I made Ina Garten's minestrone soup, and it's the best cure for a cold or the winter blues

To make 6-8 servings of Garten's soup, you'll need:

• 2 cups of cooked small pasta, such as Tubetti
• 1 26-ounce can or box of chopped tomatoes, such as Pomi
• 1 15-ounce can of cannellini beans
• 6 to 8 cups of chicken stock, preferably homemade
• 8-10 ounces of fresh baby spinach leaves
• 2 ½ cups of peeled butternut squash, ½-inch diced
• 2 cups of celery, ½-inch diced
• 2 cups of carrots, ½-inch diced
• 1 ½ cups of chopped yellow onions
• ½ cup of good dry white wine
• 4 ounces of diced pancetta
• ½ tablespoon of minced garlic (about 4 cloves)
• 2 tablespoons of store-bought pesto
• 2 teaspoons of fresh chopped thyme leaves
• 1 bay leaf
• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

Garten's recipe requires a lot of prep, but it makes a lot of soup. And all those veggies make the broth so hearty and comforting.

If you can, recruit a loved one or friend to help you chop everything — just bribe them with leftovers.

Garten recommends using Tubetti pasta for this recipe, but I couldn't find any at my local supermarket. I went with a similar shape and cooked my noodles until they were al dente.

I added 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the pot, which was placed over medium heat.

Then I added the pancetta, cooking it over medium-low heat for about six minutes until it had lightly browned.

I threw my chopped onions, carrots, celery, squash, garlic, and thyme into the pot.

Garten says it's best to use fresh thyme if you can because it "really makes a difference."

Garten says you should cook the mixture for eight to 10 minutes, until the vegetables begin to soften.

Garten recommends using her homemade chicken stock, which I didn't have time to whip up for this dish.

I will confess that the soup's broth wasn't very exciting or rich with store-bought stock. You could add some chicken bouillon to amp up its flavor, but nothing will taste as good as the homemade stock. It's worth the extra effort!

I added 1 tablespoon of salt and 1 ½ teaspoons of freshly ground black pepper to the pot.

Garten says you should allow the mixture to simmer until the vegetables are tender, so I let my soup simmer for an additional 15 minutes.

Garten says you can use a fresh or dry bay leaf for this recipe.

Make sure you drain and rinse the cannellini beans before adding them to the broth.

Garten recommends adding two more cups of chicken stock if you're unhappy with the consistency.

Garten recommends tossing the spinach with two big spoons to help cook the leaves until they've wilted in the broth.

Garten says you should select a nice white wine that you'd want to drink for this recipe.

This is also where you should add the pesto if you're using it. (I skipped it because my sister is allergic to pine nuts.)

I was happy with the saltiness of my soup, but Garten recommends adding another teaspoon or two if you feel the broth needs more.

Garten's winter minestrone soup is a much-needed burst of color on a cold and dreary day. I loved seeing the rainbow of hues from all the vegetables — the soup couldn't have looked more inviting.

It was time for my first sip.

I'm a huge soup fan. I love soup so much that I'm even in a group chat dedicated to sharing photos, recipes, and daily appreciation for soup and its various forms (shout-out to my soup girlz). But minestrone has never been my favorite.

Garten finds a way to infuse this often lackluster soup with flavor. The taste of the tomato shines through, adding a richness to the broth that's amplified by the final touch of Parmesan and olive oil on top. All the veggies tasted delicious and maintained their texture, even when I ate leftovers a few days later. I also enjoyed the burst of freshness from the spinach and thyme, and how the soup still tasted healthy and light.

Winter is a tough season for everyone. So, if you're under the weather or just feeling blue, I recommend a bowl of Garten's colorful winter minestrone soup.