Kale Pumpkin Minestrone

I love how the power of plants can directly impact our health. It's borderline magic. That's why I am teaming up, once again, with the American Macular Degeneration Foundation. The AMDF believes in the power of nutrition as much as I do. A few months ago I created this Twice Baked Curry Sweet Potato recipe in conjunction with the foundation.

I am back with another recipe that packs some serious nutrition! Kale, cannellini beans, and pumpkin can all improve your eye health, onions have anti-inflamatory properties, and tomatoes have cancer fighting benefits. All of these powerful foods combine to make one delicious meal in a bowl.

My favorite thing about this soup is the broth. The pasta is cooked right in the broth. This makes the cooking process quick and easy - no dirtying two pots here! - but it also serves a second purpose. As the pasta cooks, the starch from the noodles combines with the existing liquid. It gives the soup a silky texture and help to thicken it up a bit, all sans dairy.

This recipe is actually featured in a contest that the foundation is running! If you have the chance, I would love your vote. Contests can really help to grow the blog and I really appreciate your support! It means the world to me. If you would like, you can vote HERE.

Kale Pumpkin Minestrone

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• Author: Laurel
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes
• Total Time: 45 minutes
• Yield: 6 servings 1x
• Category: Soup
• Cuisine: dairy-free, egg-free, gluten-free, refined sugar-free, soy-free, sugar-free, vegan, vegetarian

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Description

This Kale and Pumpkin Minestrone is a meal in a bowl. It is packed with fresh vegetables and has tons of nutritional benefits! Each spoonful will be different as you work your way through all of the vegetables in this soup.

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Ingredients

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• 4 tablespoons olive oil (, divided)
• 1 medium onion (, diced)
• 2 carrots (, diced)
• 1 celery stalk (, diced)
• 2 cups cubed pumpkin ((or acorn squash or butternut squash))
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 teaspoons salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 - 28 oz can whole tomatoes (, crushed)
• 4 cups water
• 1 - 15 oz . can cannellini beans
• 1 cup gluten-free macaroni (, preferably a brown rice pasta)
• ½ lb . green beans trimmed and cut into 1 inch lengths
• 1 head kale (, de-stemmed and torn into bite sized pieces)
• ¼ cup chopped parsley
• ¼ cup chopped basil

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Instructions

1. Add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil to a large soup pot over medium heat. Add in the onion and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add in the carrots, celery, and pumpkin. Sauté another 5 minutes or until the celery is tender and the other vegetables begin to soften. Add in the tomato paste, salt, black pepper, Italian seasoning, and crushed red pepper flakes. Sauté, stirring, until the spices are fragrant and the tomato paste darkens in color.
2. Add in the crushed tomatoes with their juice and the water. Stir to combine and bring to a boil. Add in the cannellini beans and their liquid, the green beans, and the macaroni. Simmer for 7 minutes or until the pasta is al dente. Add in the kale, parsley, basil, and remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Shut off the heat and stir to combine. Let the soup sit, covered, for 10 minutes or until the kale has wilted slightly. Spoon into bowls and serve.

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