Comfort food that does not feel like a ton of bricks just landed in your stomach. Light and delicious. Don't eat more than you have to. Remember, if you want to live longer eat until your stomack is only 80% full.  

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Spring minestrone with parsley pesto
Ingredients:
For the parsley pesto:
● 1 cup Italian parsley leaves, loosely packed
● 1/3 cup grated Parmesan
● ¼ cup pine nuts
● 1 clove garlic, roughly chopped
● Zest and juice from ½ lemon
● ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
● Salt
● Freshly ground black pepper

For the soup:
● ¼ cup olive oil
● 1 large sweet onion or 4 leeks, white and light green parts only, cut in half, rinsed and cut crosswise into ¼ inch slices
● 3 cloves garlic, minced
● 1 bay leaf
● ½ cup dry white wine
● 4 or more cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock
● Salt
● Freshly ground black pepper
● 1 (14 ½ ounce) can cannellini beans, rinsed
● 12 ounces asparagus, tough ends trimmed and stalks cut on a diagonal into 1 inch pieces
● 1 cup fresh or frozen peas ( make sure fresh peas are fresh from the time they are picked, esle they taste nothing like peas)
● 2 cups loosely packed spinach leaves
● 1 zucchini cored, and cubed
● Grated or shaved Parmesan
● Extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling

Directions:
1. 2 ways to make pesto: Why 2 ways? Friction from food processor blade heat ingredients and alter the intended taste, if you do have to use the food processor do it in burst . Using the food processor, chop the parsley, Parmesan, pine nuts, garlic, lemon zest and juice and 1 tablespoon water until a rough paste forms.  With the machine running, add in the olive oil in a thin stream.  2 - pestle and mortar, add ingredients as for food processor and gently smash together to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.  

2. Make the soup: In a large soup pot, warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion or leek, garlic, bay leaf and sauté, stirring frequently until the fragrant and the leeks begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the wine and cook until almost absorbed, about 5 minutes. Add the stock and bring to a boil. Lower heat to a simmer. Cover and simmer for about 15 minutes.  Season broth with salt and pepper.  

3. Add in the zucchini and cook for 4 minutes. Add beans and cook until slightly softened, about 3 minutes.  Add in the asparagus and peas and cook until tender, about 3 minutes. Add in the spinach and stir until wilted, about 1 minute.  Taste and adjust seasonings.  

4. Ladle the soup into bowls.  Stir in a tablespoon of pesto and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Serve with plenty of grated Parmesan cheese, extra pesto and plenty of toasted bread.

 

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