Roasted Vegetable Minestrone

The days are getting cooler, we added an extra blanket to the bed, and we’ve even turned the heat on once or twice. You know what that means. Soup weather is officially here! One of the reasons I look forward to this time of the year is this – I love making soup. I love seeing carrots and onion and celery cooking in the bottom of a large pot. I love making a meal that fills you up while warming you up, especially when it lasts for days. And I love trying new soups and seeing how ordinary ingredients, when cooked and added to the magical ingredient that is chicken broth, can turn into something amazing.

And this roasted vegetable minestrone is nothing short of amazing. It’s chock full of healthy vegetables and flavorful pasta. Roasting the vegetables gives them a depth of flavor that you don’t expect at first glance. I’ve never roasted mushrooms before, and I had no idea what I was missing. As I added them to the soup I couldn’t help eating a few, and then picking a few more out of the soup pot, adding extra to my bowl, etc. because they tasted so good.  I asked Mike later if he noticed how good the mushrooms were, and he said he didn’t actually notice the mushrooms. I wonder if that’s because I ate them all?

Seriously, mushrooms aside, this soup is delicious. Add different/more vegetables if you want, or leave out ones you don’t care for. It’s easy, quick, healthy, and it makes a huge pot of soup. Add some freshly shaved parmesan cheese on top and you’ll sit there wondering how you managed to make it through cool evenings in years past without this soup to warm you up.

Roasted Vegetable Minestrone

Ingredients:

2 whole Zucchini, Halved, Cut Into Strips, Then Cubed
2 whole Summer Squash, Halved, Cut Into Strips, Then Cubed
8 ounces, weight White Mushrooms, Stems Removed And Quartered
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
Kosher Salt To Taste
2 Tablespoons (additional) Olive Oil
2 whole Carrots, Washed And Sliced (not Peeled)
1 whole Medium Onion, Diced
3 stalks Celery, Sliced
8 cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth (or more if you like a brothier soup)
1 can Cannelini Beans, Rinsed
1-½ cup Small Pasta Shells, Uncooked
1 can (14.5) Diced Tomatoes With Juice
Salt And Pepper, to taste
¼ teaspoons Turmeric (optional)
Parmesan Cheese, Shaved

Directions:

Preheat oven to 500 degrees.

Toss cubed zucchini, squash, and mushrooms in a bowl with olive oil and a sprinkling of kosher salt. Arrange on a sheet pan (or two to avoid crowding) and roast in the hot oven for 5 to 10 minutes, or until brown and black parts begin to show. Remove from oven and set aside.

In a heavy pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add carrots, onions, and celery and stir to cook for 3 minutes. Pour in broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for ten minutes.

Add cannelini beans and pasta and simmer for 10 minutes. Add canned tomatoes, stir, and cook for an additional five minutes on low heat. Check for seasonings, adding salt, pepper, and turmeric.

Add roasted vegetables at the very end. Stir and allow to simmer and heat for a few minutes before serving. Be sure to check the seasoning. Add more broth if necessary to increase liquid amount.

Serve with Parmesan shavings and crusty bread.

adapted from The Pioneer Woman

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31 comments

  1. I've never tried minestrone soup on my own, but I really like it!

  2. This looks really good! It really is time for some soup. 🙂

  3. Wow, Megan! Yummy 🙂 I'm with you — I love an extra blanket on the bed and yummy soups that last for days!

  4. Now that it's raining here in Oregon again, I have soup on the menu at least once a week. I'm going to add this to my "must make" list! 🙂

  5. Mmm, thanks for the great recipe. I just ate the last of my chili today and now I need a new recipe!

  6. This looks good!

  7. oh I never thought about roasting the vegetables before – looks delicious!

  8. Roasting the vegetables must make an already great soup even better. I love fall and this soup is a perfect accompaniment to it.

  9. Roasting veggies is the only way to go so I know this soup is amazing!

  10. I love fall-inspired soups! This is packed full of vegetables and I love it! Can't wait to try it out!

  11. I love soup! Especially for lunch in the winter. My office is like a meat locker and soup is the perfect remedy! This looks delicious and healthy to boot!

  12. Your pictures are GORGEOUS! And you are right, great minds think alike. Your version sounds amazing, Megan!

  13. I can never use mushrooms because The Hubble hates them. But roasted mushrooms sounds amazing.

    We keep getting teases of cooler weather. It will be cool for a week then jump back into the mid 80s. It will cool down at some point I'm sure. Then I am totally making this soup!

  14. I love roasted veggies and they certainly sound like a good way to add flavor to standard minestrone. Great recipe for this time of year!

  15. Ooh, those parmesan shavings immediately had me salivating! So tasty-looking. And this time of year is so perfect for soup… I feel like I should whip some up immediately!

  16. I've been freezing all day and this soup sounds so good!

  17. I roasted veggies for soup last night, too! Agreed how much yummier they are… This PW recipe was one that I'd been wanting to try, but had forgotten about. Thanks for the reminder! Yours looks great!

  18. Why unpeeled carrots?

  19. I love soup this time of year. And roasted vegetables soup sounds so inviting.

  20. I've been roasting veggies for a while and you're so right..there is great depth of flavor. But I sure never thought about making soup with them. Super idea and this recipe looks great!

  21. That's perfect – roasting the vegetables first. Plus the aroma in the kitchen is worth the extra effort. The soup beckons.

  22. Anonymous – I think the peel provides some sort of nutrients and/or flavor, but I'm sure you could use unpeeled if you want.

  23. Anonymous – I think the peel provides some sort of nutrients and/or flavor, but I'm sure you could use unpeeled if you want.

  24. I had minestrone soup as part of lunch today and definitely considered making some at home! Can't go wrong with Ree!

  25. oooh this sounds great! and it's the PW so of course it's good. but i'm not a vegetable soup kinda girl but i love the idea of roasted veggies so i might have to make an exception. 🙂

  26. That's some hearty-looking soup!
    Hey, thanks for stopping by my blog and the nice comment on the coat I made!

  27. I love making minestrone, but I've never roasted the veggies beforehand..I'll have to try it sometime!

  28. Another wonderful recipe! I made this last night for dinner and it so great with some crusty bread. I couldn’t find summer squash so I substituted parsnips (which I would not recommend.. lol). I’m not a huge fan of mushrooms but I’m so glad I left them in! They take on such an amazing flavor after roasting and it just works so well with everything else. The only thing I would say is that I think some of the cooking times are too long, either that or I was way past simmering. In any case, next time I’ll wait until almost the very end to add the beans, tomatoes, and roasted veggies.

    • Thanks Brittany, so glad you liked it! Those roasted mushrooms are so good aren’t they? 🙂 Thanks for the feedback on the cooking time – I’ll play around with it as well next time I make it.

  29. Must be appreciated for the article.

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