How to expose REST API (minimal API) in a console application?

I have a console application which must expose a HTTP API.

How do I add the ASP.NET Core's Minimal API to a console application?

Ideally without unnecessary dependencies to stuff like controllers, razor views, etc.

It seems that WebApplication.CreateBuilder(args) is supposed to be called from web application:

csproj:

<Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk.Web">

but I want the console application to use Microsoft.NET.Sdk because

I want to deploy as a windows app, not web app and changing SDK changes also publish options
I want the console app to be lightweight. Web SDK brings in too many dependencies (>100MB output)

Solution

I want to deploy as a windows app,

You can add the framework reference to the shared framework as the docs suggest:

<ItemGroup>
    <FrameworkReference Include="Microsoft.AspNetCore.App" />
</ItemGroup>

Which will allow you to use/run ASP.NET Core functionality in any kind of application (note that ASP.NET Core is already a console app by itself so possibly you can just use the appropriate template). Though it should not handle your second requirement:

I want the console app to be lightweight. Web SDK brings in too many dependencies (>100MB output)

Consider looking into trimming options which can allow reducing the size of the application (and with Native AOT support for ASP.NET Core 8 it should become better and better).