Name: Summer Vegetable Soup With Pistou
Total time: 1 hour
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients: 1 lb. cherry tomatoes, halved; 1 ear of corn, shucked, kernels removed (about 1 cup); ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling; 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt, plus more; Freshly ground pepper; 5 large thyme sprigs, divided; 1 small fennel bulb, fronds removed, finely chopped; 2 medium leeks, white and pale green parts only, quartered lengthwise, thinly sliced crosswise; 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped; 1 fresh or dried bay leaf; 8 cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth; ¾ cup pearl barley or farro; 6 oz. green beans, trimmed, cut into 2" pieces; 1 medium zucchini, quartered lengthwise, cut crosswise into ½" pieces; 1 bunch mature spinach, stems removed, leaves thinly sliced (about 2 cups); 1 cup (packed) finely chopped basil; 2 Tbsp. finely chopped chives; 2 Tbsp. finely chopped mint; 4 Tbsp. (or more) extra-virgin olive oil; 2 Tbsp. finely grated Pecorino Romano, plus more for serving; 1 tsp. finely grated lemon zest

Two white bowls of minestrone alongside a large brown pot of the full yield.

Photograph by Elliott Jerome Brown Jr., Food Styling by Maggie Ruggiero, Prop Styling by Alexandra Masillon

This soup is designed both for longevity and nutrition—an easy option packed with lots of good things to get you through the week, especially the kind where something needs to give but you don’t want it to be a delicious, nourishing homemade meal. While you can cook this soup up almost anytime, it is made for June, making the most of late-spring and early-summer produce. Roasting the tomatoes and corn add depth and complexity, and the barley or farro lend heft and make the soup even more filling. The homemade pistou is a cinch to make, especially with an immersion blender, and worth the effort, but store-bought pesto with a squirt of lemon juice and a sprinkling of grated Pecorino Romano or even Parmesan make for a good low-lift alternative.

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