Hearty Italian Minestrone: Autumn Vegetable, White Bean and Ditalini Soup with Parmesan

Warm the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots and celery with a pinch of salt and cook for 8 minutes until softened and lightly golden.

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 medium zucchini, diced
• 1 cup diced butternut squash
• 1 can (14 oz) crushed tomatoes
• 6 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
• 1 Parmesan rind plus 1/2 cup grated Parmesan for serving
• 1 can (15 oz) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 3/4 cup ditalini or other small pasta
• 3 cups chopped lacinato kale
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano, salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Warm the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots and celery with a pinch of salt and cook for 8 minutes until softened and lightly golden.
2. Stir in the garlic, zucchini, butternut squash and oregano and cook for 3 minutes more, until fragrant.
3. Pour in the crushed tomatoes and vegetable broth, drop in the Parmesan rind and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover partially and cook for 20 minutes until the squash is tender.
4. Add the cannellini beans and ditalini and simmer uncovered for 9 to 11 minutes, stirring now and then, until the pasta is al dente.
5. Stir in the kale and cook for 2 minutes until wilted but still bright green. Fish out the Parmesan rind.
6. Taste and season generously with salt and black pepper. If the soup is thicker than you like, loosen it with a splash of hot broth or water.
7. Ladle into warm bowls, shower with grated Parmesan and finish with a drizzle of good olive oil and more black pepper. Serve with crusty bread.
8. Minestrone has no fixed recipe; it is Italy's great 'big soup' of whatever the garden and pantry offer, which is why autumn versions lean on squash, beans and sturdy greens while summer pots are full of tomatoes and green beans. The Parmesan rind is a nonna's trick: it melts slowly into the broth, adding savory depth without any extra cheese. Make a double batch, because it tastes even better reheated the next day.

Nutrition (estimated, per serving)

• Calories: 290 kcal
• Protein: 13g
• Fat: 10g
• Carbohydrates: 40g
• Fiber: 9g
• Sugar: 8g
• Sodium: 620mg