This colorful bowl of hearty spring vegetable soup is delicious, healthy, and tempting. You can serve with it cheesy basil pesto.

Serves: 6
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 3 hours 15 minutes

Ingredients:

For soup:

• 2 medium carrots, diced
• 1 small zucchini, cubed
• 2 medium leeks, diced and rinsed well
• 1 lb. plum tomatoes, cubed
• 8 ounces Yukon gold or red bliss potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 4 ounces green beans, cut into ½ inch pieces
• 1 cup thawed frozen or fresh shelled peas
• 1 tsp fresh thyme, finely chopped
• Bay leaf 1
• 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
• 1 cup dried white or navy beans, rinsed
• 1 tsp coarse salt
• Black pepper to taste

For the pesto:

• ¼ cup finely grated parmesan cheese
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cups loosely packed fresh basil leaves
• 2 small garlic cloves

Directions:

• In a large pot, cover beans with 6 cups of cold water and bring it to boil over high heat.
• Remove from heat cover and let it stand for 1 hour.
• Drain beans and return to the same pot.
• Again cover with 3-quart cold water, add in fresh thyme and bay leaf, and bring it to a boil over high heat.
• Reduce heat to medium-low, simmer partially covered for 2 hours or until beans are barely tender.
• After 2 hours add in carrots, leeks, potatoes, tomatoes, vegetable broth, and 2 cups of water.
• Simmer partially covered for 40 minutes or until beans are tender.
• To make cheesy pesto; combine all the ingredients of pesto in a food processor and process until combined.
• After 40 minutes add zucchini and green beans in the soup and cook uncovered for 20 minutes.
• Lastly, add in peas and cook for 10 minutes or until soft.
• Season soup with salt and pepper and divide among 4 bowls.
• Top each bowl of soup with 1 heaping teaspoon of cheesy basil pesto.