It finally started to cool down around here for a few days (when it reaches the mid 60s and you’re freezing, you know you’ve been away from your Vermont roots for too long!!). So, because of that, we decided to round up our October fall recipes with this tasty Autumn Minestrone Soup. This totally hit the spot with the current temperature!

This soup didn’t take long at all to cook- the longest part was the chopping. But, I had my wonderful sous chef Hubby helping me out so it was a quick and easy dinner that provided us with warm left overs for lunches and dinners the next few days.

This soup uses tasty seasonal ingredients to give it an autumn taste, and it’s a great way to sneak in some veggies to your kids who refuse!

Whip this soup up on your next chilly evening or football sunday and let me know what you think!

AUTUMN MINESTRONE SOUP

INGREDIENTS:

1. 2 medium carrots, diced
2. 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
3. 1 Tbs olive oil
4. 3 cloves garlic, minced
5. 6 cups vegetable broth
6. 2 1/2 cups 3/4 inch diced yukon gold potatoes
7.  2 1/2 cups 3/4 inch diced butternut squash (some stores have some pre-cut options)
8. 1 medium zucchini, sliced into half moons
9. 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
10. 1 tsp dried rosemary
11. 1 tsp dried thyme
12. 2 bay leaves
13. 1 cup dry ditalini pasta
14. 2 cups packed chopped kale
15. 1 (14.5 oz) can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

PREPARATION:

1. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and carrots, saute for about 3 minutes, then add garlic and saute for about 1 minute longer
2. Stir in vegetable broth, potatoes, zucchini, diced tomatoes, rosemary, thyme, and bay leaves. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Bring to a boil, and then stir in pasta
4. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low, let simmer for about 15 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.
5. Stir in kale and kidney beans, simmer until kale is tender, about 5 minutes.
6. Remove bay leaves and serve warm. Enjoy!!