Green Garden Vegetable Soup with Mozzarella Pesto

What makes a recipe special? Everybody has his/her own opinion. Some might say It has to taste great, be healthy, easy to prepare, inexpensive, made ahead and on and on. My recipe for Green Garden Vegetable Soup checks all these boxes, plus it can be varied by substituting almost any green veggie you have in your fridge. How cool is that?

The original recipe comes from my book Easy Entertaining with Marlene Sorosky. It was written in 1988 and since then all package sizes have changed, mostly reduced in package size to cut back on cost. I’ve rewritten the recipe to be current, but I want to emphasize how versatile this soup is. If you don’t like lima beans, substitute cannelini beans or leave beans out. My recipe is only a template to vary as you like.

Regardless the veggies you use, the soup is going to taste bland. It has no seasoning. It definitely needs some help. . In comes Mozzarella Pesto with its magic. It is what turns this soup from blah to truly special.

GREEN GARDEN VEGETABLE SOUP WITH MOZZARELLA PESTO
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 1/2 pounds zucchini, sliced
3 cups vegetable broth
1/2-pound fresh asparagus or 1 cup frozen asparagus
1 cup frozen lima beans
1 cup frozen peas
Salt and pepper to taste

 Mozzarella Pesto
1 clove garlic, peeled
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

 1.  To make soup, in a medium soup pot over medium-high heat, heat oil until hot.  Add onion and zucchini and stir-fry one minute.  Cover and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until very soft, 10 to 15 minutes.  Add broth and bring to a boil.

 2.    If using fresh asparagus, snap off tough stem ends, leaving only the tender part of the spears.  Chop spears.   Add asparagus, lima beans and peas to soup.  Simmer, uncovered, for 20 to 25 minutes or until vegetables are soft. 

 3.  Puree the mixture with an immersion blender or in batches in a food processor fitted with the metal blade or in a blender.  Season with salt and pepper.
To make ahead:  Soup may be refrigerated up to 2 days or frozen. 

 5.  To make pesto, in a food processor with the metal blade, process garlic until minced.  Scrape down sides, add basil and process until chopped.  Add cheeses and olive oil and mix until a thick paste is formed. To make ahead: Pesto may be refrigerated tightly covered up to 1 week or frozen.

 6.  To serve, bring soup to a simmer.  Ladle into soup bowls and top each with a spoonful of pesto.  Pass remaining pesto.
Makes 5 to 6 servings.