Wash, peel and dice the onion, carrots, celery, potato, zucchini and trim the green beans. Mince the garlic. Open the can of diced tomatoes and set aside.

Sauté aromatics

In a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat until the butter melts and foams. Add the diced onion, carrots and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent and the carrots begin to soften, about 6–8 minutes.

Add garlic and potatoes

Add the minced garlic and diced potato to the pot. Cook, stirring, for 1–2 minutes until fragrant (do not let the garlic brown).

Add remaining vegetables and liquids

Stir in the diced zucchini, green beans and corn. Add the canned diced tomatoes with their juices, vegetable broth and 1 cup of water. Add the bay leaf, dried thyme and dried oregano. Stir to combine and bring the mixture to a gentle boil over medium-high heat.

Simmer

Once boiling, reduce heat to low-medium to maintain a gentle simmer. Cover partially with a lid and simmer for 18–25 minutes, or until the potatoes and carrots are fork-tender and the green beans are cooked through.

Season

Remove the bay leaf. Taste the soup and add salt and freshly ground black pepper as needed. If using canned tomatoes with no added salt, you may need to add more salt to taste.

Optional additions / Garnish

Add beans (optional)

If using cannellini beans or chickpeas, add them to the pot about 5 minutes before the end of the simmer to heat through and absorb flavors. Stir gently to combine.

Add greens and finish

Stir in the baby spinach or chopped kale in the last 2–3 minutes of cooking until wilted (for spinach) or tender (for kale). Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the fresh lemon juice and chopped parsley. Adjust seasoning if needed.

Serve

Ladle the soup into bowls. Offer grated Parmesan and crusty bread on the side. Garnish each bowl with an extra sprinkle of parsley and a grind of black pepper.