You know when you sort of hit a wall and you don't know what to make? You have a hundred ideas for pizzas to make, but don't really feel like kneading dough, you're brain isn't exactly ripe for making seitan and you have no bread for sandwiches. You definitely don't want to go out to the store... What to make... for free... Out of what you have on hand...
I mean, that kabocha pumpkin has been staring you down for like at least a week and I know it's fun to pick it up and knock on it whenever you get bored... but it's time has finally come. You have peppers for that seitan pie you never made, scallion for dumplings with the leftover seitan you were supposed to make for the pie, a tomato leftover from taco night, and you always have a stockpile of carrots and celery... Oh and basil-- too cheap and beautiful to turn down at the farmer's market. Might have a few open boxes of small pasta for an occasion like so.. And like, what the hell kind of vegan doesn't have white beans somewhere in their pantry? Oh you don't? I mean... go get some forgodssake.
Maybe you have some leftover spinach from this week's green smoothies. And you couldn't possibly fit all those veggies into a soup, so half of them need to go into a salad... and half of the pesto that should go into soup can be turned into a vinaigrette for the salad! Oh yeah, what should I make with these two past-their-prime chinese eggplants? Babaganoush them I guess.. Oh snaps, I have leftover pita.. Work it...
And so then you're all like, whoa I made this ballin' soup without going to the store and actually used up all the things I bought. I made a soup, a salad and a side! It also tasted amazing. So that's a plus. Guys I fed my family without going to the store, and without going to McDonalds! You can do it too! Don't be scared, KZ will help.
Enjoy this instagrammed classic.
Leftover Vegetable Soup with Pesto
1 teaspoon olive oil
3-4 carrots, peeled and sliced diagonally
1-2 bell peppers, medium diced
3-4 cloves garlic, chopped
3 ribs celery, diced
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and diced
1 squash, i used kabocha pumpkin, peeled, diced, and roasted
1 can white beans or chickpeas, rinsed and drained
2/3 cup small pasta
2 bouillion cubes
3 1/2 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
3 scallions,sliced, and/or 1 diced tomato to garnish
Pesto:
2 cloves garlic
2 cups fresh basil
1 cup fresh parsley or cilantro
1/2 cup pine nuts
juice of 1/2 a lemon
3 tablespoons olive oil
pinch salt and pepper
Prep all the veggies you have or want to use.
Heat olive oil over medium high heat in a large soup pot.
Saute the carrots, celery, bell peppers, and jalapeño peppers for about 10 minutes, until all the veggies are nicely softened.
Add chopped garlic and cook for about 1 minute or until fragrant.
If you haven't roasted your squash, that's okay, you'll just have to cook your soup a lot longer. I roasted mine while I prepped all the other veggies and made the pesto. so.. you could do that too?
Drop in your bouillon cubes and mash them up with your stirring utensil. Stir around with the veggies for a minute or two.
Pour in water, salt, squash and white beans. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer. Let a rip for like 20 minutes while you do everything else.
Bring a sauce pot of water to boil. Drop in your small pasta. It will take about 10 minutes. It takes about 10 minutes to make pesto in a blender too, so combine all the pesto ingredients in your blender and blend until a smooth sauce is achieved. Set sauce aside.
Drain your pasta and ladle your soup into bowls. Divide the noodles or pasta amongst the bowls. Sprinkle each bowl with sliced scallions and tomato. Now using a large soup spoon, dollop a big dollop of pesto into the middle of each bowl.
Enjoy!
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