Butternut Squash and Chickpea Vegetarian Minestrone

Close up of a soup bowl of butternut squash minestrone.

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.

Course Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine Italian

Diet Vegan, Vegetarian

Keyword Butternut Squash Minestrone, Vegetarian Minestrone

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 30

Total Time 1

Servings servings

Calories 369kcal

Author Traci York

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

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.

Nutrition