The next time you visit your local Farmers Market have this recipe in the back of your mind.  In fact if you arrive near the close of the market, which means the ‘prettiest’ veggies will have been picked over, you’ll often find farmers willing to let their remaining produce go at a reduced price.  Perfect for making a giant batch of Farmers Market Minestrone Soup which allows you to {Share the Love}.

When I make this beautiful soup I like to use a couple cooking methods to get to the end result.  I most always start my soups with a mirapoix (trio of diced onion, carrots, and celery) sauteed in a heavy bottom pot.  For this batch I also diced and sliced up an assortment of squash varieties and a few tomatoes and oven roasted them.

Roasting veggies allows them to begin to caramelize adding flavor and texture.  A wonderful combination in this tomato based soup.  Whether tomatoes are abundant at the market (the rain has pushed them back in our area) or whether you use canned tomatoes (preferably No-Salt Added), the end result will be amazing.

There are so many variations to Minestrone Soup.  I wanted ours packed with nutrients and protein so I added red kidney beans and white beans.

I also cooked up some Ditalini pasta as an optional add.  When making a giant batch of soup that inevitably will be reheated a couple times (or frozen), I like to keep the pasta separate so it doesn’t go from dainty to daunting (not to mention sucking up all your glorious veggie broth).

We’ve decided starting each week with a pot of Farmers Market Minestrone Soup will not only keep us happy, but make for some very tasty (and healthy) lunches.

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Farmers Market Minestrone Soup {Share the Love}

Course Soup

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 8 -10

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

• 4-5 assorted summer squash medium diced
• 2 Tbl. olive oil divided
• 1 large onion diced
• 3 carrots diced
• 3 celery ribs diced
• 3 garlic cloves minced
• 1 28- ounce can diced tomatoes no-salt added
• 1 28- ounce can crushed tomatoes
• or can use 5 lbs. fresh tomatoes skins and seeds removed
• 1-2 cups vegetable broth depending on desired thickness
• 1 Tbl. dried oregano
• 1 Tbl. dried basil
• 1-2 ears of fresh corn kernels or 1 cup frozen
• 1 14- ounce can red kidney beans rinsed and drained
• 1 14- ounce can Great Northern white beans rinsed and drained
• 6 oz. dried small pasta such as Ditalini
• freshly cracked pepper to taste
• Parmesan cheese grated for topping

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat shallow baking sheet with cooking spray.
• Toss diced squash and zucchini in 1 Tbl. olive oil and spread in a single layer on baking sheet and roast for 10 – 15, until just beginning to brown.
• Meanwhile cook pasta according to package instructions and set aside. In a Dutch oven or heavy bottom pot, add 1 Tbl. olive oil and saute onion, carrots, and celery over medium heat until just tender, about 5 minutes. Add in the garlic and stir until fragrant about 1 minute. Add in tomatoes, broth, oregano and basil. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce to a low simmer for about 5 minutes.
• When squash is lightly browned add to the soup, along with the canned beans. Adjust seasoning to taste and heat through, stirring occasionally.
• When ready to serve add about 1/2 cup of cooked warm pasta to the bottom of individual soup bowls. Top with hot Minestrone Soup. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese.

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