Summer Vegetable Soup
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy for more details.
This summer vegetable soup packs beautiful vegetables simmered in a herby broth brightened with lemon flavor. It’s thick, satisfying, fresh, and flavorful!
Published in June 2024/Updated in May 2025
I’m counting the days until summer. Today, I’m back with an unbelievably delicious summer vegetable soup I published last year.
Join my newsletter for free weekly recipes!
It’s a simple, vegetarian soup recipe inspired by the classic Italian minestrone I grew up with. The whole family adores it, and it deserves to be shared with you all again.
Think of a nourishing broth infused with basil and fresh lemon juice and packed with zucchini, green beans, tomatoes, peas, and corn. How delicious is that?
Yes, this is everything you’ve ever wanted in a soup—nourishing and hearty, thanks to all that incredible summer produce, and delicious thanks to the herbs and delightful broth.
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.
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 vegan soup recipe is also super customizable and flexible. Feel free to mix the vegetables you find at your local farmer’s market or, if you’re lucky, use your fresh, homegrown veggies. You can also add rice, pasta, or your favorite grains to make it unique!
Make a large batch, as this summer soup makes for a perfect weekday lunch or dinner that the whole family will enjoy!
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 vegetable 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 remaining veggies, broth, seasoning, and cook for 8-10 minutes.
- 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. Sometimes we love to add a tablespoon of this gorgeous Genovese pesto, which packs a fresh basil flavor. 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, or even broccoli or yellow squash. They work just fine.
Peas and corn: Both fresh and frozen peas and corn work fine for a fresh and delightful summer soup. I used 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 too 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 herbs like 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 that 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. 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 vegetable soup! Leave a comment, rate it, or tag a photo #theclevermeal on Instagram. I would love to hear from you!
For more recipe updates, subscribe to my newsletter and follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook.
Summer Vegetable 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!
It’s a 110 degrees here in Arizona today but yet I can’t quit soup. It’s the perfect filling, light lunch and this soup hit the spot! I love the subtle tastes of lemon and basil with the summer veggies. I swapped the potatoes for white beans for additional protein and added a few tablespoons of white miso. Perfect! 😉
That’s wonderful, Lisa! I can’t quit soups either, they just make me feel good. And if they’re light and not steaming, they’re absolutely perfect all year round, really. I’m very pleased you enjoyed the recipe. Thank you! x