summer minestrone
feat. green beans, zucchini, cherry tomatoes, and basil
Welcome to mama eats, a twice-weekly newsletter (Tues. & Sat.) inspired by a simple + seasonal home life. This week’s post includes a recipe for summer minestrone, which is free for all readers. I try to provide as much free content as possible, however, this newsletter is a labor of love and I am a busy mother of three. If you have the means and find value in what I share, please consider becoming a paid subscriber, which also gives you the benefit of access to the growing archive (posts over a month old).
A little housekeeping before we begin: I won’t be sending out the usual Saturday meal plan this week, as we will be on holiday. The next newsletter will send out Tuesday 7/30. Thanks for your understanding!
Hello all- we are leaving today for a little summer holiday and thus, today’s newsletter will be concise. In continuation of my summer kitchen post about my essential recipes and pantry staples, today I’m sharing with you a summer minestrone. I know summer doesn't particularly leave you craving a hot soup, but I promise it’s delicious and actually quite nice. Perhaps not on the hottest days, but one one of those nights where the breeze comes up and cools the air down, I like to have a bowl of this, warm but not overly hot, and loaded with summer vegetables and toothsome pasta.
Minestrone is a lifelong dinner partner for me, a faithful friend that is always welcomed. It’s often the answer when I don’t know what to make for dinner- everyone likes it, it is adaptable to any season, it is a full meal in itself and always appropriate for the occasion, whether for taking camping (it’s always our first night meal), a simple weeknight dinner or a dinner party. I’ve shared both autumn and winter versions before, but not yet a summer one.
A minestrone, literally meaning a big soup (minestra= soup, -one = suffix denoting largeness) should be full of vegetables in season, with just enough broth to keep the vegetables moving in the pot. I always include beans in mine, no matter the season, for heft and texture. I hope you enjoy- and feel free to vary with what you have on hand, the main thing for flavor is twofold: first, take your time with cooking down the onion, garlic, in tomato in the olive oil; second, let the soup rest for at least 15 minutes before adding the pasta and serving.