Summer Minestrone Soup

When summer is the peak season and the garden is overflowing with more vegetables than one can reasonably consume, a great way to capitalize on the abundance is by making minestrone soup.

A few zucchini here, some chopped tomatoes there, some beans, grab that lone leek that’s sitting in the fridge, add some chicken broth, a handful of pasta, and in a few minutes you’ll have summer in a soup.

You can use vegetable or chicken broth. The soup can be thin and center on the broth, or it can be thick and stew-like.

On a recent trip to Italy, while visiting my sweetheart’s Italian relatives, we were served minestrone twice, both times with an apology (“I’m sorry, we don’t have anything special for you, just minestrone”), and both times the Broth exquisite, the vegetables perfectly fresh and tender.

For our hosts, minestrone was everyday home cooking. For us it was a revelation.

The perfect summer minestrone soup

This summery minestrone recipe captures the freshness of the soups we’ve had in Italy. It’s probably a bit thicker, we serve more veggies for the broth, but the flavor is spot on.

Check out more minestrone recipes

Classic minestrone soup
Chicken minestrone with basil pesto
spring minestrone

Ways to serve summer minestrone

Serve room temperature instead of hot.
Sprinkle a dollop of fresh basil pesto on top.
Sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese on top.
Drizzle olive oil over it.

Add parmesan rind for extra flavor

Do you store parmesan rinds in the freezer? If not, it’s time to get used to it. They’re great for flavoring sauces and soups, especially those with tomatoes, like this one. Just toss a rind (or two) in the pot and fish it out when you’re done cooking.

7 easy ways to make any soup better

CONTINUE READING:

Reserve any remaining Summer Minestrone Soup

Whether you refrigerate or freeze this soup, the noodles will expand and become chewy as they continue to soak up liquid. Consider keeping it without pasta and adding cooked pasta to individual servings as needed.

Cool: Keep tightly closed in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Freeze: Freeze in a freezer-safe bag or zip-lock container for up to 3 months.

preparation time
15 minutes

cooking time
30 minutes

total time
45 minutes

portions
4 servings

1 tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup diced onion (approx 1/2 Onion)
1/2 cup chopped leeks, white and light green parts only (see Cleaning the leeks), approx 1/2 Leek
1/2 cup diced celery (approx 1 celery rib)
1/4 cup diced red bell pepper (Above 1/4 Paprika)
3 cloves garlicchopped (about 1 tablespoon)
6 cups chicken broth (Use good quality vegetable broth for the vegetarian option)
1 bay Sheet
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme)
1 teaspoon kosher salt (add more salt if using unsalted broth)
2 cups large cubes zucchini (or other summer squash like crookneck or pattypan)
1 Cup fresh green beanstrimmed and cut into 1 inch lengths
2 Roma tomatoesrolled
1/2 Cup cooked small white beans
1/2 Cup dry ditalini, or any small pasta (omit if gluten-free option)
fresh basil, for garnish
grated parmesan cheese, Per Garnish, Optional

Sauté onions, leeks, celery, peppers and garlic:

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the diced onion, leek, celery and bell pepper.

Saute for 8 to 10 minutes until tender, reducing heat to medium to avoid browning.

Add the chopped garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant.
Add the broth, spices, beans, pasta, and remaining veggies:

Add the chicken broth, bay leaf, thyme, and salt to the saucepan. Increase the heat to bring it to a simmer, then add the zucchini, green beans, tomatoes, kidney beans, and pasta.

Heat to a simmer again, reducing the heat to maintain an even simmer. Cook for 10 minutes until the vegetables and pasta are tender. Remove the bay leaf.
Garnish with basil and parmesan:

Garnish with thinly sliced fresh basil and grated Parmesan cheese to serve.