Spaghetti Squash Minestrone

Here is a recent take on minestrone, replacing pasta noodles with roasted spaghetti squash. We started by slicing the squash in half, rubbing it with olive oil, and roasting cut side down in a 400 degree oven for 30 minutes. We also roasted a green paper, white onion and garlic on the same tray, but pulled them out after 20 mnutes. After the veggies cooled a bit, we gave them a chop and saute in a little more olive oil in a heavy soup pot, along with a bay leaf, dried basil, thyme, and oregano. The roasted garlic adds a very nice, deep aroma. Next we added chicken stock to cover, chopped kale, one can of white beans, chopped boneless chicken (we cooked in the same 400 degree oven), and the scooped flesh from the squash. I then seasoned with salt, pepper, and a few red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil, and cover and simmer low for 10 minutes, or until the kale is nice and soft. Then we turned off the heat and added the chopped tomato and let the soup sit for another 10 minutes. We served with grated asiago.