This quick and simple Italian soup is all about the freshness of the vegetables so don't make the mistake of using any limp specimens lurking at the bottom of your fridge. If the vegetables suggested aren't to your liking the method is versatile enough to work with your preferred choices. The pesto lifts it above the level of a standard veg soup and it's got a long shelf life – any leftovers will be delicious cold or tossed through pasta.
Summer vegetable soup au pesto
Serves 4
Soup
200g broad beans
250g fine beans
200g mangetout
100g potatoes
1 onion
2 carrots
200g courgettes
50g unsalted butter
1l vegetable stock
4 plum tomatoes
Pistou
50g pine nuts
50g basil
2 garlic cloves
30g parmesan
220ml olive oil
Pod the broad beans then trim the fine beans and mangetout and cut them into 2cm dice. Peel and cut the potatoes, onion, carrots and courgettes (keeping the skin on) into 1cm dice.
Place a large pan over a medium heat, add the butter and heat until it starts to foam. Add the onion, carrot, potato and courgette to the pan, season well with salt and cook gently for 5 minutes without colouring.
Next add the vegetable stock and bring it to a light simmer. Cook for 10 minutes before adding the beans and mangetout and simmering for a further 10 minutes.
While the soup is cooking make the pistou. Place the pine nuts in a small pan on a medium heat for around 3 minutes, moving them around the pan so they take on a uniform gold colour before removing them from the pan to cool. Place the basil, garlic and pine nuts in a mortar and pestle or a food processor and crush well or blitz before adding the parmesan. Gradually add the olive oil and blend until fully incorporated. Taste and season with salt.
Once the vegetables in the soup are soft taste it and adjust the seasoning if required. Roughly chop the tomatoes, add them to the soup then take the pan off the heat and serve, topping each portion with a spoonful of the pistou.
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