Butternut Squash & Kale Minestrone Soup

By February 26, 2015 recipes No Comments
butternut squash & kale minestrone soup
Ingredients:
  • 1 – 15 ounce can cannelloni beans
  • 3 cloves of garlic
  • 1 bunch of kale (any variety will do)
  • 1 leek
  • 1 pound butternut squash
  • 1/2 cup pasta
  • 1 – 1 inch piece of fresh horseradish (or 1 tablespoon from jar)
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/4 teaspoon: paprika, ground bay leaf, ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1 box minestrone pasta

Prep Work:

  • Preheat oven to 450
  • Wash and dry produce
  • Put pot of water on high
  • Remove and discard kale stems and roughly chop the leaves
  • Trim and discard the roots and upper green leaves of leek
  • Halve the leek lengthwise, rinse, then thinly slice the halves across
  • Peel the squash and then medium dice the butternut squash
  • Peel and grate the horseradish
  • Mice the garlic

Cooking Directions:

  1. In a large pot, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium until hot, add garlic, leek and spices.  Season with salt and pepper.  Cook for 3 – 4 minutes, until soft.
  2. Add the beans (rinse beans with cold water), kale, squash, and 5 cups of water to the same pot.  Heat until boiling, then simmer, stirring occasionally for 20 minutes.  Using a fork mash about 1/4 of the squash with a fork against the side of the pot.  Stir.
  3. Cook the pasta in another pot of boiling water.  4 – 6 minutes.
  4. Stir the cooked pasta into the soup, season with salt and pepper.  Finish off the soup with horseradish and Parmesan cheese.

Enjoy!  Cheers to a healthy real meal!