Winter Farmers' Market Soup

Well, it's sleeting outside on this cold dreary Friday, but don't be glum!  

I have a happy little pick-me up that can turn this dark day around, with some bright and lively veggies that are in season, and available at your local Winter Farmer's Market!  The use of these local, in-season veggies will brighten your day, and warm your soul!  I am so blessed to be able to use all the veggies and herbs from our garden this past summer (thank you cold storage!) and my raised herb bed is still happily producing hearty herbs like thyme, sage, rosemary, oregano and mint!  But if you don't have a cellar full of produce - visit your local Winter Farmer's Market!  

I am a superfan of the Brunswick Winter Market!! And if you go, be sure to look for Casco Bay Soap (www.cascobaysoap.com) ...my friend Shannon makes incredible artisan soaps with 100% vegetable ingredients and they are amazingly beautiful and make great Maine stocking stuffers!  To find Winter Farmer's Markets in Maine just visit www.getrealmaine.com.  This site is packed full of great farm to table information!

Ok - let's get back to our Winter Farmer's Market Soup!!

Another reason I loved this recipe is because my "picky eaters" (my 4 and 2 year olds) will not usually eat soup. It's a texture thing, I get it, so this recipe uses all the same ingredients and cooking methods, but I altered the pasta and "soup" portions so that the "kids version" of the recipe is an orzo pasta with the heartiness of the soup as a sauce!  Yaaaay!

Winter Farmers’ Market Soup Recipe

Prep time: 30 minutes.

Cook time:  40-50 minutes.

Makes about 5 quarts - enough to share or freeze!

(this recipe is adapted from Ina Garten's Winter Minestrone Soup - I made a few modifications to include only typical "Winter Market" produce, omitted the white wine (for the kids pallets) and altered the pasta preference.

Ingredients

  • Olive oil

  • 6 ounces pancetta, ½-inch-diced

  • 1½ cups chopped yellow onions

  • 2 cups (½-inch) diced carrots

  • 2½ cups (½-inch) diced peeled butternut squash

  • 1½ tablespoons minced garlic 

  • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves

  • 26 ounces canned or boxed chopped tomatoes

  • 6 to 8 cups chicken stock

  • 1 bay leaf

  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • 1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

  • 2 cups cooked small pasta, such as orzo

  • 8 to 10 ounces fresh baby spinach leaves or kale

  • 2 tablespoons pesto (optional) 

  • Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

Method

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy pot or Dutch oven. Add the pancetta and cook over medium-low heat for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Add the onions, carrots, squash, garlic, and thyme and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes, until the vegetables begin to soften.

Add the tomatoes, 6 cups of the chicken stock, the bay leaf, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 ½ teaspoons pepper to the pot. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.  Do not overcook the vegetables - you don't want them to be soft. 

Discard the bay leaf. Add the beans and cooked pasta and heat through. The soup should be quite thick but if it’s too thick, add more chicken stock. Just before serving, reheat the soup, add the spinach, and toss with 2 big spoons (like tossing a salad). Cook just until the leaves are wilted and mix in the pesto. Depending on the saltiness of the chicken stock, add another teaspoon or two of salt to taste.

Serve large shallow bowls of soup with a bruschetta on top. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, drizzle with olive oil, and serve hot.

Have a happy winter harvest and be sure to visit your local Farmers at your Winter Farmer's Market!

RecipesStephanie McDonoughsquash, soup