Late Summer Garden Minestrone ~
This quick and easy minestrone takes advantage of the late summer harvest with ingredients from the garden!
Ready to serve in under 30 minutes!
We’re on the very edge of fall here and I’ve already been craving heartier soups and stews lately.
Farmers’ markets are overflowing with okra, tomatoes, carrots…. add to that, my little backyard garden is bursting with herbs.
This soup creation is exactly what I was in the mood for on a recent cool and rainy day.
It is a minestrone in the classic sense that it’s a vegetable soup with a little pasta thrown in for fun.
The ingredients are what’s in-season here right now and I think could be easily adjusted to whatever you’ve got on hand.
Ingredients for Late Summer Garden Minestrone:
- ditalini pasta
- olive oil
- yellow onion
- okra
- celery
- carrots
- garlic
- vegetable broth
- red kidney beans
- black-eyed peas
- Roma tomatoes
- Italian flat-leaf parsley
- fresh basil
- fresh oregano
- fresh thyme
- ground black pepper
- baby spinach
How to make Late Garden Minestrone:
Into a large stockpot over medium heat, add love oil.
When the oil is hot, add the onion, okra, celery, and carrots. Saute 3-5 minutes, until crisp-tender.
Add garlic and continue cooking an additional 1 minute.
Add vegetable broth, red kidney beans, black-eyed peas, diced tomatoes, parsley, basil, oregano, thyme, and ground black pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low.
Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes.
Uncover and stir in the baby spinach leaves and continue simmering an additional 1-2 minutes, until leaves are wilted.
Remove from heat then add the cooked ditalini pasta.
Adjust seasoning to taste and serve hot.
Cheers!
More recipes featuring summer favorites:
Late Summer Vegetable and Polenta Torte – This hearty torte makes good use of some of the most popular homegrown veggies!
Late Summer Vegetable and Polenta Torte
Late Summer Okra Pilaf with Coconut Bacon – This delicious rice bowl dinner is ready to serve in 30 minutes!
Okra Pilaf with Coconut Bacon
Late Summer Garden Minestrone
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup ditalini pasta
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 cup yellow onion diced
- 3/4 cup okra sliced 1/2"
- 1/4 cup celery sliced
- 1/2 cup carrots sliced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 15 ounces red kidney beans rinsed and drained
- 15 ounces black-eyed peas rinsed and drained
- 3 Roma tomatoes diced
- 3 tablespoons Italian flat-leaf parsley chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh basil chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh oregano chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3 cups baby spinach rough chopped
Instructions
- Prepare ditalini pasta according to package directions. Rinse with cold water, drain well, and set aside.
- Into a large stockpot over medium heat, add love oil.
- When the oil is hot, add the onion, okra, celery, and carrots. Saute 3-5 minutes, until crisp-tender.
- Add garlic and continue cooking an additional 1 minute.
- Add vegetable broth, red kidney beans, black-eyed peas, diced tomatoes, parsley, basil, oregano, thyme, and ground black pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low.
- Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes.
- Uncover and stir in the baby spinach leaves and continue simmering an additional 1-2 minutes, until leaves are wilted.
- Remove from heat then add the cooked ditalini pasta.
- Adjust seasoning to taste and serve hot.
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