Easy Peasy Vegetable Soup

It's unseasonably warm right now in Chicago, walking my Beagle tonight it was a balmy 50 degrees. Regardless it's January in the Midwest which means soup season. I whipped up a batch of vegetable soup tonight and thought I would share the easy recipe.

Ingredients:

1 leek, white and light green bottoms, wash thoroughly to remove sand

1 large carrot

2 celery stalks

Couple of tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

Cup of whole wheat pasta

1 32 oz cartoon of organic vegetable broth

2 cups of water

1 5.5 oz can of tomato juice

2 tablespoons of pesto (you can make with basil from your garden in summer and freeze in ice trays for fall and winter recipes or use store bought pesto, I favor the Trader Joe brand)

Generous dash of salt and pepper

Generous amount of herbs ( I use dried oregano from my garden and fresh parsley)

Additionally you can add any fresh vegetable in the pantry including potatoes, peas, garlic, green beans, tomatoes, etc.

Seriously it's this easy...roughly chop the leek, carrot and celery, throw them in a large pot or dutch oven with the olive oil and cook over low until almost translucent. Throw in the uncooked pasta, cook with vegetables for a couple of minutes until the pasta gets slightly browned. Add vegetable broth, water, tomato juice, pesto, salt, pepper and herbs. Cook until pasta is al dente, taste for additional seasoning. I like to throw in bread cubes I defrost from the freezer for a variety on traditional bread soup. Other toppings, splash of tabasco sauce, grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese or popped popcorn.

Easy peasy. Enjoy.