Winter Veggie Bean Soup w/Pesto

Whenever fall comes around I start wanting "fall" comfort foods like soup and chili!   Due to my new diet, I'm forced to get creative in my cooking.  Here's a recipe that turned out pretty yummy!  It's vegetarian, Gluten Free, and can even be made vegan pretty easily.

Winter Veggie Bean Soup with Pesto

5 1/4 cups Vegetable Broth

2 medium Carrots, diced

3 medium Potatoes, peeled and diced (I left these out because I can't eat potatoes)

1 medium Turnip, peeled and diced

2 large Leeks, sliced

2 stalks Celery, sliced

2 cans white Kidney Beans (cannellini), rinsed and drained

1 bay leaf

1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper

Easy Basil Pesto (see below)

Instructions:

Place 1 3/4 cup broth, carrots, potatoes, turnip, leeks, and celery in a pot.  Cover and cook over low heat for 15 minutes.

Reserve 1/2 cup broth for the pesto.  Add remaining broth, beans, bay leaf, and red pepper to the pot.  Heat to a boil.   Reduce heat to low.  Cook for 15 minutes or until veggies are tender.  Remove bay leaf.  Serve topped with Easy Basil Pesto.

Easy Basil Pesto:

Mix 2 cups backed fresh basil leaves, 3 T grated Parmesan Cheese (I used soy cheese), 3 cloves Garlic, and 1/2 cup reserved broth.  Place in either a food processor or a blender.  Process until smooth.

The soup turned out really good!  And it was pretty easy to make.  I had never cooked leeks before. In fact, I didn't even know what leeks were!  They look like big green onions.  I had to call my mom and ask her which parts I was supposed to use.  She said to use the bulb, and then a little bit (about an inch) of the leafy part.  But first she told me to fill up my sink with hot water and to soak the leeks for about 10 minutes to get all of the sand out.  I'm glad I did that!  Those things are dirty!  So just a little tip in case you too are new to leeks...soak those babies!

Hope you enjoy the soup!  I think it's pretty yummy!