How to Make Vegetable Soup with Pesto

Homemade vegetable soup is always a great treat, and can be even tastier with some freshly made pesto. The following is a simple recipe for vegetable soup, coupled with a pesto recipe, should you choose to make the pesto as well.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Large non-stick sauce pan
• ½ cup carrots (diced)
• ½ cup celery (diced)
• ½ cup leeks (chopped)
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 6 cups chicken broth or substitute
• ¾ lb. red potatoes (diced)
• ½ lb. green beans (fresh or frozen and halved)
• Tomato (chopped)
• 6 oz. yellow squash (diced)
• 6 oz. zucchini squash (diced)
• ¾ tsp. salt
• Small food processor
• Food chopper or blender with chopping option
• 2 cups of basil leaves
• ¼ cup parmesan cheese (grated)
• ½ cup olive oil
• 3 tbsp. walnuts or pine nuts
• Minced garlic, about three cloves

How to Make Vegetable Soup with Pesto

1. Pour the olive oil in a large, non-stick pan and sauté the celery, carrots and leeks.

2. Pour the broth in the sauce pan and add the potatoes to the pan. Cook the potatoes for about 10 minutes until they are tender.

3. Add the remaining vegetables (green beans, squash and tomato) and salt, and let these simmer in the pot until they are tender. Turn the heat down to low, or just enough heat to keep the pan warm.

4. Make the pesto by using a small food processor or food chopper to chop up the basil leaves.

5. Add the nuts and the garlic and chop again.

6. 
   Pesto

   Pour in Parmesan cheese, black pepper and olive oil. Mix in the food processor until a paste is formed. The pesto should be thick.

7. Add pesto to vegetable soup as desired. About 1 tbsp. per bowl should be plenty.

Tips & Warnings

• Both vegetable soup and pesto can be frozen to be used at a later date.
• Pesto keeps in the refrigerator for about a week.

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