Microwave Summer Vegetable Soup

When I first saw this recipe from Mark Bittman in the NYT Cooking section, I had reservations. How could such simple ingredients become a savory soup in less than 10 minutes? Mark has been a major influence on American cooking for 30 years and is known for his straightforward style and simple recipes, so I decided to give it a try.

I followed his directions with one exception: instead of adding just "a splash of stock," I added 1/2 cup of broth, knowing that I may need more after the soup came out of the microwave. He suggests adding fresh basil as a garnish, which I did, and olive oil, which is optional but so very Italian. Seasoning with salt and pepper is essential. You may even want to add more spices to suit your tastes, but make it this way the first time. You won't be sorry. This is so easy, so light and healthy and best of all, so delicious!

By the way, Mark is most famous for introducing Americans to "no-knead" bread back in 2006 and then updating the recipe in 2025 https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/11376-no-knead-bread.

This soup is low in fat, calories and has ZERO WW Points, which means you'll have room for some of that no-knead bread. (If you haven't tried it yet, you're in for a big surprise!)

1 lb. chopped zucchini (about 3 medium-size zucchini)

1 ear of corn

2 tomatoes, chopped

1 Tbsp. garlic, minced

1/2 cup of chicken broth, or more as needed

Salt and pepper to taste

Chopped fresh basil, for garnish

Olive oil, optional, for garnish

Put zucchini, kernels from corn, tomatoes, garlic, broth, salt and pepper in a microwave-safe bowl.

Cover and microwave, stopping and stirring halfway, until the vegetables are tender and the tomatoes have created a broth, 8 to 10 minutes. Add more both if needed.

Garnish with fresh chopped basil and an optional drizzle of olive oil.

Parmesan cheese would be nice as well.

WW Points per serving: 0