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.
Perfect for feeding a small crowd or meal prepping for the week, this soup comes together in just about an hour—leftovers taste even better. This recipe is vegetarian and easily vegan.
A Hearty Fall and Winter Vegetarian Minestrone
There’s nothing more comforting during the coldest months of the year than a hearty bowl of vegetable soup. Originating in Italy, minestrone is a vegetable-based soup typically featuring beans, pasta (sometimes), and an aromatic blend of Italian herbs and spices. While traditional minestrone is meatless, there are variations, shaped by seasonal ingredients, and personal preferences.
This recipe includes pasta and leans on fall and winter veggies like fennel and butternut squash for flavor and body. Add a rhind of Parmesan if you have it for richness and flavor. It also thickens the soup a bit. Serve with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese, it’s also delicious with freshly torn basil or a drizzle of Basil Pesto. This soup is loaded with flavor and is so satisfying.
This Recipe Is
- hearty and filling
- vegetarian and easily vegan
- make ahead ready
If you enjoy making homemade soups, you’ll love this rich and flavorful Italian vegetable soup.
About the Key Ingredients
- Fennel Bulb – adds bulk and slightly sweet flavor to the broth.
- Fresh Garlic Cloves – adds mellow earthy flavor and interest. There’s a lot in this soup – 5 cloves! You can adjust down to taste if preferred.
- Seasonings – a blend of dried Italian seasonings, including rosemary, oregano, thyme and basil do the heavy lifting while red pepepr flake adds a bit of heat, but not too much. You can adjust this to taste.
- White Wine – adds body, a touch of sweetness and interest. I use dry vermouth, but a white drinking wine will work too.
- Butternut Squash – adds sweetness, color and texture. You don’t need much, so look for a small butternut squash.
- Cooked Chickpeas – add bulk, texture and flavor. Use homemade Cooked from Dry Chickpeas or canned for convenience. You can substitute white beans (cannellini beans) if preferred.
- Low Sodium Vegetable Broth – use a high-quality vegetable broth for the best flavor. I use low-sodium Better Than Bullion vegetable concentrate. I love it because it’s organic, economical, produces less waste. Plus, it tastes great!
- Ditalini Pasta – small tube shaped pasta that stays on your spoon rather than slipping off. It adds texture and bulk.
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How to Make Butternut Squash Minestrone
step by step
Pro Tip: have a couple of extra cups of veggie broth on standby after simmering the soup. The soup will thicken as it cooks, so if you want a brothier soup, you can adjust.
Share With
This soup is delicious on it’s own, but a salad and crusty bread stretch this soup further. Here are a few side ideas to share with butternut squash minestrone.
- Kale Caesar Salad features a no anchovies / no egg dressing that is so flavorful! The kale is massaged to tenderize it making it a perfect partner with this soup.
- Multigrain Sourdough Bread or any crusty sourdough for sopping up all that delicious broth. I’ve also share this soup with a baguette with soft butter on the side.
- Apple and Beet Salad: a seasonal fresh salad chock full of crisp apple and juicy roasted beets. It’s finished with an apple cider vinaigrette.
Traci’s Tips
- Make Ahead: this soup is even better on the second day since the flavors have time to marry. Gently reheat stovetop adding a splash of veggie broth to thin if needed.
- 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.
Butternut Squash and Chickpea Vegetarian Minestrone
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1 1/2 cups (155 grams) Fennel Bulb, diced small, about one small bulb
- 1 1/2 tablespoons Minced Garlic, about 5 medium cloves
- 1 1/2 cups (215 grams) Carrots, sliced thin, crosswise, about 4 large carrots
- 1 1/2 cups (140 grams) Celery, sliced thin, crosswise, about 4 celery stalks
- 3 teaspoons Dried Italian Seasonings
- 1/4 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon Fine Sea Salt
- 1/2 cup (105 grams) White Wine, such as Dry Vermouth or Chardonnay
- 1 28 ounce (411 grams) Can of Diced Tomatoes
- 2 15 ounce each (425 grams each) Cans of Cooked Chickpeas, drained and rinsed, or about 3 1/4 cups cooked chickpeas
- 3 cups (400 grams) Butternut Squash, peeled and diced to 3/4 inch pieces. you'll need a small butternut squash.
- 5 cups (1.12 kilograms) Low Sodium Vegetable Broth, + 2 extra cups as needed
- 1 1/2 cups (335 grams) Water
- 2 Bay Leaves
- Rind of Parmesan, optional
- 3/4 cup (90 grams) Ditalini Pasta
For Serving (optional)
- Lemon Basil Pesto, or store bought
- Grated Parmesan Cheese
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.
- To the soup pot, add the Ditalini Pasta and heavy simmer for about 10-12 minutes, or until the pasta is tender. As the soup sets the pasta will soak up the broth. Add more veggie broth as needed to desired consistency. (Fish out and discard the bay leaves and rind of Parmesan if added earlier and discard). Taste for salt and adjust as needed.
- Share with fresh ground black pepper, crusty bread, pesto on the table for drizzling (recommended) and a sprinkle grated Parmesan.
- Allow the soup to cool, then store in the refrigerator, in a lidded container for up to three days. Reheat gently on the stovetop.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate. If this information is important to you, please have it verified independently.
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I couldn’t stop eating this delicious dish- fortunately, it is as nutritious as it is delicious!!
Love hearing this, Cassandra! Thank you for your note and sending a smile!
Made it and it was delicious! I used frozen butternut squash and it was a great time saver! Thanks for a great recipe!
Hii Peggy! Thank you for your note and giving the minestrone a go! Thrilled to hear it is a success!