Soups are supposedly a winter heart-warming dish. The truth is soups are so easy to make and can be light for a summer day. The key is to use seasonal vegetables. Summer gardens are filled with juicy and sweet veggies like tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, and cucumbers.
What’s in season?
The warm season offers a variety of fruits and vegetables. Most of them have vibrant colors, such as red, blue, yellow, orange, and purple. This party of colors indicates their high content of antioxidants keeping your body’s cells clean. They are also high in water and natural sugars to help you stay hydrated on hot summer days.
The following is a list of some seasonal vegetables you should consider eating on the hot days of summer.
- Basil
- Cucumbers
- Corn
- Eggplants
- Green beans
- Mint
- Tomatoes
- Peppers
- Potatoes
- Squash
- Okra
- Onions
What you need for this soup
If you grow your veggies, this soup will turn out delicious. If buying the vegetables, try to shop at farmers’ markets because they will be the most flavorful. Local vegetables and fruits do not travel long distances, ensuring their sugars’ freshness. Here is what you can use for this soup:
- Spring onions
- Tomatoes
- Peppers
- Summer squash
- Basil
- Thyme
- Optional are potatoes and carrots.
How to make this summer vegetable soup?
The steps to making this soup are pretty easy.
- Roughly chop all vegetables and place them in a soup pot.
- Add two tablespoons of olive oil or butter.
- Turn on the fire and give the veggies a quick toss and sauté.
- Season with salt, peppers, and cinnamon.
- Add in the herbs.
- Pour enough stock to cover the veggies.
- Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to simmer for 20 minutes.
- After 20 minutes, blend the soup smooth using a hand or a stand blender.
- Mix in a cup or so of heavy cream for a richer texture.
Summer Vegetable Soup
Ingredients
- 1 sping onion bundle
- 1 lb summer squash
- 1/2 lb sweet peppers
- 1/2 lb tomatoes
- 1 potato optional
- 2 big carrots optional
- springs of thyme
- basil leaves
- 3 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 1/2 pint chicken stock or water
- 1 cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Clean the vegetables well and peel the potato if using any.
- Roughly chop the veggies, then transfer them to a soup pot.
- Add two tablespoons of olive oil or butter, turn on the fire and saute.
- Season with salt, pepper, and cinnamon.
- Add the herbs. Either chop them up or add them as a bundle (boouquet garnis).
- Pour the stock or water. Make sure to submerge the veggies.
- Bring the soup to a quick boil, reduce the fire to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes.
- After 20 minutes, blend the soup to a smooth texture. Don't forget to remove the herb bundle.
- Add in the cream. Stir to incorporate.
Notes
- Serve the soup with some popovers or a quiche.
- Carrots and potatoes give the soup a heavier consistency, which is more filling. Skip if you desire a lighter soup.
Nutrition
