Vegetable Gnocchi Soup with Pesto

INGREDIENTS

• For the soup:
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion, minced
• 3 medium carrots, diced
• 3 ribs celery, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
• 2 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes
• 1 1/2 cups fresh green beans, trimmed
• 1 medium zucchini, halved and sliced
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 (16 oz) package potato gnocchi
• 3 cups fresh spinach, roughly chopped
• 1 cup parmesan cheese, for serving
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• For the pesto:
• 1 1/3 cups fresh basil leaves
• 3 tablespoons parmesan cheese, finely grated
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup olive oil

PREPARATION

1. Heat olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, and celery and saute until softened, about 7 minutes. Add garlic and cook 2 minutes more.
2. Add chicken broth, tomatoes, green beans, thyme, oregano, and basil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
3. Add zucchini and reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until veggies are almost fully tender, 12 – 15 minutes.
4. Stir in gnocchi, cover, and simmer until gnocchi are tender, about 4 minutes. Stir in spinach until wilted, just 1 minute.
5. While the gnocchi simmers, make the pesto:
6. In a food processor pulse basil, parmesan, garlic, and salt until well finely chopped. With processor running, slowly pour in olive oil until a loose paste has formed.
7. Serve soup hot with a dollop of pesto and grated parmesan. Enjoy!