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I love having a pot of homemade soup in the refrigerator, even during the summer. This Summer Vegetable Soup is one I often make on Sunday so I have easy lunches waiting for me throughout the week.
Loaded with zucchini, tomatoes, corn, green beans, fresh basil, and a handful of pasta, it’s light enough for warm weather while still being satisfying. Whether you’re using vegetables from your garden, the farmers market, or the grocery store, this soup is a wonderful way to celebrate the flavors of summer.
I adapted the recipe from one of my favorite cookbooks, 5 Easy Steps to Healthy Cooking by Camilla Saulsbury. As usual, I made a few small changes along the way, including using the smallest whole wheat pasta I could find when whole wheat orzo wasn’t available. The result is a simple, colorful soup that’s easy to make and tastes even better the next day.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Packed with fresh summer vegetables
- Great for meal prep and make-ahead lunches
- Light, yet surprisingly satisfying
- Easy to customize with whatever vegetables you have on hand
- Perfect for using garden or farmers market produce
Ingredients & Notes
- Olive oil – For sautéing the vegetables.
- Onion and garlic – Build the soup’s savory base.
- Zucchini – One of my favorite summer vegetables.
- Canned diced tomatoes – Add color and rich tomato flavor.
- Fresh or frozen corn – Fresh is wonderful in summer, but frozen works year-round.
- Green beans – Add texture and freshness.
- Whole wheat orzo (or another small pasta) – I used the smallest whole wheat pasta I could find since whole wheat orzo wasn’t available.
- Fresh basil – Stir in at the end for the brightest flavor.
How to Make Summer Vegetable Soup, Step-by-Step
Step 1: Gather and prepare all ingredients.
Step 2: In a large saucepan or soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, salt and pepper and cook, stirring all the while, for 1 minute.
Step 3: Stir in the zucchini, tomatoes with their juice, corn and water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
Step 4: Lower the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes.
Step 5: Stir in the green beans, orzo and 1/2 cup of the basil and continue to summer, stirring occasionally, until the orzo is tender, 12 to 20 minutes.
Step 6: Stir in the remaining basil just before serving.
Recipe Tips
- Cut the vegetables into similar-sized pieces so they cook evenly.
- Add the basil just before serving to preserve its fresh flavor.
- Feel free to substitute other summer vegetables such as yellow squash or diced bell peppers.
- Like many vegetable soups, the flavors become even better after a day in the refrigerator.
Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The pasta will continue to absorb some of the broth, so simply stir in a little water or broth when reheating if you’d like a thinner soup.
Variations
- Add cooked white beans for extra protein.
- Stir in shredded rotisserie chicken.
- Sprinkle with grated Parmesan before serving.
- Use gluten-free pasta if needed.
How Many Calories and WW?
This summer garden vegetable soup recipe makes 6 generous 1-3/4 cup servings, each with just 166 calories and 1 WW Point.
To see your WW Points for this recipe, track it in the WW App!
(You must be logged into WW on a smartphone or tablet.)
4 PointsPlus (Old plan)
If you’ve made this easy Low Fat Garden Vegetable Soup, please give the recipe a star rating below and leave a comment letting me know how you liked it. And stay in touch on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for the latest updates.
Summer Vegetable Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1-1/2 cups chopped onions
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 4 small zucchini, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced into half-moons
- 28 ounces canned diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1-1/2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels
- 6 cups water
- 8 ounces green beans, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1/2 cup whole wheat orzo (or other small pasta)
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped, divided
Instructions
- In a large saucepan or soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat.
- Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are softened, about 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic, salt and pepper and cook, stirring all the while, for 1 minute.
- Stir in the zucchini, tomatoes with their juice, corn and water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Lower the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes.
- Stir in the green beans, orzo and 1/2 cup of the basil and continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until the orzo is tender, 12 to 20 minutes.
- Stir in the remaining basil before serving.
Notes
(Must be logged into WW on a smartphone or tablet.) 2 SmartPoints (Green plan) 1 SmartPoints (Blue plan) 1 SmartPoints (Purple plan) 4 PointsPlus (Old plan)
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Source: 5 Easy Steps to Healthy Cooking: 500 Recipes for Lifelong Wellness (affiliate link) by Camilla V. Saulsbury
More Soup Recipes You’ll Love
- 5-Ingredient Asparagus Minestrone
- Slimming Garden Vegetable Soup
- Healthy Tuscan White Bean Vegetable Soup
- Simple Chunky Tomato Soup
- Slow Cooker Chicken Vegetable Soup
- Crock Pot Turkey Vegetable Soup with Barley
- Chicken Vegetable Rice Soup
- Jamie Oliver Vegetable Bean Soup
- Slow Cooker Summer Minestrone
I just pinned your delicious recipe from Full Plate Thursday, thanks for sharing!
Miz Helen
Thanks, Miz Helen! I hope you like it.