Cozy up this fall with this delicious and Fall Harvest Minestrone with Pumpkin and Kale. This hearty Italian-inspired soup is packed with fall vegetables, including kale and pumpkin, and is served with Parmesan cheese and crusty bread. This is a comforting soup recipe that you will want to enjoy all season long!
This recipe was developed in collaboration with GARDENWORKS Canada.
An Italian Recipe with a Fall Twist
When fall arrives, there is nothing more comforting than a hearty bowl of soup. Minestrone is a classic Italian soup that is full of delicious seasonal vegetables. While there are countless variations of this recipe, I am putting my own spin on it by making it perfect for the fall season. This Fall Harvest Minestrone with Pumpkin and Kale celebrates the best fall ingredients including pumpkin, kale, root vegetables, cannellini beans, pasta and more!
Pumpkin might not be the first vegetable you think of when making minestrone, but it is really amazing in this recipe. Since it’s in season right now, it’s sweet and flavourful, adding a hint of sweetness and a beautiful and vibrant golden colour. Combined with kale and the other ingredients, this soup is filling, nourishing, and exactly the kind of meal you want to cozy up with on a cool fall evening.
Cooking with Specialty Pumpkins
Specialty pumpkins not only bring beauty to your fall decor, but many varieties are also edible and delicious. For this recipe, I used a Jarrahdale specialty pumpkin from my local garden centre, GARDENWORKS. It has a beautiful golden orange colour inside, a hint of sweetness, and a great texture when cooked.
To prepare this pumpkin for cooking, wash it thoroughly and cut a wedge off with a sharp knife. Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds, then use a vegetable peeler to remove the skin. Once peeled, chop into cubes using your knife. You can add the pumpkin to this soup, roast it in the oven, or purée it for other recipes.
In the fall months, GARDENWORKS offers an incredible selection of pumpkins in unique shapes, colours, and sizes. While they look stunning on a front porch or dining table, they are equally wonderful in the kitchen. If you’ve only ever cooked with traditional pie pumpkins, I encourage you to branch out and try a specialty variety in your fall cooking!
Easy Adaptations and Cooking Tips
One of the things I love most about minestrone is how versatile it is. You can use pretty much any seasonal vegetable you want, but I have a few cooking techniques and adaptations that can make this traditional recipe even better:
- Make it vegetarian: Omit the bacon and swap the chicken stock for vegetable stock. The soup is still hearty and satisfying thanks to the beans, pasta, and vegetables.
- Thicken the broth naturally: A little trick is to use an immersion blender and purée about half the soup before serving. This gives the broth a creamier texture, making the soup feel extra substantial.
- Don’t skip the garnish: A generous sprinkle of Parmesan cheese adds that salty, cheesy finish, and a slice of toasted crusty bread on the side makes it a complete meal!
A New Soup for Your Fall Recipe Rotation
This Fall Harvest Minestrone with Pumpkin and Kale highlights seasonal fall produce at its best, is budget-friendly, and is guaranteed to become a new fall favourite in your home. Plus, this soup goes a long way, so make a big batch to have on hand all week long.
Stop by your local GARDENWORKS and discover a beautiful selection of specialty pumpkins that are perfect for making this recipe! And of course, make sure to buy a few more specialty pumpkins for your front porch and fall decor…because you can never have too many pumpkins!
Get the Recipe: Fall Harvest Minestrone with Pumpkin and Kale
Fall Harvest Minestrone with Pumpkin and Kale
Ingredients
- 3 strips bacon
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion cut into 1-centimetre pieces
- 2 medium carrots cut into 1-centimetre pieces
- 2 celery stalks cut into 1-centimetre pieces
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 medium tomatoes roughly chopped
- 8 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock
- 3 cups pumpkin cut into 1-centimetre pieces
- 1 can cannellini beans
- 1 4- cm piece Parmesan cheese rind
- 1 cup short pasta such as ditelli
- 4 cups kale cut into 1-centimetre slices
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese
- Toasted bread for serving
Instructions
- Heat a large Dutch oven over medium high heat. Once hot, add the bacon and fry for 3 to 4 minutes per side until golden. Remove from the pot and drain on a paper towel. Chop the bacon into 1 cm sized pieces and set aside.
- Drain all but 1 teaspoon of bacon fat from the pot. Heat the pot over medium high heat, and add the olive oil, onion, carrots, celery, oregano, salt, and pepper. Sauté for 5 minutes, or until the vegetables have softened and are beginning to turn a light golden brown. Add the tomatoes to the pot and cook for 3 minutes to soften.
- Add the chicken stock (or vegetable stock) to the pot, along with the pumpkin, cannellini beans, chopped bacon, and parmesan cheese rind. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium low, cover, and let simmer for 15 minutes.
- After 15 minutes, add the pasta to the pot and cook for an additional 15 minutes.
- If desired, place an immersion blender in the pot and pulse the blender 8 to 10 times. This will purée the soup and thicken it. Once partially puréed, add the kale, mix the soup to combine, taste and adjust seasoning as desired.
- Ladle the soup into serving bowls and top with grated Parmesan cheese. Serve with a slice of crusty bread and enjoy!
Notes
- I used Jarrahdale pumpkin for this soup. You can use traditional sugar pumpkin, or even butternut squash or yams in this recipe as well.