Happy New Year! For my first post of 2013 I wanted to feature something healthy, simple and filling, Since soups is my most popular recipe category I thought it would be a great way to kick off a healthy 2013. It is such a fun way to experiment will all kinds of healthy, delicious ingredients. I especially love soup in the winter, it’s a perfect cold weather meal. This soup came together on Sunday afternoon as we were decorating our Christmas tree. I wanted something simple and healthy that could last a few days. I soaked some white beans and then added some other things I had on hand.
This soup provides a perfect use for my Freezer Pesto that I featured a while back. Pesto has so many uses beyond pasta. Dropping in a few freezer cubes was such a perfect way to add delicious fresh flavor. I am especially happy because I used my summer basil crop to make the pesto, so I still get to enjoy my garden, even in December!
This soup fit my three criteria: it was filling, comforting and flavorful. It was such a simple vegetarian/vegan meal! Potatoes and beans add bulk, while carrots and rainbow chard add lots of color. The pesto add delicious flavor and a bit of a kick. Serve with some crusty bread.
- 1 cup dried cannelini beans, soaked (or 1.5 cans, rinsed)
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 large leek, washed and sliced
- 2 large carrots, peeled and sliced
- 1lb red potatoes, scrubbed and cut into ½” pieces
- 3 cups rainbow chard, washed and chopped
- 4 cups low sodium veggie broth
- 3 cups of water
- 1 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
- 2 pesto cubes (or 2 tbsp prepared pesto)
- Soak dried beans for at least 4 hours or overnight
- In a large pot, saute onion, garlic and leek in olive oil on medium heat 5-6 minutes until softened
- Season with salt and pepper to taste
- Add beans, veggie broth and water and bring to a boil
- Reduce heat to med-low and simmer until beans are cooked, 25-35 min
- Once beans are cooked, add potatoes, carrots, chard and rosemary
- Cover and simmer on med-low for 10-15 minutes, until potatoes are fork tender
- Swirl in pesto and serve
NOTE: Readers asked me to estimate the nutrition info for this soup after I cooked and consumed it. So, I made some estimates based on 6 large servings of this soup. Because of this, I do not have a serving size recommendation, you just have to eyeball it.
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Mmmm. This is my kind of soup. Healthy and Hearty. Happy New Year.
I have the worst cold right now and I would kill for a bowl of this right now. It looks so good!
Happy New Year Dara! I wish I would have seen this a few hours earlier…! I was hunting for a new healthy soup recipe for dinner tonight, settled on a chili but still craving a veggie soup, will have to try! Love the pesto
This sound amazing! I am going on a 21 day cleanse from processed food once I recover from my flu, and this seems like a great recipe to try and keep me satisfied : )
Happy New Year! This looks delicious and it’s perfect for winter
I LOVE this because I’m always trying to do something with swiss chard from my CSA. I’m going to pin this one!
Thanks Dawn! I appreciate you stopping by.
Check out your lucky food stew! You will certainly have lots of luck this year thanks to the beans you slurped up in this soup!
happy new year Dara! such a delicious soup – i love the pesto in here, i bet it adds so much amazing flavor!
Do you know the nutrition facts for this soup? Thanks
Hello Stephanie. I will see what I can do to calculate the nutrition info for this soup. Thanks for your suggestion.
Oh YUM! Can’t think of anything better than white beans and pesto right now! What a comforting bowl of soup! Happy New Year!
This soup sounds really delicious! I love cannellini beans and pesto, so I bet this would be right up my alley. Happy new year, Dara!
what a healthy way to start off the new year!
i LOVEEEEE pesto in everything…can’t seem to get enough of it…lol
Thank you so much for posting the nutrition info! I am watching calories- I appreciate it
Happy to help Stephanie!!!!
I made this soup last night and it was delicious! I added a little bit more pesto than suggested because I like the flavor so much. I brought it to work today for lunch and it was even better! This is a great recipe especially on our infrequent cold nights in Florida.
This soup was delicious! As a fellow young lawyer foodie I LOVE your blog!
Hi Kari! Thank you so much. I am so pleased you enjoyed the soup. I love to hear from readers so thanks for making my day.