Name: Spring vegetable soup with basil pesto
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 2
Cuisine: Italian
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

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)

For the pesto

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

step 1
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.
step 2
Meanwhile, make the pesto: put the basil, garlic, nuts, Parmesan, oil and ½ tsp salt in a food processor, then blitz until smooth.
step 3
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.
step 4
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.