Fall Dinner Party Minestrone Soup Recipe
Today I’m sharing a Fall Dinner Party Minestrone Soup Recipe, along with tips how to set a table with gorgeous pieces from Simon Pearce!
I love the autumn season for entertaining in our backyard. Truly, Oregon is beautiful this time of year!
I love to grace a table with elegant dishware, simple flowers (’tis the seasons for mums), and beautiful people. Sometimes we complicate entertaining so much–even when we have dishes stashed in our buffet or cabinets, easy to pull out and set a quick table–that we scare ourselves from doing it.
Minestrone Soup Recipe
Today, this post Fall Dinner Party Minestrone Soup Recipe is just that … elegant and beautiful and tasty!
There’s no excuse with my easy fall dinner party menu today. It’s the ultimate autumn food, because everyone loves a seasonal appetizer, wine (or water), crunchy bread, a robust soup, and a fresh salad. Add an elegant dessert on top of that: You are set for the perfect evening.
But what is the perfect evening? What I love about this dinner party is, yes, the table is elegant and beautiful, and the menu is so very simple, but it removes the gloss of impressing others with “the party.” I’m finding joy in the true meaning of bringing people together in an intimate space, and the faithful practice of getting to know others, and serving others, in my “entertaining.”
Setting the table
It’s about loosening our grip on perfection and control and embracing so much good around us!
Functional and comfortable
I want my table to be a beautiful place where friends will gather. It needs to be functional, comfortable, and a place where our guests can feel vulnerable. Because that is where it’s at, folks, a place to give, to share stories, to be challenged, and to sit and talk for hours.
A place where honesty is valued over image.
A way of life
Hospitality has become a way of life for our family. Imperfect and evolving. As we break the bread, drink the wine, ingest the warm, hearty soup, along with a bite of hot buttered bread.
Give and take around the table
We don’t always agree, but we give each other space to share, and room to grow. We humble ourselves to realizing that we are not always right. It’s give and take around the table, and it’s a beautiful thing.
I was talking with a friend just this week. Our lives are messy, especially the more involved we become with each other. We invest, and we grow.
People change me
People change me, they change the way I invite others to our home. Wouldn’t it be something if we could all approach hospitality with the same vulnerability that we offer our closest friends in our lives: This is us, right now, this is what we have to give, this is what we stand for, how we desire to change the world, dreams and goals to make this world a better place, a place to grow, and to be changed, and to hear your views, and to listen closely, and to provide love and comfort (and good food) …
… can we sit and talk for hours?
Fall Dinner Party Minestrone Soup Recipe
Setting the outdoor space with Simon Pearce beautiful glassware pieces, we start off with wine and a seasonal appetizer.
Hang a fall wreath from the trees. (I bought this at Target.)
Serve the appetizers and drinks before sitting down for dinner.
Set the salad on the table with bread. You can toss ahead of time to make it easier on the guests.
Pour the wine and make sure the water glasses are filled.
Serve the guests servings of Minestrone Soup.
Dessert is off to the side on a simple cake plate, covered with a dome to protect it from the outdoor elements.
When my husband and I fall into bed after a dinner party, we feel good.
The sacrifice, energy, money, and time that we put into a dinner party is a reflection of our stories, imperfect but real.
Fall Dinner Party Menu
Appetizer: Roasted tomatoes, goat cheese, and fresh bread
Soup: Minestrone Soup {recipe below}
Get the Recipe:
Fall Dinner Party Minestrone Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large sweet onion, minced
- 1 can cut green beans
- 2 stalks minced celery
- 4 cloves minced garlic
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 2 cans, 15 oz Bush’s Beans kidney beans, drained
- 1 can, 15 oz Bush’s Garbanzo beans, drained
- 1 can, 14 oz diced tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 chopped carrots
- 2 tablespoons minced parsley
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2-3 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 3 cups hot water
- 8 cups fresh baby spinach
- 1 cup small shell pasta, I use DeLallo brans
- 1 teaspoon crushed red peppers, optional
- Parmesan cheese, optional
Instructions
- Measure olive oil into a large stock pot and heat on medium.
- Put the onion, celery, garlic, and carrots into the pot and saute for about 5 minutes or until the onions become translucent.
- Add the vegetable broth, drained tomatoes, beans, green beans, hot water and spices to the pot. Salt and pepper to taste!
- Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for 20 minutes.
- Add the spinach leaves and the pasta and cook for an additional 20 minutes.
- Serve with Parmesan cheese!
This post is a REPOST from September 2015 and sponsored by Simon Pearce, but as always, all opinions are my own.
