Vegetable Soup with Basil and Garlic

It's one of those rainy, fall days that we never have in Southern California.  Really, I'm not sure whether to be worried that the Apocalypse is near or just thankful that my roof repairs seem to be holding up....So I'm cocooning and making soup for dinner and trying not to think about what the greater powers have in store for us. The cats are in front of the fire and I'm thinking about throwing on my sweats and a sweater, pulling out my book and settling in. First, dinner prep......this recipe comes from the Williams-Sonoma "Soups, Salad & Starters" cookbook.  I've made it several times and it always turns out a little different (why is that??), but yummy always! I've cut the recipe in half (it says it makes 6-8, so this should make 3-4 servings) and substituted spinach for the chard because I had it on hand. I'm using regular basil pesto, but I've used tomato pesto in the past when that was all I had. I'm sure you could also substitute fresh basil and garlic if you wanted, but since most soups are made in the winter, it can be more difficult to find fresh basil.

Vegetable Soup with Basil and Garlic, serves 4++, Total time: 2 hours, 20 minutes* (can be made ahead of time)  *1 hour if using canned beans

1/4 cup dried cannellini beans (you may used canned)
Salt
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
2 yellow onions, diced
3 carrots, peeled and sliced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 can diced tomatoes (or1/2# fresh)
4 cups vegetable stock (I used chicken)
3 new potatoes, diced
1/4# green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch lengths
2 zucchini, cut in half lengthwise, then sliced crosswise 1/2" thick
2 cups Swiss chard, carefully rinsed and sliced 1/2" thick or
  fresh spinach, roughly chopped
1/2# dried macaroni or small pasta shells
Freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup Pesto
Parmesan Cheese for grating

If using dried beans instead of canned, pick over the cannellini beans, discarding any misshapen or impurities. Rinse well and place in a saucepan with water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat, boil for 2 minutes, remove from the heat, and let stand for 1 hour. Drain and return to the saucepan. Add fresh water to cover by 2 inches and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the beans are cooked through but not falling apart, about 1 hour. Add salt to taste during the last 15 minutes of cooking. Remove from the heat, drain, and set aside. If using canned beans, pour into a colander and rinse, drain well.

In a large soup pot over medium heat, warm the oil. Add the onions and saute, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 8-10 minutes. Add the carrots and celery. Cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes. Then add the tomatoes and stock, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes.

Add the potatoes and continue to simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 10-15 minutes. Add the cooked cannellini beans, green beans, zucchini, chard (if using spinach add 5 minutes later) and pasta during the last 10 minutes of cooking. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Remove from the heat and stir in the pesto. Ladle into warmed bowls, top with parmesan and serve.

Bottom Line:  This makes a LOT of soup.  I would put the proportions at 6 servings instead of 3-4.  We actually each had a bowl (not a giant bowl) and I put 4 bowls worth in the freezer and have one more for my lunch tomorrow.  So, if you have big eaters, maybe this would serve 4 with a little left over.  It was yummy!