Sunday's Soup

I'm a little early with my soup post today as I actually made the soup Friday night. My husband's brother and his wife host a fall get together for the siblings. She usually likes to offer a soup to start the meal, so I volunteered to make the soup. I made the cheater Chicken and Dumpling soup that I posted here and I tried out another Panera Bread recipe

Minestrone with Pesto 

The soup is quite good. Everyone who had a bowl finished every bite, so I think that's a pretty good recommendation. 

 The ingredients are quite simple.

The recipe calls for ditalini or a small shaped pasta. I could not find ditalini so I chose the cavatelli. It's a nice pasta that will hold its shape in soup. Just be aware that the pasta may soak up the liquid and you will need to use more liquid than the recipe calls for.

The one thing that I did not add to the soup was any hot pepper. Remember, I really like hot peppers, so this is my own personal choice, not one of the listed ingredients, but it would be a welcome addition. You can find the recipe on the Panera Bread website here. This recipe is for only 4 servings, so you may want to double it as it will freeze and be great for a quick supper or a nice welcome addition to a lunch bag. If you would prefer to make your own pesto, and I would recommend that you do as homemade is always so much better, you can find a good recipe here. 

The Ingredients;

1 tablespoon olive oil 1 cup finely chopped onions 1 cup finely chopped carrots 1 cup finely chopped celery 1 cup peeled and chopped Yukon Gold potatoes (about 8 ounces) 1 quart low sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth

1 can (15 ounces) petite-diced tomatoes with juice 1 can (15 ounces) small white beans, rinsed and drained 1 cup ditalini, small shells, or other very small shape pasta 1 cup finely chopped zucchini (optional) 1/3 cup refrigerated or jarred pesto

Directions

Step 1.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, and celery, and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.

Step 2.

Add the potatoes, 4 cups of broth and tomatoes. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until potatoes are tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Add additional broth if the soup is too thick.

Step 3.

Stir in the beans, pasta, and zucchini (if using), and simmer until pasta is tender, 8 to 9 minutes. Stir in the pesto.

The soup is hearty without being too rich and it makes up so quickly. I will be making this one again!
Hope you're having a lovely Sunday. My new Vogue magazine arrived yesterday. I think I'm headed for a hot bath where I can soak away some stress and get ready for the upcoming week!
Rhonda