Italian Minestrone with Butternut Squash Recipe

photo credit: MihaMatei.com

We are entering the second week of January and I still can’t believe it’s 2012.  Somebody pinch me please! We’ve been lucky to have gorgeous weather so far but today though the sun is out and shining – it is also super windy.  I was just wearing shorts the other day and now I’m pulling out my winter sweaters again…
Real schizophrenic weather if you ask me, much like some relationships I’ve had in the past.  Haha!

All kidding aside it is perfect weather for a bowl of soup and some fresh crusty bread.  Nothing sounds better to me right now than some piping hot Italian minestrone with butternut squash and Swiss chard from our January book “We The Soup”.
Give this easy minestrone a try and don’t forget to download your complimentary copy of the book by signing up at the bottom of this post.

Italian Minestrone with Butternut Squash Recipe
(Serves 4+)

Ingredients:

• 2-­‐1⁄2  qt.  chicken  broth  or  vegetable  broth
• 3  tbsp. Olive  Oil
• 1  onion  -diced
• 3  garlic  cloves  -finely  chopped
• 1  carrot  -diced
• 3-­‐celery  stalks  -­diced
• 1  large  butternut  squash  -cut  into  1-­‐inch  cubes
• 1  bunch  Swiss  chard  -rinsed  and  chopped
• 4  of  the  Swiss  chard  stems  diced
• 3  thyme  sprigs
• 2  bay  leaves
• 1  x  15  oz.  can  diced  tomatoes
• 2  cups  fusilli  pasta
• 20  basil  leaves  -thinly  sliced  or  torn
• Salt  to  taste

Directions:

1. Heat  up  the  olive  oil  in  a  large  heavy  bottom  stockpot.  Add  the  onion   with  a  pinch  of  salt  and  sauté  until  translucent.

2. Add  the  garlic,  carrot,  celery,  Swiss  chard  stems  and  butternut  squash   and  give  them  a  good  stir.    Add  the  thyme  and  bay  leaf  and  cook  for   another  10  minutes  until  the  vegetables  are  tender.

3. Pour  in  the  stock  and  diced  tomatoes  and  bring  to  a  simmer.  Cook  for   20  minutes  then  add  the  pasta.  Cook  another  10  minutes  or  until  the   pasta  is  al  dente.  Stir  in  the  chard  and  let  it  wilt  for  a  couple  minutes.

4. Remove  from  heat,  discard  the  thyme  and  bay  leaf,  adjust  seasoning then  ladle  into  bowls  and  serve  sprinkled  with  some  basil  and  freshly   grated  Parmigiano  Reggiano.

Tagged as: Italian Minestrone With butternut squash