This weekend was the first time that it actually felt like fall in California. We usually get a wake up call each day around 6:30 am (yikes) from James, but he decided to sleep in until 7, thanks buddy! However the sun still hadn’t shined and it was raining, pretty amazing actually since we are in a serious drought.
The crisp cool air had me immediately craving my first chai latte of the season and making some simple warm cozy comfort food. We’ve already been devouring big bowls of turkey meatball soup and sneaking pumpkin cinnamon rolls, hehe. So I knew that we were ready to enjoy a big healthy bowl of classic Italian minestrone soup, packed with tons of fresh vegetables, beans, and savory tomato. Slurp!
Are you experiencing the cool down and ready to ring in the autumn with me? Let’s get cooking friend!
Ah, there it is, a HUGE pot of hot minestrone soup, ready for shoveling into your bellies. I’ve been taking any opportunity I can to use my new Le Creuset cassadou pan, it’s a cast iron enameled pan that is big enough to make soups, stews or even braise larger pieces of meat, it’s my fav!
So what’s in this yummy soup? I wanted to make sure each spoonful was packed with nutritious ingredients. Fresh green beans add a nice crunch, swiss chard, garlic, onion, carrots and diced tomatoes make for the vegetable medley in the soup. I added two types of beans, cannellini, and red kidney beans, they are a great source of fiber. I found some cute vegetable spiral pasta and thought they would be perfect for the soup.
This minestrone soup really is a meal all in one bowl. I realized that after we finished dinner as we didn’t have any additional protein, and it was actually a nice break. We didn’t really feel like we needed more food because all of the ingredients were really satisfying and the warm tomato soup felt like we were full faster. This recipe is really easy and a healthy meal. Make sure you have some leftover for tomorrow’s lunch, it tastes good even the next day!
TIP: Do canned tomatoes compare to fresh tomatoes?
When I make soups, chili’s and sauces I often use canned tomatoes because they are really convenient and some products are really nice and ripe when canned. I like to use San Marzano tomatoes, or vine ripened plum tomatoes because they are harvested when very ripe and taste sweet. I have tried other varieties of canned tomatoes, but sometimes they can be a little more acidic and less flavorful. Definitely nothing beats garden fresh sun-kissed tomatoes, so if you have them definitely use them! Often times fresh tomatoes at the grocery store aren’t from local farmers at all. They can be picked when still unripe then treated to ripen before it hits the stores. This helps distribute the produce better since there are far distances to travel, however, the compromise is in the final flavor.
When I make soups, chili’s and sauces I often use canned tomatoes because they are really convenient and some products are really nice and ripe when canned. I like to use San Marzano tomatoes, or vine ripened plum tomatoes because they are harvested when very ripe and taste sweet. I have tried other varieties of canned tomatoes, but sometimes they can be a little more acidic and less flavorful. Definitely nothing beats garden fresh sun-kissed tomatoes, so if you have them definitely use them! Often times fresh tomatoes at the grocery store aren’t from local farmers at all. They can be picked when still unripe then treated to ripen before it hits the stores. This helps distribute the produce better since there are far distances to travel, however, the compromise is in the final flavor.
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