Italian Vegetable And Bean Soup With Pesto

From the book The Basic Gourmet by Diane Morgan, Dan Taggart, Kathleen Taggart, and Georgia Vareldzis

Serves

Introduction

We believe that food should please the eye as well as the taste buds. You may use any variation of vegetables you wish. This combination is suggested for color and taste. We used two kinds of beans and two
varieties of squash for both reasons. Letting the soup stand for thirty minutes allows the flavors to mingle and ingredients to finish cooking without becoming overdone.

Ingredients

Soup

	3	Tbsp. Pesto, following
	¼	cup olive oil
	2	cloves garlic, peeled and pressed into the oil with a garlic press
	2	leeks with about 2 inches green tops, thinly sliced
	2	carrots, sliced in thin rounds
	1	small zucchini (about 5 ounces), cut into ½-inch dice
	1	red bell pepper, seeded, deveined, and sliced into thin matchstick strips
	3	ribs celery with leaves, sliced
	2	(14½ oz.) cans beef broth plus 2 cups water, or 6 cups water instead of broth
	1	(14½ oz.) can peeled, chopped tomatoes with liquid
	1	(9 oz.) package frozen italian green beans, thawed
	1½	cups peeled, seeded, and diced winter squash (hubbard, butternut, etc.)
	1	(15 oz.) can cannellini or small white beans, drained and rinsed lightly
	½	cup small dried macaroni, such as elbows or shells
	½	cup minced fresh parsley
	~	Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Pesto

	2	cups fresh basil leaves
	½	cup good-quality olive oil
	2	Tbsp. toasted pine nuts (see Cook’s Notes)
	4	cloves garlic, peeled and minced
	1	tsp. salt
	½	cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Steps

Soup

Prepare Pesto and set aside. In a 6-quart stockpot, heat oil and garlic over medium heat; sauté leeks, carrots, zucchini, bell pepper, and celery until slightly tender, about 5 minutes. Add broth, water, and tomatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes. Add green beans, winter squash, cannellini beans, and macaroni. Continue cooking for 10 minutes more. Remove from heat and add Pesto and parsley, stirring to distribute well. Add salt and pepper. Let stand, covered, for 20 to 30 minutes before serving.

Pesto

Place basil, olive oil, pine nuts, and garlic in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Pour into a small bowl and add salt and cheese. Pesto can be stored in a covered jar in the refrigerator up to 2 weeks, or frozen. It will keep frozen for several months. Makes 1 cup.

Notes

If you can’t find frozen Italian green beans, which are wider than regular green beans, use cut green beans instead. Do not, however, use French-cut green beans, because they will cook away. You can, of course, use fresh green beans if they are in season.
To toast pine nuts, heat a small, heavy-bottomed frying pan over medium-high heat; when hot, add pine nuts and stir constantly until lightly browned. Remove to a plate to cool.
This soup freezes beautifully.

This content is from the book The Basic Gourmet by Diane Morgan, Dan Taggart, Kathleen Taggart, and Georgia Vareldzis.