Minestrone Soup with Pesto

I will never exhaust all my soup recipes! The number of them grows and multiplies each year. As I reflect back when I was a child, soup reflected my mothers love! Homemade chicken noodle soup could heal a variety of ills. It was a symbol of motherly compassion!  I like this quote…Soup puts the heart at ease, calms down the violence of hunger, eliminates the tension of the day, and awakens and refines the appetite. – Auguste Escoffier, “the king of chefs and the chef of kings” (1847-1935)

In today’s recipe you will get more than your needed quota of vegetables. The protein source is cannellini beans and a touch of shredded cheese on top. The garnish of pesto kicks up the flavor with basil and garlic.

Begin by sautéing one medium chopped onion and 2 stalks chopped celery in 2 T. garlic gold olive oil.

When tender and starting to caramelize, add chicken broth, salt & pepper, cubed butternut squash,  potato and zucchini.

Bring to boil, cover and cook for 15 minutes until veggies start to get tender. Then add beans, tomatoes and chopped kale. Continue cooking for another 10 minutes.

Ladle into soup bowls, sprinkle with shredded Parmesan cheese and a dollop of pesto. This past summer I froze a lot of pesto in ice cube trays, then removed and stored in zipper bags in my freezer.

These are invaluable to have throughout the winter months. You get that fresh basil and garlic flavor in your various dishes!

As with any soup, a hearty homemade bread is the perfect accompaniment. After you serve the bowls of soup, you will want to stir in your pesto garnish to perfume the soup with the  intense and sweet aroma of the basil mixed with garlic.

Since my daughter-in-law is a grass widow (hubby on the road for business) this week, I invited her and the kids over for soup. I knew Megs would love this soup, but the little kids were not too impressed. They pigged out on Grandma’s homemade bread though!

Minestrone Soup with Pesto

3 tablespoons olive oil (I used garlic gold)
1 medium onion, chopped
6 cups low-salt chicken broth
2 c. butternut squash, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch cubes2 celery stalks, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 large potato, cubed
1 bag frozen green beans
1 zucchini,  cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 15-ounce can cannellini (white kidney beans), drained
1 15oz. can tomatoes
1 c. fresh kale leaves, chopped
6 tablespoons pesto
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Heat olive oil in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add onion and celery and sauté until soft, about 4 minutes. Add broth and potatoes and squash. Increase heat to high and bring soup to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, partially cover pot, and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Add tomatoes, beans, green beans and kale and cook for another 10 minutes. Ladle into soup bowls and top with shredded Parmesan cheese and a dollop of pesto.