Autumn minestrone with pumpkin and cabbage (one pot, 1 hour)

By Nikola · Precision Nutrition L1 · Sources checked 2026-11-05

Minestrone is less a fixed recipe than a habit: the soup follows whatever the season brings. In autumn that means pumpkin, white cabbage and beans, so this version swaps the summer courgettes for dense orange squash and a few handfuls of shredded cabbage. Small whole wheat pasta goes in at the end and the pot turns into a full dinner.

Six bowls from one pot, about 9 g of fibre in each, and it tastes even better the next day if you keep the pasta separate (see storage).

Difficulty: Easy, one pot · Diet: Vegan without the Parmesan, dairy-free

Autumn minestrone with pumpkin and cabbage

Autumn minestrone with pumpkin, white cabbage, kidney beans and whole wheat pasta. One pot, 1 hour, six bowls, vegan without the Parmesan.

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr

Course Soups

Servings 6 servings

Calories 244 kcal

Ingredients

  

• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 45 ml, plus a little for serving
• 1 large onion about 150 g, diced
• 2 medium carrots about 120 g, diced
• 2 celery sticks about 80 g, diced
• 3 cloves garlic sliced
• 1 tbsp tomato paste 15 g
• 1 can chopped tomatoes 400 g
• 400 g pumpkin or butternut squash peeled and cut into 2 cm cubes (about 3 1/2 cups)
• 250 g white cabbage finely shredded (about 3 1/2 cups)
• 240 g cooked red kidney beans one 400 g can, drained and rinsed, or about 1 1/3 cups home-cooked
• 120 g small whole wheat pasta such as ditalini elbows or small shells (about 1 cup)
• 1.5 litres water about 6 1/3 cups
• 1 1/2 tsp fine salt 7.5 g, or to taste
• 1 bay leaf and 1 tsp dried oregano or thyme
• Black pepper
• To serve: chopped parsley a drizzle of olive oil, grated Parmesan (optional)

Instructions

 

• Warm the olive oil in a large pot (at least 4 litres) over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot and celery with a pinch of salt and cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring now and then, until soft and just starting to colour at the edges.
• Stir in the garlic and tomato paste and cook for 1 minute, until the paste turns a shade darker.
• Add the pumpkin, canned tomatoes, bay leaf, oregano, the rest of the salt and the water. Bring to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer, partly covered, for 15 minutes. The pumpkin should be tender at the edges but still hold its shape.
• Add the cabbage and beans and simmer for 10 minutes more. The cabbage is ready when it is soft but still pale, not grey.
• Stir in the pasta and cook for the time on the packet, usually 8-11 minutes for small shapes. Stir every few minutes so it does not stick to the bottom. If the soup gets too thick, add a splash of hot water.
• Take the pot off the heat, remove the bay leaf and let it sit for 5 minutes. Season with pepper and more salt if needed. Serve with parsley, a drizzle of olive oil and Parmesan if you like.

Keyword autumn, cabbage, kidney beans, minestrone, one pot, pumpkin, vegan, whole wheat pasta

Nutrition per serving

Per serving, 1/6 of the pot, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) values per 100 g for each ingredient.

Data: USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy: oil, olive (FDC 171413); onions, raw (170000); carrots, raw (170393); celery, raw (169988); garlic, raw (169230); tomato paste, without salt added (170459); tomatoes, canned, packed in tomato juice (170051); pumpkin, raw (168448); cabbage, raw (169975); kidney beans, red, cooked, boiled, without salt (175194); pasta, whole-wheat, dry (169738). Salt is calculated from the sodium in all ingredients x 2.5 and includes 1.25 g of added salt per serving. Herbs, pepper, the serving oil and the optional Parmesan are not included. Canned beans carry more sodium than home-cooked ones; the calculation uses beans cooked without salt. Carbohydrate is USDA “by difference” and includes fibre.

Swaps and variations

• Other beans: white beans, borlotti or chickpeas, same weight.
• Other greens: savoy cabbage, kale or chard instead of white cabbage. Add chard only for the last 5 minutes.
• Gluten-free: a gluten-free pasta of the same small shape; check the packet time.
• Parmesan rind: drop a piece of rind into the pot with the water and take it out at the end. It adds a savoury depth (no longer vegan).
• Pesto finish: a teaspoon of basil pesto stirred into each bowl.

Storage and reheating

Keeps 4 days in the fridge. The pasta keeps drinking the broth, so if you plan leftovers, cook the pasta separately and add it to each bowl. Without the pasta the soup freezes well for up to 3 months. Reheat gently and loosen with a little water.

Related

• Recipes: Stuffed peppers with bulgur and feta · Mediterranean mackerel stew · Baked figs with Greek yogurt and honey
• Encyclopedia: Pumpkin · Kidney beans · Cabbage
• Diet: Mediterranean diet · 7-day Mediterranean meal plan

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