Name: Simple Summer Minestrone
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 16
Ingredients: 5 oz ditalini pasta (1 cup dry); 2 Tbsp olive oil; 1/2 small onion, diced; 4 cloves garlic, minced; 8 oz diced potatoes (about 1 1/2 cups); 1 (15 oz) can fire roasted tomatoes; 2 carrots, peeled and sliced; 1/2 tsp salt; 1/2 tsp black pepper; 1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes; 2 tsp dried oregano; 2 qts (8 cups) low sodium vegetable broth; 1 zucchini, sliced into half-moons; 1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels; 1 cup cut fresh or frozen green beans; 3 cups chopped cabbage; 1 (15 oz) can cannelini beans; 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice or white wine vinegar

Jump to Recipe

This simple Summer Minestrone Soup features seasonal vegetables and a single Dutch oven to make a healthy meal. This soup can easily be tweaked to adapt to your families’ tastes and preferences!

WHAT’S NEW?

How is it August already? I feel as if I’ve been robbed of summer somehow – June and July have never gone faster, truly! The girls are at away camp next week (!) and while I wish Mark and I were able to carve out more time away from work to play, we’ve carved out a bit! We’ll return for the last week of summer day camp, fall sports in FULL GEAR, and then head to the upper penninsula for some family fun right before school starts. I need to make some adjustments to next summer, because like I said…I feel robbed!

That said, joining community shared agriculture (CSA) and investing in a crop share this summer was hands down my best move of summer! A local organic farm (and fellow Registered Dietitian) owns and operates the farm with her husband and the produce has been incredible! We have been challenged to consume plentiful and diverse fruits, vegetables, and herbs this summer and we’re only about half way through our seasonal share!

ROLL CALL FOR THIS RECIPE

Creative Chefs: The best thing about vegetable soup? Anything goes! Use whatever summer vegetables you have on hand or like best!
Health Conscious: I can’t think of a better way to eat and enjoy the rainbow! Consuming vegetables of various colors ensures a healthful vitamin and mineral intake, in addition to ample fiber!
Meal Preppers: This soup makes a ton and reheats like a dream! In fact, it’s even BETTER on day two!

KEY INGREDIENTS AND SUBSTITUTIONS

Pasta: A small noodle, such as ditalini pasta, works well. Use what you have or like best, including gluten-free varieties or orzo. RIce, wild rice, or quinoa can also be subbed in for pasta.
Olive Oil: With little fat in this soup, a bit of quality olive oil adds great depth of flavor.
Onion: White, yellow, sweet, red onion or shallots all work well here.
Garlic: Use more or less to your liking. Fresh garlic cloves are my go-to, however the pre-minced jarred variety works just fine!
Potatoes: I don’t love sweet potatoes or yams in vegetable soup so I opted for baby roasting potatoes that I quartered. Anything goes!
Diced Tomatoes: The fire-roasted variety adds a bit of smokiness to the soup, but use any canned variety or about 1 1/2 cups fresh diced, ripe tomatoes with 1-2 tablespoons of tomato paste, if preferred.
Carrots: I used medium-small carrots. Baby carrots can also be halved and used here.
Salt and Pepper: This amount of salt does not produce an overly salty soup, however you can always add more after tasting! Salt substittute is a great option for anyone being mindful of sodium intake.
Herbs and Seasoning: Fresh herbs such as basil, oregano, and thyme are great in a classic minestrone and the crushed red pepper flakes adds just a touch of heat. Use fresh or dried herbs, as you prefer!
Broth: I recommend a low-sodium vegetable stock or broth to keep sodium in check and to keep the recipe vegetarian. Any stock or broth will work well.
Zucchini: Yellow squash or zucchini are interchangable if you ask me! I prefer small zucchini to avoid excessively spongy or seedy insides.
Corn: Fresh corn cut from the cob, frozen, or canned* corn are all good options.
Green Beans: Summer green beans – there’s nothing better! Frozen cut green beans or canned* will work just fine!
Cabbage: Fresh cabbage is probably my favorite vegetable soup ingredient and makes a wonderful addition to any soup.
Beans: Any canned beans will work great – cannellini beans, navy beans, pinto beans, red kidney beans, etc.

*see FAQ for detail

NUTRITIONAL MERITS

Vegetarian, vegan, and nut-free
Easily made gluten-free
Rich in fiber providing nearly 7 grams per serving
Low in saturated fat with 1 gram per serving (4 grams total fat)

FAQ

If I opt to use canned vegetables (corn, green beans, etc), is there anything I need to do differently?

Yes! To avoid over-cooking the vegetables, add any canned vegetables 1-2 minutes before serving…just enough to heat through.

Why do you cook the pasta separate from the soup?

The pasta absorbs a lot of the liquid of soup which can leave more of a “casserole” leftover versus soup. Cooking the pasta separately, until al dente, is a great way to prevent a huge consistency change in leftover soups containing pasta. That said, you can always add additional broth to leftovers, if needed.

Are there any other vegetables you would recommend using?

Truly, anything goes! Eggplant, bell pepper, mushrooms, kale, and celery come to mind as lovely additions to vegetable soup!

VARIATIONS, STORAGE, and TIPS

I love serving this meal with warm, crusty bread and often a side salad, too!
If you have any cheese rinds, such as Parmesan rinds, they’re a great flavor boost to soups. When you have one leftover from your cheese, freeze it for purposes such as soup! So good!
If you wish, feel free to add diced chicken breast or shredded rotisserie chicken to this meal for a bit of protein
Soups WITHOUT pasta freeze well, so if you plan to freeze this soup omit the pasta until after you thaw soup
For a burst of flavor, top each serving with a spoonful of pesto or threads of fresh basil leaves and grated Parmesan cheese

Simple Summer Minestrone

Yield: 16 cups (8 servings, 2 cups each)

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

This simple Summer Minestrone Soup features seasonal vegetables and a single Dutch oven to make a healthy meal. This soup can easily be tweaked to adapt to your families' tastes and preferences!

Ingredients

5 oz ditalini pasta (1 cup dry)
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 small onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
8 oz diced potatoes (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 (15 oz) can fire roasted tomatoes
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
2 tsp dried oregano
2 qts (8 cups) low sodium vegetable broth
1 zucchini, sliced into half-moons
1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
1 cup cut fresh or frozen green beans
3 cups chopped cabbage
1 (15 oz) can cannelini beans
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice or white wine vinegar

Instructions

Heat a small pot of water over medium-high heat. Once boiling, cook the pasta until al dente. Drain and rinse with cold water; set aside.
Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or pot over medium heat.
Once hot, add the onion and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring often. Add the garlic and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add the potatoes, tomatoes, salt, pepper, crushed red pepper and oregano. Stir and cook for 1-2 minutes.
Stir in the broth and bring to a gentle simmer.
Add the zucchini, corn, green beans, and cabbage. Cook for about 10 minutes or until tender.
Stir in the beans, lemon juice, and cooked pasta. Heat through for 1-2 minutes, adjusting seasonings, as needed. Serve hot.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 8 Serving Size: 2 cups
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 261Total Fat: 4.1gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 488mgCarbohydrates: 47.9gFiber: 6.8gSugar: 8.5gProtein: 9.1g

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Be well,