SPRING VEGETABLE SOUP WITH BASIL PESTO

Spring vegetable soup with basil pesto image

A former magazine cover star, this satisfying soup is special enough for entertaining and easy enough to size down

Provided by Sara Buenfeld

Categories Dinner, Lunch, Main course, Snack, Soup, Supper

Time 25m

Number Of Ingredients 13

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil
2 leeks , washed and chopped
100g green bean , cut into lengths
1 large courgette , diced
1.2l hot vegetable stock
3 vine-ripe tomatoes , deseeded and chopped
400g can cannellini bean
1 nest vermicelli (about 35g)
25g pack basil
1 garlic clove , crushed
25g pistachio nuts
25g vegetarian parmesan -style cheese, (we used Twyneham Grange, available from Sainsbury's)
2 tbsp olive oil

Steps:

Heat the oil, then fry the leek until softened. Add the green beans and courgette, then pour in the stock and season to taste. Cover and simmer for 5 mins.
Meanwhile, make the pesto: put the basil, garlic, nuts, Parmesan, oil and ½ tsp salt in a food processor, then blitz until smooth.
Stir the tomatoes, cannellini beans and vermicelli into the soup pan, then simmer for 5 mins more until the veg are just tender. The soup and pesto can now be chilled for up to a day.
Reheat the soup, if necessary, then stir in half the pesto. Ladle into bowls and serve with the rest of the pesto spooned on top. Eat with chunks of crusty bread.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 594 calories, Fat 31 grams fat, SaturatedFat 6 grams saturated fat, Carbohydrate 56 grams carbohydrates, Sugar 19 grams sugar, Fiber 16 grams fiber, Protein 27 grams protein, Sodium 2.35 milligram of sodium