Pesto brings out the fresh character of this soup. You can top each bowl with a spoonful before serving, or pass it in a small bowl at the table for guests to help themselves.
Spring Vegetable Soup with Pesto
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Author: William's and Sonoma Cooking
Serves: 6
Ingredients
- 1 can white beans (great northern or navy beans),
- drained
- 2 T olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 2 c peeled seeded chopped tomatoes (fresh or canned)
- 1 T tomato paste (optional)
- 8 cups vegetable stock or water (stock is better)
- 1 to 1½ bag frozen green beans cut into 1 in
- lengths (I recommend the thin long ones and I
- never cut them smaller)
- ¼ lb (more) penne or small elbow macaroni
- 1 bunch Swiss chard or spinach (if using chard,
- carefully wash and cut leaves and stems into 1
- inch pieces)
Instructions
- In a 4-qt soup pot over medium-low heat, warm the olive oil. Add the onion, carrots and celery and sauté, stirring, until the vegetables are soft, about 25 minutes. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, stock or water and white beans and simmer, uncovered for 25 minutes.
- Add the green beans and pasta, cover and simmer until the pasta is tender, about 15 minutes. Add the Swiss chard and simmer until it wilts, about 5 minutes. If using spinach, add it once you turn off the heat. There will be not need to cook it more than that. Season to taste with salt and pepper
- Ladle the soup into bowls and place a large spoonful of pesto and a sprinkling of freshly grated Parmesan cheese on top of each serving. Serve immediately.
Photo courtesy of: http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/127/vegetable+soup+with+pesto
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