Fall Minestrone

I have the perfect fall soup for you today. This was one that our entire family enjoyed; Will loved the sweet potatoes and the beans, and Andrew loved the ditalini pasta (which, by the way, he ate by sticking his fingers in the holes in the noodles, and sucking them off of his fingers once he had a full hand of pasta. It was adorable).

But never mind my child’s strange eating habits. Let me tell you about this hearty, flavorful soup. It’s incredibly satisfying and filling, but it’s also really healthy for you. It’s packed with vegetables, beans, and a little bit of pasta to give it body. All you need is a buttered roll to dip in the flavorful broth, and it’s the perfect supper for a chilly autumn night. And it’s something you can feel really good about eating, too, which somehow makes it taste even better.

Fall Minestrone
adapted from My Recipes

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup diced carrot
2 1/2 cups cubed sweet potato (about 1 large sweet potato)
2 garlic cloves, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon tomato paste
6 cups chicken stock
1 cup frozen green beans
1 16-ounce can cannellini beans or other white beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup uncooked ditalini pasta
2 cups baby spinach
Parmesan cheese, if desired

1. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot and sweet potato; sauté until potatoes are nearly tender. Add garlic; cook and stir for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Season with salt and pepper to taste and Italian seasoning. Reduce heat to medium, add tomato paste and stir until vegetables are evenly coated and paste turns a rich brown color.

2. Add chicken stock and green beans; return to medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and add cannellini beans and ditalini. Cook until ditalini is al dente, about 10 minutes. Stir in spinach until wilted. Taste for seasoning and reseason as necessary. Ladle into bowls and sprinkle individual servings with cheese, if desired.