Summer Minestrone Soup
Summer Minestrone Soup is a hearty and healthy soup that is perfect for summer produce! This soup is easy to make and full of flavor.
The other day a friend of mine suggested minestrone for dinner, and I just could not get the idea out of my head. I love a vegetable packed soup like Minestrone, and it turns out my kids do, too!
I have a winter-ish Butternut Squash Minestrone soup, but I wanted to make one packed with summer vegetables. This is what I came up with and it did NOT disappoint! Now I just can't wait for my garden to start growing...
Looking for other vegetable packed soups? Check out my Roasted Vegetable Soup, Quinoa Minestrone and Butternut Squash and Kale Minestrone.
Ingredients
Pancetta - this adds some salty rich flavor to the vegetable soup.
Olive Oil - extra virgin olive oil is used to cook the pancetta and the vegetables.
Onion, Carrots, Celery - these are sautéed in the beginning to add some flavor and depth to the soup.
Garlic - garlic lends delicious flavor!
Dried Italian Seasoning - this adds some great flavor to the soup. Look below in the variations for options for using fresh herbs.
Zucchini and Summer Yellow Squash - I love these summer vegetables and they are in abundance during the summer months.
Cherry or Grape Tomatoes - I used fresh tomatoes since I love making this soup in the summertime.
Fresh Green Beans - one of my favorite summer vegetables.
Fresh Spinach - chopped finely, this is added at the end for even more nutrients and veggies!
Cannellini Beans - this is what I had on hand but you could use pinto beans or kidney beans, too.
Chicken Broth or Stock - or vegetable broth/vegetable stock, as the base of the soup.
Small Shell Pasta - or really any smaller sized pasta shape will work like ditalini pasta, orzo, or elbow. You could also use chickpea pasta or whole wheat pasta to add more nutrients and fiber.
Parmesan Cheese - I added a Parmesan rind to the soup while it simmered as well as fresh grated cheese on top of the soup immediately prior to serving.
Salt and Black Pepper - for seasoning and flavor enhancement.
Variations
Make it Vegetarian or Vegan - this is easily made vegetarian or vegan by omitting the pancetta for just vegetarian or both the pancetta and Parmesan cheese for vegan.
Add pesto - you could make pesto with fresh basil leaves from your garden, or use a jar of pesto. Simply dollop a spoonful on top of your minestrone.
Add Extra Beans - you can add some extra beans to the soup if you want more protein in your minestrone soup.
Different Herbs - while I used dried Italian seasoning, you could also use fresh herbs like oregano, basil, thyme, parsley, and rosemary or dried variations, too. I would use one tablespoon each of the herbs you add. This recipe is super adaptable!
Different Veggies - I used summer vegetables that I typically grow or buy in the summer, but you could use others like peppers, asparagus, mushrooms, Swiss chard, kale, and peas.
Canned Tomatoes - I use fresh cherry tomatoes as I typically have a plethora of them in the summer, but you can use one can of diced tomatoes instead, if you prefer.
Step by Step Instructions
Photo 1. Heat a large pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and pancetta, and cook until the pancetta is crispy, about 5 minutes.
Photo 2. Add the onion, carrots, and celery, season with salt and pepper, and cook until softened, about 5-7 minutes.
Photo 3. Add the garlic and Italian seasoning and stir well to combine.
Photo 4. Add the green beans, zucchini, squash, and tomatoes.
Photo 5. Add the broth, beans, parmesan rind, and pasta, and give it a good stir. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and simmer until the veggies are tender and and pasta is cooked, about 15 minutes.
Photo 6. Stir in the chopped spinach. Cook another minute or two until wilted. Serve topped with freshly grated Parmesan. Enjoy!
Expert Tips
Storage - store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days. You might need to add some additional broth or water to account for the pasta soaking it up. You could also keep the pasta and vegetables/broth separate until immediately before serving.
Pesto - add a dollop of pesto for even more summer flavor.
Make Ahead - this is not an easy soup to prep ahead, as you don't want the pasta and veggies getting soggy. You can cook the pasta separately and add to the soup, if you want to prep the components separately ahead of time.
Make it Vegetarian/Vegan - to make it vegetarian, omit the pancetta. To make it vegan, omit the pancetta and the Parmesan cheese at the end.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! This soup has a ton of vegetables, which means it is packed with nutrients, fiber, and antioxidants. You can use whole grain pasta to make it even healthier.
While I like my summer minestrone to have a thinner broth based feel, you can add 2 tablespoons of tomato paste after the carrots, onion, and celery cook to thicken up the broth.
You can. I would still sauté the pancetta, onion, celery, and carrots prior to adding the other ingredients and cook on low for 3-4 hours. Add the pasta for the last 30-45 minutes.
Other Soup Recipes to Consider
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, or take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #greensnchocolate.
Summer Minestrone
Ingredients
- 4 ounces pancetta diced
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 2 carrots peeled and diced
- 2 celery stalks diced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 large zucchini halved the long way twice and then cut into slices
- 1 large summer squash halved the long way twice and then cut into slices
- 8 ounces cherry or grape tomatoes diced
- 2 cups fresh green beans cut into 1" pieces
- 14 ounce can cannellini beans
- Parmesan rind
- 6 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 cup small pasta like small shells, ditalini, or elbow macaroni
- 2 cups chopped spinach
Instructions
- Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
- Add the olive oil and pancetta and cook until the pancetta is crisped, about 5 minutes.
- Add the onion, carrot, celery, salt, and pepper, and cook until softened, about 5-7 minutes.
- Add the Italian seasoning and garlic, and give it a good stir, cooking about minute or so.
- Add the zucchini, summer squash, tomatoes, and and green beans and stir well to combine.
- Add the beans, Parmesan rind, broth, and pasta.
- Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium and simmer until the pasta is cooked and the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes.
- Serve topped with grated Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!
