
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Autumn Harvest Minestrone Soup
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Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 onion diced (about 1 ½ cups)
- 2 stalks celery diced (about 1 cup)
- 1 large carrot diced (about 1 cup)
- 3 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary
- 8-10 cups chicken or vegetable broth low sodium recommended
- 2-3 cups diced butternut squash about ½ medium squash
- 2-3 cups chopped cabbage about ½ medium cabbage, or kale
- 15 oz. canned diced tomatoes
- 3 cups cooked cranberry, pinto, or kidney beans or 2 15-oz. cans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup tiny pasta I like using fregula or acini de pepe (see notes)
- 1-2 cups pumpkin puree
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 1 clove garlic grated with a microplane zester
- salt and pepper to taste
- grated parmesan or Romano cheese and more olive oil for serving, optional
Instructions
- Heat the 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil in a large Dutch oven or pot over medium heat. Add the diced 1 onion, diced 2 stalks celery, and diced 1 large carrot. Sauté until softened and starting to brown, about 5-10 minutes.
- Stir in the chopped 3 cloves garlic and 2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary. Sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds to 1 minute.
- Pour in the 8-10 cups chicken or vegetable broth (start with 8 cups), and add the 2-3 cups diced butternut squash, 2-3 cups chopped cabbage, and 15 oz. canned diced tomatoes. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer on low for about 10 minutes, until squash is almost completely softened.
- Add the drained and rinsed 3 cups cooked cranberry, pinto, or kidney beans and the 1 cup tiny pasta. Stir, then simmer covered for another 10 minutes, or until pasta is cooked. If you find the soup is too thick, this is a good time to add more broth (or water).
- Stir in the 1-2 cups pumpkin puree. Turn off the heat, then stir in the 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley and grate the additional 1 clove garlic with a microplane zester directly into the pot. Taste and season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Serve with grated parmesan or Romano cheese and more olive oil drizzled on top of each bowl. I like to add red pepper for a bit of spice, too.
Notes
- Fregula is a toasted small round pasta, similar to acini de pepe or pearl couscous. I usually like using the tiniest pasta in soups because they freeze better than larger shapes. You can use any small or medium pasta you want here.
- Add a parmesan rind to the soup if you want. It will add salty umami flavor to the whole thing. Remove it and discard before serving. I like to keep them in my freezer for this purpose.
- For a vegetarian version, be sure to use vegetable broth instead of chicken. For vegan, be sure to skip the parmesan added at the end (or use a substitute).
- Minestrone soup is flexible and there are so many varieties out there based on availability of ingredients. Feel free to use cubed pumpkin instead of butternut squash, kale or chard instead of cabbage, throw in any other produce you have like zucchini or green beans… minestrone soup is always a good one to experiment with!
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Nutrition
Nutrition Information Disclaimer
The provided nutrition information is my best estimate and reflects one serving of the recipe (total servings indicated at top of recipe card). It does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. I use an automatic API to calculate this information. Feel free to calculate it yourself using one of these tools:
This post was originally published on Bowl of Delicious in February 2014 as “Rosemary Minestrone Soup.” The recipe has been revamped and the post and photos updated to what you see here, which is a much better and more thorough recipe :-)
Mary Lee Stenson
I don’t have butternut squash right now, but can I use Delicata squash or any other kind of squash?
Elizabeth Lindemann
Yes! Use any fall/winter squash you have on hand. Hope you like it!
Emily
This was the best minestrone soup I’ve ever had! I love the rosemary. I didn’t have a Parmesan rind but it still turned out very flavourful.
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!