Soup au Pisto
Summertime doesn’t seem like the ideal time to make a pot of soup, but this soup makes the case for it. It takes all of those lovely vegetables that are starting to proliferate in gardens and markets and it uses them! I can personally eat a steaming bowl of soup on even the hottest day, especially when I’m feeling all cozied up after a day spent outside. Of course, a loaf of crusty bread makes it even better. The pesto topping brings so much life and depth to the soup so don’t leave that part out, or do. It’s really up to you! You can double the pesto and use half for the Pesto Pasta Salad and the other half for this delight!
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, finely diced
2 teaspoons thyme, chopped
1 onion, diced
2 teaspoons salt
4 carrots, roughly chopped
2 zucchini, diced
1 heaping cup green beans, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 14 oz. jar of diced tomatoes
about 16 ounces of chicken broth
1 can cannelini beans
2 large chicken breasts
1/2 a batch of Pesto
Directions:
In a large pot, like a dutch oven, heat the oil over medium low heat. Add the onion and garlic in and let it cook. Let them soften and caramelize while you chop the other vegetables. Add the carrots and let them cook for 5 minutes while you chop the zucchini and green beans. This is how soup making works! Add the salt, thyme, the vinegar, the tomatoes, the chicken broth, and the beans. Give it a gentle and loving stir. Tuck the chicken breasts in under the liquid and place the lid on for a little simmer. Let the soup gently burble about, marrying all the flavors and poaching the chicken for about an hour. This is the type of soup I like to get going right after lunch and let it simmer all afternoon. It feels like a gift at dinnertime when you open the lid to find dinner done. You can remove the chicken and dice it, then add it back to pot so it can soak up even more flavor. Make the pesto whenever you have a moment.
When you serve the soup in a lovely bowl, dollop a generous serving of pesto on top and let the diner swirl it in before eating. The steam creates such a beautiful aroma as you eat it!
