Butternut Minestrone with Sage, Chickpeas & Chard
Vegan butternut minestrone with chickpeas, chard, fresh sage & thyme, and orzo pasta in a rich tomato broth. Made in one pot on the stove in about 1 hour. Perfect for a cozy fall dinner.
3 cups small-diced butternut squash ((about ½ of a medium butternut))
1 medium zucchini, small dice
1 15 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
salt & ground black pepper, to taste
1 29 oz can crushed tomatoes
7 cups vegetable stock
½ cup dry, small pasta ((I used orzo))
1 small bunch chard, chopped
Categories
Main Course
Soup
Stew
Cuisine
Italian
Steps
In a large, (5.25 quart or larger) heavy pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and carrots to the pot and stir. Saute until onions are starting to become translucent and soft, about 3 minutes.
Add the sage, thyme, chili flakes, garlic, and tomato paste to the pot and stir. Once the tomato paste is evenly distributed and the garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds, add the butternut squash, zucchini, and chickpeas. Stir to combine. Season the vegetables generously with salt and pepper.
Add the crushed tomatoes and vegetable stock to the pot. Cover the pot and bring it to a boil. Then, simmer the soup until the butternut squash pieces are tender, about 20-23 minutes. Add the pasta to the soup and continue simmering until pasta is tender and cooked through, about 10 minutes.
Add the chopped chard to the soup and place the lid on the pot. Let the soup simmer until the chard is wilted and bright green, about 2 minutes. Check the soup for seasoning. Serve the butternut minestrone hot with drizzles of olive oil, extra chili flakes, freshly ground black pepper, sprinkles of vegan “parmesan”, or fresh bread.
Reviews
Paige on 2026-09-25 (5 stars): What a keeper this one is! And it’s slightly different with different tomatoes. I had it first with canned whole tomatoes and then with pureed.
Rhys on 2025-10-26 (5 stars): I substituted in gochujang for the chili flakes. Really made the tomato feel deeper. I also added celeriac and used fresh dragon's tongue beans from the farmer's market. Plus the carrot was two small purple and yellow carrots.
Martha Mahoney on 2025-01-25 (5 stars): Do you have the sodium level of this recipe? My brother is very low sodium.
Martha Mahoney on 2025-01-25 (5 stars): Absolutely delicious! Hearty and "meaty" in texture. Not too "tomato-ee" in flavor. I used organic shredded carrots to because I had less time for preparation. They looked very pretty in the soup. I put in celery ... yum. I used whole wheat orzo, which made for a longer time at the end to complete their cooking, but it was worth it. Extra earthy flavor, Perhaps put a dollop of goat cheese instead of parmesean. Parmesean stuck to the spoon and didn't present as well. But parmesean was delicious!
Sandra Taghdissi on 2023-09-25 (5 stars): I really want to cook this for my vegan daughter however she is type 1 diabetic and I was wondering if you had the carbohydrate values of a single serving? It’s far easier to calculate her insulin with this information. It looks delicious and I’m looking forward to trying it
Eliana on 2022-02-07 (5 stars): Made this soup and it is delicious, just swapped out for ingredients I had on hand - acorn squash instead of buttternut, white beans instead of chickpeas, and kale instead of chard- so good! My husband LOVES minestrone and typically I find it too tomato-y, but this recipe is full of veggies so it evenly balances the flavors. It makes a large amount which is great for busy weekdays and leftovers. Will definitely make this again!
Caitlin Hawksley on 2021-07-23 (5 stars): Minstrone is one of my favorite soups, and this is such a fun twist on the classic! The tender butternut squash adds perfect sweetness and body, and the mix of fresh herbs is a welcome update. Love this recipe!
Caitlin Hawksley on 2021-07-23 (5 stars): Minestrone is my favorite type of soup, and this was such a fun twist on the classic. Tender butternut squash provides perfect sweetness and body, and the mix of fresh herbs is a welcome update.
