Summer garden soup
- Published: 9 Aug 19
- Updated: 18 Mar 24
Celebrate all things good, green and fresh from the garden with Gill Meller’s beautiful summery vegetable soup made with broad beans, fennel, new potatoes and lots of fresh herbs.
Want more? Use the most of seasonal veg in these summer soup recipes.
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Serves 4 -
Hands-on time 30 min
Nutrition
- Calories
- 157kcals
- Fat
- 9.2g (1.6g saturated)
- Protein
- 4.6g
- Carbohydrates
- 10.8g (5.2g sugars)
- Fibre
- 5.9g
- Salt
- 0.1g
delicious. tips
Larger broad beans, especially those with a black eye, may be a bit tough. Blanch them in boiling water for 2 minutes, then peel; inside they’ll be tender and sweet.
If you can find lovage, add a few chopped leaves for a herbal hint.
If you’ve got a parmesan rind (and aren’t vegetarian/vegan), add it to the simmering soup for an umami kick.
In a successful summer soup you should be able to taste the ingredients individually and as a harmonious bowlful. So it’s important to take care when you add the different vegetables, some of which need little cooking. New potatoes and fennel need to soften slowly to give depth to the soup. Peas, broad beans and lettuce only need a few minutes of simmering, so add those towards the end of the cooking time.
Fresh herbs, which transform this soup into something extraordinary, are added just before serving to help them retain their vibrant, zesty character.
Keep it light and easy with a dry, lemony and slightly peppery white such as picpoul de pinet or Italy’s gavi.