Summer Bean & Vegetable Soup with Pesto

Name: Summer Bean & Vegetable Soup with Pesto Recipe
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 90 min
Total time: 120 min
Yield: 10
Ingredients: 1 cup white beans soaked for 4 hours; Aromatics: 2 bay leaves 8 parsley sprigs 4 sprigs of thyme; 5 large garlic cloves: 2 sliced and 3 minced; 3 T olive oil (use a good quality oil); Salt & freshly milled pepper; 1 small leek white part plus an inch of the greens chopped; 1 T turmeric; 3 carrots peeled and diced; 3 waxy potatoes chopped; 2 turnips peeled and chopped; 2-3 zucchini sliced into 1/2-inch rounds or chunks; 12 oz green beans tipped tailed and cut into 1-inch lengths; 1 can chopped tomatoes (Hunts is a good brand); Pesto

Minutes to Prepare: 30
Minutes to Cook: 90

Number of Servings: 10

Ingredients

1 cup white beans, soaked for 4 hoursAromatics: 2 bay leaves, 8 parsley sprigs, 4 sprigs of thyme5 large garlic cloves: 2 sliced and 3 minced3 T olive oil (use a good quality oil)Salt & freshly milled pepper1 small leek, white part plus an inch of the greens, chopped1 T turmeric3 carrots, peeled and diced3 waxy potatoes, chopped 2 turnips, peeled and chopped2-3 zucchini, sliced into 1/2-inch rounds or chunks12 oz green beans, tipped, tailed, and cut into 1-inch lengths1 can chopped tomatoes (Hunts is a good brand)Pesto

Directions

RINSE the beans, put them in a pot with 3 quarts water, and boil hard for 10 minutes. Add the aromatics, sliced garlic, and 1 teaspoon of the oil. Lower the heat and simmer, partially covered for 45 minutes. Add 2 teaspoons salt and cook until the beans are tender, 15-30 minutes more. Add water to make 10 cups broth.
WARM the remaining oil in a soup pot over mediu heat. Add the leeks and turmeric until the leeks look glossy and translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the vegetables and minced garlic. Cook just to soften the vegetables, 45 minutes, then add the reserved bean broth and 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste). Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes. Add the beans and taste for salt and season with pepper. Ladle the soup into bowls and stir a spoonful of pesto into each serving.
I serve homemade focaccia bread with this fresh, tasty soup.

Serving Size: Serves 8-10

Number of Servings: 10

Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user JSLITTLEF.

Servings Per Recipe: 10

Nutritional Info Amount Per Serving