Spicy Fall Pumpkin Soup
One thing I look forward to most in Fall is the arrival of pumpkins – and batches of this easy, warming spicy pumpkin soup.
Whether you want a warming winter bowl or a quick weekday lunch, this hearty minestrone soup delivers on both flavour and nutrition. The idea came to me while hunting for a new “fridge soup” – a recipe that happily clears out the odds and ends of vegetables lingering in the crisper drawer.
As a busy mum, I struggle to prioritise three healthy meals a day instead of just grabbing something quick. This recipe needs about 15 minutes of chopping, then the pan takes over – and it tastes even better the next day.
How Its Laura Kate Makes a Fridge Minestrone
Minestrone is more of a method than a strict recipe. Begin with a flavour base, add whatever seasonal vegetables you have to hand, bulk it out with beans and a little pasta, then finish with herbs and a grating of cheese. Beans and vegetables bring plenty of fibre and plant protein, making it a satisfying, balanced bowl.
- Serves 6
- Prep 15 mins
- Cook 40 mins
- Fridge-clearing
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, 2 carrots and 2 celery sticks, finely diced
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 courgette, diced
- A handful of green beans, chopped
- 1 tbsp tomato purée and 1 tin chopped tomatoes
- 1.5 litres vegetable stock
- 1 tin cannellini or borlotti beans, drained
- 75g small pasta (or broken spaghetti)
- 2 large handfuls of kale, cavolo nero or spinach
- 1 tsp dried oregano, a bay leaf, salt and pepper
- Fresh basil and parmesan to serve
Method
- Heat the oil in a large pan and gently cook the onion, carrot and celery for 10 minutes until softened.
- Add the garlic, courgette and green beans and cook for a further 3 minutes.
- Stir in the tomato purée, chopped tomatoes, stock, oregano and bay leaf. Simmer for 15 minutes.
- Add the beans and pasta and cook for 10–12 minutes until the pasta is tender.
- Stir through the greens until wilted, season well and serve with basil and parmesan.
Tips for a Busy Week
- Swap freely: peppers, leeks, squash, peas or cabbage all work beautifully.
- Gluten free: use rice or gluten-free pasta, or skip the pasta and add an extra tin of beans.
- Batch it: freeze without the pasta and add fresh pasta when reheating so it doesn’t go soft.
- Parmesan rind: drop one into the pot while it simmers for a deeper, savoury flavour.
Homemade soup is one of the simplest ways I know to get more vegetables into the whole family – and when some of those vegetables come straight from the allotment, it feels even more rewarding.
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