This easy This easy Barefoot Contessa Winter Minestrone & Garlic Bruschetta is the perfect, hearty meal for chilly days. Packed with fresh vegetables, crispy pancetta, and tender pasta, it’s a quick and nutritious dish. You can easily swap ingredients based on what you have in your pantry, making it flexible and simple to prepare.
Ingredients Needed
For the Winter Minestrone:
- 60ml good olive oil
- 115g pancetta, ½-inch-diced
- 225g chopped yellow onions
- 300g diced carrots (3 carrots)
- 300g diced celery (3 stalks)
- 250g (2½ cups) (½-inch) diced peeled butternut squash
- 1½ tablespoons cloves minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, chopped
- 730g canned or boxed chopped tomatoes, such as Pomi
- 1.4L (6 to 8 cups) chicken stock, preferably homemade
- 1 bay leaf
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 400g cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 250g cooked small pasta, such as tubetti
- 225g (8 to 10 ounces) fresh baby spinach leaves
- 120ml (½ cup) good dry white wine
- 2 tablespoons store-bought pesto
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving
For the Garlic Bruschetta:
- 1 baguette
- Good olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, cut in half lengthwise
How To Make Winter Minestrone & Garlic Bruschetta
Winter Minestrone:
- 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, celery, squash, garlic, and thyme. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes until the vegetables begin to soften.
- Add the tomatoes, 1.4L chicken stock, bay leaf, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1½ teaspoons black pepper to the pot. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
- Discard the bay leaf. Add the beans and cooked pasta and heat through. If the soup is too thick, add more chicken stock.
- Just before serving, reheat the soup, add the spinach, and toss with 2 large spoons (like tossing a salad). Cook just until the spinach wilts. Stir in the white wine and pesto. Depending on the saltiness of the chicken stock, adjust salt to taste.
- Serve the soup in large shallow bowls with a bruschetta on top. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, drizzle with olive oil, and serve hot.
Garlic Bruschetta:
- Preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F).
- Slice the baguette at a 45-degree angle into 1/2-inch thick slices. Brush both sides of the bread with olive oil and bake for 6 minutes, until lightly toasted.
- Take the slices out of the oven and rub the surface of each one with the cut side of the garlic clove.

Recipe Tips
- Brown the pancetta properly to get the best flavour: It should be crispy before adding the vegetables, as this will add a deeper taste to the soup.
- Use good-quality chicken stock to get a richer flavour: If using store-bought, make sure to taste it before adding salt, as some stocks can be salty.
- Add more stock or water if the soup becomes too thick: The consistency should be hearty but still pourable, so adjust as needed.
- Cook the spinach just before serving: to keep its bright green colour and fresh taste. Don’t overcook it.
- Taste the soup before serving and adjust seasoning: Sometimes the saltiness from the stock or pancetta can affect the overall taste, so a little extra seasoning might be needed.
How To Store Leftovers
- Refrigerate: Store leftover Winter Minestrone in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the fridge.
- Freeze: Leftover Winter Minestrone can be frozen for up to 3 months. Let it cool completely before transferring to a freezer-safe container. To thaw, place it in the fridge overnight, then reheat on the stove for 10–15 minutes.
- Reheating: Reheat leftover Winter Minestrone on the stove over medium heat for 10–15 minutes until hot.
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: 1 bowl (approx. 1.5 cups)
- Calories: 300
- Total Fat: 15g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Cholesterol: 20mg
- Sodium: 600mg
- Potassium: 800mg
- Total Carbohydrate: 35g
- Dietary Fiber: 7g
- Sugars: 8g
- Protein: 10g
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Barefoot Contessa Winter Minestrone & Garlic Bruschetta
Description
This easy This easy Barefoot Contessa Winter Minestrone & Garlic Bruschetta is the perfect, hearty meal for chilly days. Packed with fresh vegetables, crispy pancetta, and tender pasta, it’s a quick and nutritious dish. You can easily swap ingredients based on what you have in your pantry, making it flexible and simple to prepare.
Ingredients
For the Winter Minestrone:
For the Garlic Bruschetta:
Instructions
- 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, celery, squash, garlic, and thyme. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes until the vegetables begin to soften.
- Add the tomatoes, 1.4L chicken stock, bay leaf, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1½ teaspoons black pepper to the pot. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
- Discard the bay leaf. Add the beans and cooked pasta and heat through. If the soup is too thick, add more chicken stock.
- Just before serving, reheat the soup, add the spinach, and toss with 2 large spoons (like tossing a salad). Cook just until the spinach wilts. Stir in the white wine and pesto. Depending on the saltiness of the chicken stock, adjust salt to taste.
- Serve the soup in large shallow bowls with a bruschetta on top. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, drizzle with olive oil, and serve hot.
- Preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F).
- Slice the baguette at a 45-degree angle into 1/2-inch thick slices. Brush both sides of the bread with olive oil and bake for 6 minutes, until lightly toasted.
- Take the slices out of the oven and rub the surface of each one with the cut side of the garlic clove.
Winter Minestrone:
Garlic Bruschetta:
Notes
- Brown the pancetta properly to get the best flavour: It should be crispy before adding the vegetables, as this will add a deeper taste to the soup.
- Use good-quality chicken stock to get a richer flavour: If using store-bought, make sure to taste it before adding salt, as some stocks can be salty.
- Add more stock or water if the soup becomes too thick: The consistency should be hearty but still pourable, so adjust as needed.
- Cook the spinach just before serving: to keep its bright green colour and fresh taste. Don’t overcook it.
- Taste the soup before serving and adjust seasoning: Sometimes the saltiness from the stock or pancetta can affect the overall taste, so a little extra seasoning might be needed.