Hello and welcome to my home and table!
I’m Sandy—lover of food, family, cooking, THE BIG BOARD, travel, and bringing people together. Through great recipes and connection around the table, we become better, stronger, and more courageous people. Feasting on Life is real, and every time we do it, we grow a little more. Read more...
What a beautiful post from a genuine servant’s heart.♥️♥️ God bless you, your family, and your guests Sandy!
I love, love, love this post and can’t wait for fall to arrive so I can invite friends over for this beautiful, simple yet elegant meal around our table. Thanks for sharing!
It sounds wonderful! Will be making it all on Wednesday.
You say lettuce greens for one of the ingredients and when putting it together you say spinach leaves. Which one is better for the recipe?
Hi, Maria. Can you point out where I say lettuce greens? I don’t see it – ack. I only see spinach. Spinach is the right ingredient for the soup! :) ENJOY!
Beautiful photos!
Made this recipe for dinner tonight! Thoroughly enjoyed it. Perfect for a chilly evening. Thanks for sharing! :)
Thanks for this post! I am making for the first time and want to make sure that you don’t pre-cook the pasta- is that right?
That’s right, you do not cook the pasta first! :)
Only you could make something as simple as minestrone be totally worthy of a dinner party. This is so gorgeous and inviting!
Gorgeous table! You are so talented! I want to host a dinner party after reading this even though I’m pretty awful at them.
The soup looks delicious! Minestrone is one of my favorites!
P.S. Your photos are more and more beautiful with every post.
How I love everything about fall – the comfort food, the colors, the decorations. Once again, you have created such a beautiful setting to eat a fantastic meal. What lovely dishes and decorations!
Sandy every time I swing by your blog I am always impressed with what a beautiful environment you create for you family and friends when entertaining. I think you just radiate such a serene, peaceful attitude towards life and I admire that. This looks like a party where everyone would just sit and talk all night long. I can’t wait to try the soup. Hopefully with friends, and a table as beautiful as yours. xx
Thank you, friend. Come for dinner any time you are in OR!
Your post and pictures are so beautiful, and so encouraging. Makes me want to sit at that table with you and learn from you. Also, reading your blog has really helped me have more people in my home and be more relaxed about it. Thank you, Sandy, for your insights, for sharing them, and especially for living them!
Thank you for sharing, Cheri!! :)
Such a pretty fall dinner party! I want to host one now! :)
I can just picture your yard and table, always so lovely. I haven’t heard of Simon Pearce before – love the simple pieces. And minestrone, a perfect fall meal!
Your tables are always dressed so beautifully! This makes me so excited for fall – and especially for that soup!
Oh how perfect. Not just the autumn colors, so clean and trusting, but your message. Sometimes I get a little too wrapped up in details that are obviously meant to impress our guests, not necessarily bless them. I think a simple glass atmosphere could be see refreshing once in a while. Especially for close friends? Love this. And thanks for another good recipe too. xoxo heading to find that Pinterest board! ?
We just threw Asher’s birthday party and we had chili and a Mexican slaw – I love soup and salad parties in the fall! These photos are gorgeous btw!
Yes, yes, yes to everything in this post. You and I share the same heartbeat when it comes to hospitality, sweet friend and this is just beautiful.
How have I never heard of Simon Pearce? I am off to scout out the products because they are beautiful!!
XOXO miss you. It’s just been way too long. :)
Miss you, too, Jen! Would love to see you … thanks for sharing!
I love the simplistic beauty of those pieces. The soup looks yummy too! Just put it on my list to make this week. We came back from a beach trip that included not eating as we normally would so going really light this week.
You are definitely a person that influences and encourages me to keep it simple, don’t stress, and have people into my home to show them friendship and love. I will definitely try this soup recipe. Looks delicious!
such a beautiful post today Sandy so many great things you shared!!! I really liked this – A place where honesty is valued over image.
And Simon Pierce thats in my neck of the woods. Wow I didn’t know they were so well know. Have you ever been to their restaurant and factory in VT? its a really neat place.
This soup looks & sounds fabulous!! Do you think it would freeze well? Any suggestions on making this as a “freezer” meal would be appreciated as I often like to make a large pot of soup & divide it into smaller, usually 1-2 serving, containers to freeze for later. Thank you!!
And thank you for encouraging all of us to open our homes & share our lives with others. Life is SO MUCH better lived with others!! :)
Yes, minestrone soup freezes well, Jenny! Put in individual servings/containers like you mentioned. Thank you Jenny!