Spring Vegetable Soup Pesto (Printable)

Fresh seasonal vegetables cooked gently and finished with fragrant basil pesto for a flavorful touch.

# What You Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
02 - 1 medium leek, white and light green parts only, sliced
03 - 2 carrots, diced
04 - 2 celery stalks, diced
05 - 1 medium zucchini, diced
06 - 1 cup green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
07 - 1 cup shelled fresh or frozen peas
08 - 4 cups vegetable broth
09 - 2 cups baby spinach leaves
10 - 1 small potato, peeled and diced

→ Seasoning

11 - 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
12 - 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
13 - 1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs (optional)

→ Pesto

14 - 1/3 cup basil pesto, store-bought or homemade
15 - Fresh basil leaves for garnish (optional)

# How To Make It:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add leek, carrots, and celery. Sauté for 4 to 5 minutes until softened.
02 - Stir in zucchini, green beans, and potato. Cook for another 3 minutes.
03 - Pour in the vegetable broth and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.
04 - Add peas and spinach. Simmer for an additional 5 minutes, or until all vegetables are tender.
05 - Season with salt, pepper, and Italian herbs if using.
06 - Ladle soup into bowls. Top each bowl with a generous spoonful of basil pesto and a few fresh basil leaves if desired. Serve immediately.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It demands almost nothing from you while delivering the kind of freshness that feels like you tried much harder than you did.
  • The pesto swirl at the end transforms humble vegetables into something you actually want to linger over with a spoon.
02 -
  • Adding the pesto to the pot instead of individual bowls dulls its brightness and turns the soup muddy green.
  • Overcooking the peas and spinach destroys the very freshness that makes this soup worth making.
03 -
  • If your pesto is especially thick, thin it with a spoonful of the hot soup before adding to the bowl for easier swirling.
  • A squeeze of lemon at the table brightens everything if your vegetables were not at peak sweetness.

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