Spring vegetable soup with basil pesto

basil cannellini bean cannellini beans courgette courgettes green bean green beans leek leeks make ahead noodles parmesan pesto pistachio pistachios soup tomato tomatoes vegetable stock vermicelli

N/A

Source

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

Method

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.