Hearty Vegetable Soup with Pesto

Happy 2011! It's a new year, I suppose this means it is time to eat a little healthier.

                                                      Hearty Vegetable Soup with Pesto

Ingredients 

2 leeks, sliced, white parts only

2 pinches of saffron

2 tbs olive oil 

12oz fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 1in pieces

3 large carrots, peeled and chopped

3 small zucchini, sliced 

2 large tomatoes, seeded and chopped

6 small yellow potatoes, cut into 1 in pieces

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped finely

2 bay leaves 

1 qt vegetable broth

4 cups water

2 cans cannellini (white kidney) beans, drained and rinsed

salt and pepper to taste

pesto, homemade or store-bought  

Directions 

Warm oil in large soup pot over medium-high heat; add the leeks and saffron and cook for about 10

minutes. Add the vegetables, garlic and spices, sauté for about 5 minutes until the vegetable just begin to

soften. Add the broth and water, season with salt. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes. Add the beans and heat for about 5 to 7 more minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Ladle into soup bowls and add a dollop of pesto onto each serving.