Summer soup
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This fresh and flavorful summer soup packs beautiful vegetables simmered in a herby broth brightened with lemon flavor. It’s thick, satisfying, and amazingly delicious.
Forget overcooked, mushy veggies; this summer soup is everything but boring!
I don’t know you, but I’m counting the days until summer. Today, I’m back with an unbelievably delicious summer soup inspired by the classic Italian minestrone I grew up with. The whole family adores it, and it deserves to be shared with you all.
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Think of a nourishing broth infused with lots of basil and fresh lemon juice and packed with zucchini, green beans, tomatoes, peas, and corn. How delicious is that?
The vegetables are cooked just until tender but still bright and flavorful. It’s so filling yet light and fresh, and it can be served at room temperature if you wish. Now that the days are getting warmer, it’s perfect for a delicious lunch or dinner.
Yes, this is everything you’ve ever wanted in a soup—nourishing and hearty thanks to all those amazing summer produce and delicious thanks to the herbs and delightful broth.
It’s also naturally gluten-free and vegan, although you can sprinkle it with grated parmesan cheese for a more savory flavor. If you have some leftover bread, I highly recommend making stovetop croutons or my favorite Italian crostini.
This vegetarian soup is also super customizable and flexible, so feel free to mix the vegetables or switch up the recipe to make it unique.
Make sure to make a big batch. This summer soup makes the perfect weekday lunch or dinner; the whole family will love it!
List of the ingredients
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Onion, garlic, carrots, zucchini, potatoes, green beans, tomatoes, peas, corn…
- Fresh & dried basil
- Lemon juice
- Salt & pepper
How to make summer soup
(Note: this is a quick description; the full recipe is at the bottom of the page)
- To build the flavor base, saute’ the diced onion and garlic in olive oil.
- Stir in the cherry tomatoes, season, and cook for a few minutes, then transfer them to a plate.
- Next, add the potatoes, carrots, zucchini, green beans, broth, dried basil, salt, and pepper, and cook for 8-10 minutes.
- Let it cool slightly, blend 2 cups of the soup, and return it to the pot. This is an optional step to thicken the broth. I prefer to blend mainly the potatoes, so I cut them into wedges, as transferring them to a blender is easier.
- Once you return the puree soup to the pot, stir in the peas, corn, and reserved cherry tomatoes, and cook until the peas are tender.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning. Stir in basil and lemon juice to taste, and serve with a drizzle of olive oil, a generous sprinkle of parmesan cheese, and your favorite crusty bread. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Summer soup ingredients
Flavor base: Onion and garlic are cooked in olive oil. For extra flavor, I recommend adding a final drizzle of extra virgin olive oil before serving.
Vegetables: This soup recipe uses basics like carrots to add sweetness, potatoes for texture, and summer produce like zucchini, green beans, and cherry tomatoes. I used the baby zucchini as I found an offer, but it’s usually quite expensive, so feel free to use diced regular zucchini; they work just fine.
Peas & corn: For a fresh and delightful summer soup, both fresh and frozen work fine. I used them frozen because they are cheaper and more convenient.
Broth: To keep the soup fresh and light, I prefer low-sodium vegetable broth to make the vegetables shine. A broth that is too salty or tasty can overshadow those delicious, sweet flavors.
Herbs: I recommend adding some dried basil to the broth and plenty of shredded fresh basil at the end of the cooking time. But if you have fresh dill or parsley, they will work perfectly fine.
Lemon juice: For a touch of acidity and freshness.
Salt & pepper: As always, I recommend tasting the soups before serving to make sure the seasoning is spot on.
Pro Tips
- Don’t overcook the vegetables. They should be cooked just until tender.
- Add the tomatoes to the soup at the end for a pop of color and freshness.
- Blend part of the soup, trying to include the potatoes. This will make the broth thicker and yellow rather than green, making the colorful vegetables shine. For this reason, I recommend cutting the potatoes into wedges so transferring them to the blender is easier.
- Don’t skip the basil and lemon juice; season to taste if needed. I love adding half a teaspoon of granulated onion for extra flavor at the end, but I leave it optional.
Leftovers & Storage
This summer soup keeps fresh in the refrigerator for about 4 days and leftovers get even better after a rest in the fridge. It can also be frozen, which makes it a great meal prep option. For best results, I recommend dividing this one-pot vegetable soup into smaller portions, allowing it to cool completely, and then transferring it to freezer-safe glass containers.
Vegan soups you’ll love!
You might want to check out this collection of 30+ vegan soup recipes; below are some of my family’s favorites:
- Vegan cauliflower soup
- Lebanese red lentil soup
- Vegan lentil soup
- Vegan celeriac soup
- Tomato soup with potatoes
- vegan split pea soup
- Mediterranean lentil soup
- Vegan spinach
Let me know if you are making this epic summer soup! Leave a comment, rate it, or tag a photo #theclevermeal on Instagram. I would love to hear from you!
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Summer Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- 1 medium-sized onion, chopped
- 2-3 large garlic cloves, minced
- ¾ cup (100 grams) cherry tomatoes, halved
- ½ lb (220 grams) carrots, peeled and diced
- ½ lb (220 grams) zucchini, diced
- ½ lb (220 grams) potatoes, peeled and diced
- ¾ cup (100 grams) green beans, diced
- 3 cup (720 ml) Low-sodium vegetable broth, or add more for a thinner soup
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- ⅙ teaspoon black pepper
- ¾ scant cup (120 grams) peas (fresh or frozen)
- ¾ scant cup (120 grams) corn (fresh or frozen)
- ¼ cup Basil leaves, shredded
- 1-2 tablespoons lemon juice, to taste
- ½ to 1 teaspoon granulated onion (optional)
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, and cook (stirring occasionally) until softened, about 3 minutes.
- Stir in the garlic and the tomatoes, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook for a few minutes. To keep the tomatoes bright, remove them with a slotted spoon and set them aside (you'll be returning them to the soup later). You can skip this step and cook the tomatoes with the rest of the soup if you wish.
- Next, add the carrots, potatoes, zucchini, green beans, broth, dried basil, salt and pepper to the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, cover with a lid, and cook until the veggies are tender (about 8-10 minutes).
- Turn the heat off, let it cool slightly, then transfer about 2 cups of the soup to a blender, puree until smooth, and return it to the pot. When you do so, try to pick up mainly the potatoes if you can. This step is optional, but it will thicken the broth nicely.
- Once the blended soup is back in the pot, return to a simmer and stir in the peas, corn, and tomatoes. Cook for about 3-4 minutes until the peas are tender.
- Turn the heat off, and stir in the basil and lemon juice to taste. Add more seasoning, add extra salt, pepper, or lemon juice if desired until the flavors pop. I love to stir in some granulated onion at the last minute of cooking time. But it's optional.
- It's delicious served warm or at room temperature, with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, grated parmesan cheese (if not vegan), and crusty bread!
