Veggie Soup Recipe w/Pesto

Last night my husband and I made this and we really enjoyed it - it even made enough to freeze for a whole other meal!

Veggie Soup with Pesto

Ingredients ::

1/2 cup dried cannelloni beans
salt
 2 tablespoon coconut oil
 3 yellow onions diced
4 carrots peeled and sliced
2 parsnips peeled and sliced
4 celery stalks, diced
1 can diced tomatoes drained
8 cups veggie broth
5 red potatoes
2 cups frozen green beans
4 zucchini cut in half and sliced
4 cups rainbow chard stemmed and sliced
1/4 lb spiral brown rice pasta
pepper
1 cup pesto (see recipe on bottom of page)

Rinse and drain cannelloni beans - put in saucepan w/ water to cover and bring to boil over high heat, boil for 2 mins and then let stand for 1 hour.  Drain, and put fresh water in - bring to boil - cover and let simmer for 1 hour.  Add salt to taste during the last 15 mins - drain and remove from heat and set aside.
Saute onions in your oil - about 8 - 10 mins in a large soup pot.  Add the carrots, parsnips, and celery and stir for about 5 mins.  Then add your tomatoes and stock reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 mins.
Add potatoes and cook for about 10 mins,  Add beans, green beans, zucchini, chard, and pasta during the last 10 mins of cooking - serve with the pesto and Parmesan cheese!

Pesto  ::
2 cups firmly packed basil leaves
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
1 cup olive oil
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

In food processor combine basic, garlic, nuts, pepper and 1/2 cup oil.  Pulse or blend to form coarse paste.  With motor running add as much oil as need to form a thick puree.  Add cheese and process briefly to mix!