fall vegetable soup

another delicious fall soup recipe with butternut squash used in a different way. once you have prepped your ingredients, the soup comes together in less than 15 minutes! here the squash is not the star, but is one of many ingredients to make a hearty fall vegetable soup.

this recipe is simple and straightforward. start off by prepping all of your vegetables. rip the kale into pieces (remove any thick stems). mince garlic, chop onion and potato, slice carrot and celery, and cube the butternut squash.

add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan (don't mind the burn marks on mine!) and heat over medium low heat. saute the onions and garlic until they start to become translucent and lightly brown.

next add in the stock. i use part chicken and part vegetable stock to develop a better, more unique flavor. add in the prepped carrot, celery, potato and squash.

 once this comes to a boil, add the tomato paste and simmer for 3 minutes.

season the soup with 1/2 tsp ground black pepper, 1 tsp dried oregano, and salt to taste (depends on how salty your stock was).

after the 3 minutes of cook time is up, add in the orzo, kale, and kidney beans and simmer for an additional 5 minutes. 

after 5 minutes, check your vegetables to make sure they have cooked to your liking and you are done! ladle into bowls and enjoy. 

you can stash the soup in the fridge and reheat as needed, note that the orzo and veggies may soak up a little extra liquid, making the soup thicker.

fall vegetable soup with kale and butternut squash

 inspiration from: quick fall minestrone

ingredients:

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 small onion, chopped (about 1 cup) 

4 cups chicken stock

2 cups vegetable stock

1 carrot, chopped (about 1 cup)

1 stalk celery, sliced (about 1/2 cup)

1 medium russet potato, scrubbed well and cubed (about 2 cups)

3 cups cubed butternut squash (about 1/2 of a 2.5 lb squash)

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 tsp dried oregano

salt to taste (try about 1/4 tsp if you need it)

2 tbsp tomato paste

1/2 cup orzo (or another small dry pasta)

1.5 cups cannellini or kidney beans (rinse if using canned)

4 cups kale, stems removed and ripped into smaller pieces

directions:

1.   heat olive oil over medium low heat, and add onions and garlic. saute until translucent and lightly brown.

2.   add in chicken and vegetable stock, as well as the carrot, celery, potato, and squash. season with pepper, oregano, and salt. bring the mixture to a boil, add tomato paste and then turn the heat down to a simmer for 3 minutes.

3.   stir in the orzo, kidney beans, and kale and simmer for an additional 5 minutes. taste to be sure the vegetables are cooked to your liking, and it is ready to serve.

tips:

- feel free to mix up the vegetables you use! i have used green beans in place of celery, and sweet potato for part of the white potato. Cannellini beans add a great color and either canned or freshly chopped tomatos are delicious as well.

- store in a tightly sealed container in the fridge for a few days. the pasta and vegetables may absorb extra water during storage. if the soup is too thick when you reheat it, feel free to add a little water or stock.