Green Summer Minestrone with Pesto

This is my go-to quick and easy, fill you up with lots of vegetables, summer time minestrone soup. It takes less than 30 minutes to make, and many of the ingredients are completely interchangeable with what you have in your pantry or based on what’s in season. Replace an onion with shallots, maybe add ginger with your garlic. If you don’t have ditalini pasta, use another shape, or skip the pasta all together for a lighter minestrone, I promise it will still be delicious. Chickpeas not your thing, try white cannellini beans. Or how about just doing pasta and leaving out the beans! You get the gist.

The most important part in a recipe like this is that you start with good quality ingredients, because you really taste them! I use Pompeian Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil in my kitchen because I know their family of olive oil farmers and craftsmen nurture the world’s best olives from grove to table – giving this soup delicious, authentic flavor that makes all the difference in the taste and turnout of simple recipes like this. This Organic variant is the perfect companion for your soup, marinating and salad needs.

In the recipe you’ll find some of my favorite green summer vegetables, but like I said, they can be swapped out. Asparagus is great in this recipe, as is some celery. You don’t have to make the pesto, but my family really loves it, plus it’s always good to have extra pesto in your fridge. This is your soup, make it how you like and use the ingredients and measurements as a guide knowing that when you’re using high quality ingredients, putting together healthy meals can be really simple, quick and delicious. 

Green Summer Minestrone with Pesto
Serves 8

¼ cup Pompeian Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, plus more for serving
2 small shallots, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
48 ounces chicken or vegetable broth
1-2 parmesan rinds *optional
1 cup ditalini pasta, or another smaller pasta shape
1 cup chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 cup green beans, 1” pieces
1 cup peas (frozen works)
2 small zucchini, cut lengthwise, and then sliced into half moons
4-6 kale leaves, ribs removed, and roughly chopped
½ lemon, juiced 
Parmesan cheese, grated, for serving

Pesto
2 cups fresh basil, no stems
¼ cup toasted pine nuts or walnuts
2 large garlic cloves
½ cup Pompeian Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
½ cup parmesan cheese, grated
Kosher salt to taste

MINESTRONE STEPS
In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallot, season with salt and pepper and cook for about 5 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes. Add the stock, and parmesan rinds if using, and bring to a simmer. Stir in the pasta and cook according to the package instructions for al dente. In the meantime, make your pesto. 

When the noodles are cooked, add in the chickpeas, green beans, peas, and zucchini. Cook for about 5 minutes until the green beans and zucchini have lost a bit of their crunch, but are not soft. Add in the kale and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice, taste and season with more salt and pepper. 

Divide soup among bowls, and top with a spoonful of pesto, some grated parmesan cheese and a good drizzle of olive oil. 

PESTO STEPS
In a food processor, pulse together basil, nuts, and garlic until finely minced. With motor running, drizzle in olive oil until smooth. Add parmesan cheese, pulsing until combined.