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Light Summer Garden Vegetable Soup

Summer vegetable soup is an easy, light soup that is a celebration of the great produce available from a spring and summer veggie patch.

Portrait overhead image of a summer vegetable soup featuring courgettes, tomato and new potatoes served in a white shallow bowl

Summer Minestrone Soup

My love affair with soup is well documented here on Krumpli and this minestrone-influenced summer vegetable soup is an ode to my garden.

For some strange reason, soups are often associated with winter warmers, and sure they are great at that.

But they can also be the most wonderful light and vibrant yet filling summer meals.

Whether it is this, my Slow Cooker Salmon Chowder, classic French soupe au pistou or even my tomato consomme with tortellini they are all meals inspired by summer.

This particular summer soup contains all that is good in my garden at the moment.

Courgettes, or Zucchini as you Americans know them, tomatoes, new season potatoes, garlic, basil, and oregano.

Portrait close up image of a summer vegetable soup featuring courgettes, tomato and new potatoes

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use different vegetables?

Absolutely, this recipe is meant to be fluid and frugal, as a result, the ingredient list is a guide.

Feel free to play around with the ingredients that you can get or those that are in season.

Early in the summer, you could be adding asparagus tips and even radishes.

As the summer progresses, peas and green beans can make an appearance. It is also rather foxy with Jerusalem artichokes as you head towards the end of summer.

Can I make this a vegan soup?

This recipe is vegetarian, you could convert it to a vegan summer vegetable soup by buying vegan pasta.

Then you should replace the parmesan cheese with half of the weight of nutritional yeast, although I would start with a little less and increase it to your tastes.

A note on the stock!

It is important not to skimp on the vegetable stock, this is essentially chunky veggies in a veggie broth, and there is nowhere to hide!

I usually make my own, I store vegetable scraps and freeze them, and periodically I make a homemade veggie stock.

Portrait overhead close up image of a summer vegetable soup featuring courgettes, tomato and new potatoes

Serving Suggestions

Give me a glass of crisp dry white wine and a sunny day in the garden and I’m prepared to call this meal complete.

It is however very nice with focaccia bread, although other fresh bread works well too.

I have even served pan seared salmon or pan fried cod on top of this and it is stunning!

A bright and colourful summer vegetable soup served in a white bowl

Equipment Used

I only mention brands of equipment if I think that they make a material difference to a recipe. But if you have any questions feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.

  • Stovetop.
  • 20cm or 8″ saucepan.
  • Stirring and serving spoons.
  • Chopping board.
  • Kitchen knife.
  • Weighing scales and or measuring jug, cups and spoons. But you can really play fast and loose with the quantities in this recipe.
Square image of a summer vegetable soup featuring courgettes, tomato and new potatoes served in a white bowl
Yield: 2 Servings

Summer Garden Vegetable Soup Recipe

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes

Soup is not just for winter this summer garden vegetable soup is a simple celebration of fresh and bright summer produce and is a great summer meal!

Ingredients

  • 50g (⅓ Cup) Onion
  • 50g (½ Cup) Celery
  • 1 Medium Hot Red Chilli Pepper
  • 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
  • 150g (¾ Cup) Waxy New Potatoes
  • 200g (1⅓ Cup) Courgette, AKA Zucchini
  • 2 Cloves Garlic
  • 1 Sprig Fresh Oregano, Sub for ½ teaspoon of dried oregano
  • 200g (1 Cup) Cherry Tomatoes
  • 500ml (2 Cups) Vegetable Stock
  • 50g (2 oz) Small Pasta Shapes
  • 30g (⅓ Cup) Parmesan
  • Fresh Basil Leaves

Instructions

  1. Dice your celery and onion into a 2-3mm (⅛") dice.
  2. Remove and discard the seeds from the chilli and dice as finely as possible.
  3. Heat the olive oil in a 20cm or 8" saucepan over a medium heat.
  4. Add the chilli, onion, and celery and cook for 5 minutes.
  5. Stir occasionally but do not allow the vegetables to colour.
  6. Cut your potatoes into a 1cm 'dice' (½").
  7. Mash your garlic and scrunch up the oregano to get the oils flowing.
  8. Cut the courgette into quarters lengthways and then into lengths about 1cm (½") long.
  9. Add the potatoes, courgettes, garlic, and oregano to the pan season with salt and pepper and cook for 5 minutes stirring occasionally.
  10. Cut the cherry tomatoes into halves or quarters depending on size.
  11. Pour in the vegetable stock and cook for 10 minutes.
  12. Add the parmesan cheese and pasta and again cook for 5 minutes or until the pasta is cooked.
  13. Add the tomatoes and cook until just warmed.
  14. Finally, serve with lots of fresh basil leaves.

Notes

How much salt you add to the vegetables will be very much defined by your stock.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

2

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 395Total Fat: 19gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 13mgSodium: 1019mgCarbohydrates: 47gFiber: 6gSugar: 9gProtein: 12g

Did you make this recipe?

If you made this recipe, I'd love to see what you did and what I can do better, share a picture with me on Instagram and tag me @krumplibrian and tell me how it went!

Bintu | Recipes From A Pantry

Thursday 12th of July 2018

This soup looks amazing, I'd love a bowlful! Love that you've got a summer version of this soup, it has such delicious summery ingredients and looks so colourful too!

Brian Jones

Sunday 15th of July 2018

Ta Muchly!

Danielle

Thursday 12th of July 2018

This sounds light, fresh and perfect for summer. I don't mind eating soup when it's hot at all. I love soup any time of the year, it's so comforting. This sounds delicious.

Brian Jones

Sunday 15th of July 2018

Thanks Danielle

Annemarie

Thursday 12th of July 2018

This looks so light and refreshing! I love how colorful it is.

Brian Jones

Sunday 15th of July 2018

It is definitely a bowl of sunshine :)

Alina | Cooking Journey Blog

Thursday 12th of July 2018

Lovely combination of vegetables! So bright and healthy.

Brian Jones

Sunday 15th of July 2018

Thank you.

Emily

Thursday 12th of July 2018

There's nothing better that a soup filled with fresh seasonal veg...this looks so delicious!

Brian Jones

Sunday 15th of July 2018

I agree, thanks Emily.

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