Fresh California Tomato Summer Soup

Fresh California tomato summer soup is what minestrone looks like when you’ve got an embarrassment of late-summer tomatoes in the garden. Diced fresh tomatoes form the backbone instead of canned, which gives the soup a brighter, more acidic flavor with vegetable notes you can’t get from a can.

The vegetable base is classic: three cups each of finely chopped onion, diced celery, and diced carrot, sauteed in olive oil to build flavor before any liquid hits the pot. This is the standard Italian soffritto, and the long saute time is what gives the soup its depth.

Using dried basil here is a head-scratcher for a fresh tomato soup, but it works during the cook. Add a handful of torn fresh basil at the end for the bright aromatic finish, and you get the best of both: dried basil’s deep flavor in the broth, fresh basil’s perfume on top.

Pasta shells cook directly in the soup, absorbing flavor while they hydrate. Watch the timing, 10 minutes is enough for most pasta shapes, longer turns them to mush.

Grated Parmigiano on top is optional but worth it. The salty hit lifts the natural sweetness of the tomatoes.

Pro Tips

• Use ripe, height-of-season tomatoes. Out-of-season grocery tomatoes will make the soup taste flat.
• Salt the tomatoes lightly while they sit waiting to be added. The salt draws out water and concentrates flavor.
• If the soup tastes too acidic, stir in a pinch of sugar. Tomato sweetness varies by variety and season.
• Reserve some pasta water if cooking pasta separately. A splash thins the soup if it gets too thick on day two.

Variations

• Add a can of white beans for a heartier, fasolada-style finish.
• Stir in a handful of baby spinach or chopped kale in the last 2 minutes for green color.
• Use orzo or ditalini instead of shells, both work for a more bite-sized soup.