‘Brat’ Green Summer Cooking

Hetty Lui McKinnon’s chilled zucchini soup with lemon and basil.Credit…Nico Schinco for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.

A neon green soccer kit floating up the subway stairs. A neon green traffic cone tumbled over the curb. A neon green frozen mojito at the Commodore in Williamsburg. Everywhere I look, I can’t help but see “Brat,” Charli XCX’s sixth album, released last month, with its low-res, slime-colored cover art.

If last summer was awash with “Barbie” pink, this summer oozes “brat” green, which the singer described to Vogue Singapore as an “offensive, off-trend shade,” selected to convey “the idea of something being wrong.” But all it takes is a pop star championing the uncool to make it, well, very cool. So here we are, in the thick of what fans have declared “brat” summer: a season dedicated to having fun and caring less.

I can’t get enough of the color, personally. I see it in chile verde guacamole, in pesto-tossed noodles, in strawberry matcha lattes. On a plate or in a cup, “brat” green isn’t wrong. It’s lush, vegetal, oh so right.

Hetty Lui McKinnon’s chilled zucchini soup with lemon and basil (above) is vividly chartreuse, thickened and silky with cashews. Garlic and miso lend some savory oomph to the subtle backdrop of summer squash, which is at its best right now. This two-step recipe couldn’t be easier: Simply blitz all of the ingredients together in a blender or food processor, chill and serve.

Chilled Zucchini Soup With Lemon and Basil

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