It's tomato-zucchini time

In late summer, when the last of the home-grown tomatoes and zucchini are still abundant either in your garden or at the local farmers' market, this is a great recipe for using them.

I love to serve this soup with a crisp green salad for lunch or a light dinner. For a heartier meal, I often top it with fish, poultry or meat. My family's favorite topping is crumbled leftover meatloaf.

For a vegetarian soup, you can substitute vegetable stock for the chicken broth and add tofu for a more robust entree. For a more minestrone-style soup, add the pasta cut of your choice.

LATE SUMMER SOUP

4 ounces dried cannellini beans (about 2/3 cup)

1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 large carrot, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch rounds

1 garlic clove, pressed or minced

4 cups fat-free chicken broth

4 small zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch rounds

3 large tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon dried basil, crushed

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed

1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1. You can either soak the beans overnight in 3 cups of water, or just an hour before making the soup you can bring 3 cups of water to a boil. Remove from the heat, add the beans and allow to stand one hour, then drain and set aside.

2. In a large saucepan or soup kettle, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat. Stir in the onion, carrot and garlic, and saute until lightly browned, about 10 minutes.

3. Stir in the chicken broth. Add the drained beans, pepper, basil, oregano and rosemary, and bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Partially cover the pan and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4. Stir in the zucchini and tomato, cover and continue to simmer 15 more minutes.

5. Ladle the soup into bowls and sprinkle each serving with 1 tablespoon of Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.

Makes 6 servings.

Each 1 1/2-cup serving contains approximately: 132 calories; 2 gm fat; 3 mg cholesterol; 86 mg sodium; 20 gm carbohydrates; 7 gm protein; 2 gm fiber.

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Jeanne Jones is the author of 33 cookbooks, most recently "Cooking From the Cupboard" (Rodale Press). For more information, you can go to her Web site, jeannejones.com. Send your recipe for revision to: Cook It Light, Deseret Morning News, P.O. Box 1212, La Jolla, CA 92038. Please include a stamped (63 cents), self-addressed envelope. © King Features Syndicate Inc.