Level: Easy

Total: 2 hr

Prep: 1 hr

Cook: 1 hr

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients:
  • Good olive oil
  • 4 oz of pancetta or unflavired bacon, diced in ¼ inch
  • 2 cups of chopped onions
  • 2 cups of diced carrots
  • 2 cups of diced celery stalks
  • 5 cups of butternut squash, peeled and ½ inch diced
  • 2 Tablespoons minced garlic (4 cloves)
  • 3 teaspoons chopped Thyme leaves
  • 26 oz of diced tomatoes
  • 1 cup dry white wine
  • 8 cups chicken stock
  • 2 bay leaves
  • Salt and pepper
  • 3 cans (15 oz) Cannellini beans ( rinsed well)
  • 2 bags of baby spinach
  • Parmigiano riggiano for serving as topping
  • (Optional) Tubetti Pasta 
  • (Optional) Toasted French bread

Directions:

 

Heat 2 tablespoons of high-quality olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the bacon or diced pancetta to the pot and cook it over low to medium heat until the bacon is thoroughly cooked but not burnt, achieving a light golden brown color, which should take about 10 minutes. Next, introduce the onions and sauté them until they become translucent, which will require a few minutes of cooking. Add the carrots, celery, and butternut squash, allowing them to caramelize and soften.

Incorporate the tomatoes, bay leaves, and garlic, and cook for a few more minutes. Season the mixture with 1 tablespoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Increase the heat and pour in the wine and chicken stock. Once you observe it starting to bubble, reduce the heat to a simmer, cover the pot, and let it simmer for 30 minutes. The longer it simmers the better flavors will emerge.

Just 5 minutes before serving, gently add the baby spinach to the soup and stir it in with a spoon until it is submerged in the liquid. Continue to cook until the spinach leaves begin to wilt slightly. Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning with more salt if necessary. If not, enjoy the soup with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese on top!

(optional) Cook pasta separatly till aldente and add cooked pasta to the soup if desired for more fullness. Bon Appetit!

Disclamer: This is modified Inas Garten recipe.