Vegetable Soup with Pesto
This soup just begs to be served with a crusty loaf of bread.
Servings: 6 servings
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil for sauteing
- 1 small onion, peeled and finely diced
- 3 - 4 carrots, peeled and cut small (about a cup)
- 4 - 5 cloves garlic, peeled. Reserve a couple cloves for the pesto, dice the rest
- 2 quarts vegetable or chicken stock (8 cups)
- 2 cans cannelini beans (12 or 16 ounce), drained and rinsed OR 3-4 cups cooked cannelini beans
- 1 cup thickly cut ham, diced (or more)
- several sprigs of fresh thyme and parsley, tied into a small bundle
- 2 bay leaves
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 medium zucchini, diced
- 1 - 2 tomatoes depending on the size, seeded and diced
For the pesto
- 1 cup loosely packed basil leaves
- Up to 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 peeled cloves of garlic as mentioned above
- 3 - 4 tablespoons grated Parmesan or other hard cheese
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a stock pot or dutch oven over medium high heat, saute the onions and chopped garlic in a small amount of olive oil until softened. Stir in the carrots and cook a few minutes more.
- Add the beans and chopped ham and cover with the broth.
- Drop in your herb bundle and bay leaves.
- Bring the soup to a vigorous simmer, then reduce the heat so that it's just bubbling. Simmer for until the carrots are tender.
- Add this point add the diced zucchini and tomatoes. Cook until warmed through.
- Make the pesto by pureeing the basil, remaining two cloves of garlic and 2 tablespoons of olive oil together with a stick blender. Add the Parmesan cheese and blitz to combine. Adjust the texture of the pesto by adding more oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and spoon a dollop of pesto on top.
Notes
Variations: Make the pesto as described, substituting parsley for basil. For a vegan preparation, use vegetable stock and substitute chopped mushrooms for the ham, adding them with the carrots. Omit the Parmesan cheese or use your favorite alternative. Clear your fridge by adding other bits of leftover vegetables like corn, peas or cut green beans. You may need to add more liquid.