Autumn Zuppa Italiano
Familiar flavors of Fall: butternut squash, carrot, lentils and Italian seasonings pureed to perfection in this Autumn Zuppa Italiano! Topped with sliced red jalapeno, parsley, Parmesan and crispy prosciutto, this one is a winner! So delish!
To be perfectly honest, lentils are not really my favorite, and neither is butternut squash! But pureeing them must be the secret to placating that child in me that refuses to eat healthy vegetables! My daughter Christine and I recently went to lunch at a little Italian market close by and we took a chance on the soup of the day. I say “took a chance” as the waiter told me that the soup contained butternut squash and lentils but that was all he divulged. The soup was phenomenal, which pleasantly surprised me!
Later that afternoon, thinking about that soup made me wonder if I could replicate it myself. The results of my efforts are now so appreciated my family as they absolutely loved it! I have no idea if the recipe is even close to the original, but it does contain butternut squash and lentils! My Autumn Zuppa Italiano is a delicious one-pot creamy bowl of Fall!
One of the positives of this soup recipe is that it is fuss free. You basically just chop the vegetables into smallish chunks –I use pre-cut butternut squash from the grocery to make it super easy. Trader Joe’s Steamed French Lentils are also a huge time and effort saver. Just dump pretty much everything into one pot and let it simmer until tender. Then puree the mixture to your desired consistency. Could not be easier!
Do not skip the broken vermicelli (thin pasta) added at serving time. And definitely add the toppings to the soup as it really makes a difference. The saltiness of the prosciutto, the spiciness of the red jalapeno pepper and of course the Parmesan cheese — can’t have enough cheese. The pasta and the toppings are what makes this soup Italiano and gives it that restaurant quality taste.
A perfect, healthy Fall soup! Serve with some crusty bread or a grilled cheese and you are good to go! Mangia!
Autumn Zuppa Italiano
Equipment
- Immersion blender optional, can use regular blender if needed
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 large onion diced
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 2 carrots peeled and diced
- 2 celery stalks diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tsp tomato paste
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 approx 16 ounce container diced butternut squash
- 1 1/2 cups steamed lentils I use Trader Joe's steamed French lentils
- 4-5 cups chicken broth
- 1 15 ounce can roma tomatoes can substitute diced tomatoes
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 bay leaf
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 1 small Parmesan rind or small handfull of Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
- 8 ounces vermicelli (thin pasta noodles), broken into small pieces cooked, tossed in small amount of olive oil and set aside for serving
- 1/2 cup heavy cream can sub unsweetened coconut milk, if desired
- 4-5 thin slices prosciutto
- 1 red jalapeno pepper sliced thin, for serving
- parsely flakes for serving, garnish, optional
Instructions
- In a large pot over medium heat, add the oil, onion, red bell pepper, carrots and celery and cook, stirring often, until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook another minute or two.
- Add the tomato paste and the red pepper flakes to the vegetable mixture, stirring and cooking another couple of minutes until well combined.
- Then add the butternut squash, the lentils, the broth, the tomatoes and the spices, along with a sprinkling of salt a pepper and the Parmesan rind. Stir and then bring to a boil over medium high heat. After soup comes to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Meanwhile, make sure you have your vermicelli prepared and set aside. Also, prep the prosciutto for serving. Preheat oven to 375° and when oven is ready, place prosciutto on a parchment lined baking sheet. Place in oven and cook until prosciutto is very crispy, about 8 – 10 minutes. When done, remove from oven, let cool, then crumble and set aside until serving time.
- After soup has been simmering 30 minutes or so, remove the bay leaf and Parmesan (if not completely melted into the soup). With an immersion blender, pulse mixture to desired consistency. I prefer on the smooth side with a little chunkiness for texture. If you are using a regular blender, carefully remove cupfuls at a time and pulse in blender, adding back into the pot when done. Add the cream and stir well. Cook another 5 minutes then stir in the prepared vermicelli.
- To serve, ladle into bowls and top with a sprinkle of parmesan, the sliced red jalapeno pepper, and the crunchy prosciutto. A sprinkle of parsley and grind of black pepper finishes it off perfectly! Serve with crusty bread. Mangia!