Minestrone Verde

The weather is still a bit unpredictable here. I find myself always being over or under-dressed for it. It doesn't help that we live literally by the ocean and it's a lot cooler here than it is out in town. So, I've found myself on more than one occasion bundling up in a coat only to sweat my butt off while out running errands. Then I come home and it's cold again. Needless to say, our dinners this past week have ranged from soups to BBQ. I'm not complaining though. I could be in NY under a foot of snow. So, I mean, there's always that.

One of my favorite food blogs is Joanne's Eat Well With Others. I've made a few of her recipes and have loved them. So when I saw that she made this soup with a pesto twist, I was all on board. I LOVE pesto. Heck, I love the color green. No, I'm serious. I own a lime green car. So, she totally got me with this minestrone verde recipe. Like everything I've tried from her site, this recipe did not disappoint. The best part of this whole recipe is that it's all made in ONE POT! Gah. I love easy recipes with an even more easier clean-up.

recipe adapted from Eats Well With Others

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 leeks, clean and thinly sliced (white and light green parts only)
• salt and black pepper, to taste
• 2 medium zucchini, trimmed, quartered lengthwise, and cut horizontally into wedges
• 6-7 cups vegetable broth, divided
• 1 lb small pasta
• 2 cups frozen peas
• 5 oz baby kale or spinach
• ½ cup pecorino romano (look for vegetarian cheese w/o rennet in it)
• ½ cup basil pesto

1. In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the leeks and salt to the pan and saute, stirring frequently, until tender and translucent, about 5 minutes.
2. Stir the zucchini into the pot and season again with salt and black pepper. Saute until soft but not yet falling apart, stirring frequently, about 10 minutes.
3. Pour the broth into the pot and bring to a boil.
4. Stir in the pasta and return to a boil. Lower heat to a simmer and let cook for 1-2 minutes. Stir in the peas and kale. Continue to simmer until pasta is al dente. Remove from the heat and stir in the pecorino romano. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
5. Divide among serving bowls topped with dollops of the pesto.