Summer Minestrone Soup

Fresh garden vegetables fill this summer version of Minestrone.

By
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University.
Learn about Simply Recipes' Editorial Process
Updated February 25, 2024
Elise Bauer
Summer Minestrone Soup in a Dutch Oven With a Ladle

Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

When it's summer's high season, and the garden is overflowing with more vegetables than one can reasonably consume, a great way to make use of the bounty is to make minestrone soup.

A few zucchini here, a couple of chopped tomatoes there, some beans, grab the lonely leek that's sitting in the fridge, add some chicken stock, a handful of pasta, and in a few minutes, you have summer in a soup.

Minestrone is, by its very nature, a throw-together event. An improvisation. You can use whatever vegetables you have on hand.

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

On a recent trip to Italy, visiting my sweetheart's Italian relatives, we were served minestrone twice, both times with apologies ("I'm sorry we don't have anything special for you, only minestrone"), and both times the broth was exquisite, the vegetables perfectly fresh and tender.

To our hosts, the minestrone was everyday home cooking. To us, it was revelatory.

Summer Minestrone Soup in a Dutch Oven With a Ladle
Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer.

The Perfect Summer Minestrone Soup

This summer minestrone recipe captures the freshness of the soups we had in Italy. It's probably a bit thicker, we are serving up more veggies for the broth, but the taste is spot on.

Consider the recipe a guideline, and feel free to play with the amounts or types of vegetables. Make it your improvisation! (And let us know how it goes in the comments.)

Check Out More Minestrone Recipes

Ways To Serve Summer Minestrone

  • Serve at room temperature instead of hot.
  • Add a dollop of fresh basil pesto on top.
  • Sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese on top.
  • Drizzle on a swirl of olive oil.

Add Parmesan Rind for Additional Flavor

Do you keep Parmesan rinds in the freezer? If not, it's time to get in the habit. They're fantastic for flavoring sauces and soups, especially ones with tomato, like this one. Simply throw a rind (or two) into the pot and fish it out when done cooking.

Storing Leftover Summer Minestrone Soup

Whether you're refrigerating or freezing this soup, the pasta will expand and become chewy as it continues to soak up liquid. Consider storing it pasta-less and adding cooked pasta to individual servings as needed.

Refrigerating: Refrigerate tightly covered for up to 5 days.

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

From the Editors Of Simply Recipes

Summer Minestrone Soup

Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 30 mins
Total Time 45 mins
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

  • 1/2 cup diced onion (about 1/2 onion)

  • 1/2 cup sliced leek, white and light green parts only (see How to Clean Leeks), about 1/2 leek

  • 1/2 cup diced celery (about 1 celery rib)

  • 1/4 cup diced red bell pepper (about 1/4 bell pepper)

  • 3 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tablespoon)

  • 6 cups chicken stock (use good-quality vegetable stock for vegetarian option)

  • 1 bay leaf

  • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme)

  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt (add more salt if using unsalted stock)

  • 2 cups large diced zucchini (or other summer squash such as crookneck or pattypan)

  • 1 cup fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch lengths

  • 2 Roma tomatoes, diced

  • 1/2 cup cooked small white beans

  • 1/2 cup dry ditalini, or any small pasta (omit for gluten-free option)

  • Fresh basil, for garnish

  • Grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish, optional

Method

  1. Sauté the onions, leeks, celery, bell pepper, and garlic:

    Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large, thick-bottomed pot on medium high. Add the diced onion, leeks, celery, and bell pepper.

    Sauté for 8 to 10 minutes until softened, lowering the heat to medium to prevent browning.

    Add the minced garlic and cook for a minute more, until fragrant.

    sautéing vegetables for summer minestrone
    Elise Bauer
  2. Add the stock, seasonings, beans, pasta, and remaining vegetables:

    Add the chicken stock, bay leaf, thyme, and salt to the pot. Increase heat to bring to a simmer, then add the zucchini, green beans, tomatoes, white beans, and pasta.

    Heat to a simmer again and lower the heat to maintain a steady simmer. Cook for 10 minutes until the vegetables and the pasta are cooked through. Remove the bay leaf.

    cooking summer minestrone soup on stovetop
    Elise Bauer
    summer-minestrone full of vegetables
    Elise Bauer
  3. Garnish with basil and Parmesan:

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

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
337 Calories
9g Fat
49g Carbs
17g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 337
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 9g 12%
Saturated Fat 2g 9%
Cholesterol 11mg 4%
Sodium 966mg 42%
Total Carbohydrate 49g 18%
Dietary Fiber 6g 21%
Total Sugars 12g
Protein 17g
Vitamin C 73mg 363%
Calcium 102mg 8%
Iron 4mg 22%
Potassium 1108mg 24%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.