This mean, green, vegetable-packed soup was a sure-fire hit to please The Mrs. Soup is a sort of odd choice for a hot & humid July meal, but the pictures sold me. I'm very visual when I pick out recipes -- which I realize is juvenile. But that's how my mind and stomach work.
This isn't your heavy, cream-based, meat-loaded, winter soup to warm you up during a soul crushing Midwest winter. It's a light and bright summer soup chalk full of greens that will treat you well.
Start by chopping the white & pale green parts of a large leek.
Then sliced up a fennel bulb, two stalks of celery, and half of a white onion.
Saute that all in some olive oil with salt & pepper for about five minutes until they soften and start to turn translucent, but before they brown.
Boil a small pasta in salted water for about 5-6 minutes until it is just al dente. Meanwhile, add four cups of chicken or vegetable stock to your vegetables along with two thinly sliced carrots, and one cup of either lima beans or fava beans. Heat it all through while the pasta is cooking, then combine everything in the large pot.
Pulse together some parsley, olive oil, and salt & pepper in a food processor to make a very simple pesto. I added garlic scapes to the party to add a hint of garlic flavor.
Top it all with your fresh pesto, and maybe some sharp cheese. There is so much depth of flavor here, it's amazing. The fennel, leeks, and aromatic vegetables really make this soup sing. It's really light & fresh, but the beans add a nice heartyness to it so you won't be left hungry.
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