Summer soup. Although the two don’t seem to go together, I love to gather as many vegetables from the garden that are just ripe and bring them together in a summer squash soup.
One of the key ingredients in the soup is creating an herb pesto. Scour your garden for herbs that taste well together, such as basil and Italian parsley. I also learned a trick for freezing fresh herb pesto while watching Martha Stewart on one of my favorite cooking shows. Use an empty ice cube tray to store extra pesto for future use, so you can pop a few cubes in a winter soup when fresh herbs have died off.
WHEN TO PICK?
The question I am asked every day during the harvest season is, “Is it ready yet?” The rule of thumb for all types of zucchini and yellow summer squash is that it is best harvested when it is 6-8 inches long, is firm and has a shiny skin. Use kitchen shears or garden clippers to avoid damaging the stem for future fruit.
We have all taken a look at our squash plant in the evening to check for fruit, only to return at the end of the next day to find that it has exploded and grown another 3 inches. When a zuke exceeds 10 inches, it will begin to taste bitter and mushier, and is best saved for a “zucchini boat” filled with ground meat or rice.
SUMMER HERB PESTO
The first portion of the soup recipe is creating an herb pesto, which will give the soup a full flavor without adding meat or chicken.
Ingredients
- Four large handfuls of basil and parsley (equal to a total of 4 cups)
- Four cloves garlic, chopped (roasted or fresh)
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Directions
- Gather at least four handfuls of fresh herbs such as basil and Italian parsley. If purchasing from the store, it would amount to two large bags of herbs.
- Place both herbs in a blender with enough olive oil to cover, add 2 tablespoons kosher salt and roasted garlic to taste.
- Blend on low speed, then pulse until herbs are chopped and liquid begins to emulsify.
- At this point, the pesto can be used for the soup or frozen in ice cube trays for future use.
SUMMER SQUASH SOUP
Whether harvesting from your own garden or purchasing vegetables from the market, look for the freshest ones you can find. Wilted parsley or dented zucchini just won’t be the best choice!
Ingredients
- Four yellow or green zucchini, sliced thickly into rounds (yellow and green summer squash are both called zucchini!)
- Four tiny red potatoes, sliced thin
- Two carrots, diced
- One yellow onion, diced
- Two large boxes chicken or vegetable stock (enough to fill large soup pot)
- One large can white cannellini beans
Directions
- In large heavy-duty soup pot, sauté onions, carrots and potatoes in 2 tablespoons herb pesto. Continue cooking until vegetables are somewhat wilted.
- Add stock until pot is half full and simmer briskly until potatoes are soft.
- Add all of the zucchini and rest of liquid to pot. Cover with lid, simmer and remove lid when vegetables are done. Add cannellini beans and 4 more tablespoons of herb pesto and continue cooking until beans are done. (Total cooking time: Approx. half-hour.)
- Serve with freshly grated parmesan cheese and garlic bread.
- Remaining soup and pesto can be refrigerated or frozen for future use.
Bon appetit! Send your garden harvest recipes to [email protected].
Jano Nightingale is a Master Garden and horticulturist and teaches gardening at the Carlsbad Senior Center. Contact her at [email protected].
