Is it Wierd to Eat Soup in the Summer?

Normally I would say yes. It just doesn't seem right to dig into a steaming hot bowl of soup in the middle of summer. I like to save that for fall nights when I am bundled up in my sleeping bag watching my kids play soccer or football.

Wait, I know it is summer but I was sitting outside bundled up in my sleeping bag on TUESDAY watching my kids play baseball. It was freezing. I wasn't the only one out there with blankets in case you are wondering. It really was cold out.

So yesterday I had a hankering for some soup. I went to my favorite old stand by, Pasta Fagoli. I decided to change it up a bit by adding some escarole. It was delicious.

So if it is chilly where you live right now, give this soup a try. If not, save it for fall. Here is the recipe:

Pasta E Fagoli
2 TBL olive oil
3 large garlic cloves, minced
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
2 large carrots, finely chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 can chopped tomatoes
2 quarts chicken broth
2 cans cannellini beans
1/2 cup small pasta like tubettini or ditalini
1/2 bunch escarole
salt and pepper
parmesan cheese

• Heat the oil in a large pot. Cook the onion, carrot and celery until soft. Add the garlic and cook another minute.
• Pour in the broth, beans and chopped tomatoes and cook for five minutes.
• Use an immersion blender to mash up some of the beans to thicken the soup. If you don't have an immersion blender you can remove a few scoops of the bean mixture and puree or mash.
• Add the pasta and cook until al dente.
• Add the escarole and salt and pepper. Turn off the heat. The escarole will wilt quickly.
• Serve with parmesan cheese