|
Green Bean & Vegetable Soup with Pesto
Pesto is an Italian sauce made from
basil, pine nuts, olive oil and Parmesan cheese. Ready-made varieties
are widely available from supermarkets and delicatessens.
Serves 4-6
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 1.5 hours
-
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
-
1 leek, sliced
-
2 garlic cloves, crushed
-
1 potato, diced
-
1 celery stick, sliced
-
1 tablespoon chopped thyme
-
1 x 425 g (14 oz) can flageolet beans
-
600 ml (1 pint) vegetable stock or water
-
1 courgette, diced
-
50 g (2 oz) French beans, halved
-
125 g (4 oz) broad beans
-
4 teaspoons ready-made pesto sauce
-
salt and pepper
To Serve:
-
Heat the oil in a large saucepan and fry
the leek and garlic, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.
-
Add the potato, celery and thyme and fry,
stirring frequently, for a further 10 minutes until light golden.
-
Stir in the flageolet beans with their
liquid and the vegetable stock or water, bring to the boil, cover and
simmer gently for 20 minutes.
-
Add the courgette, French beans and broad
beans and cook for a further 10 minutes. Season to taste.
-
Ladle the soup into large bowls. Stir in
a spoonful of pesto into each one and serve with French bread and
Parmesan, if wished.
|