Greens, Beans and Pesto Soup

A delicious bowl of pesto soup full of goodness, that is light and simple, making it a perfect lunch idea all year round.

This is a really straightforward, lighter soup that with minimal effort gets my family eating plenty of green goodness in one meal. Even better it also seems to suit everyone’s tummies. We like our served with a warm piece of toast covered in butter for a deliciously filling lunch.

I don’t know about you but my vegetable drawer has often got random leftovers rolling around in it and soup is one of those brilliant recipes that can use up all those little bits and pieces. This soup is great for using up any of your left-over bits of leafy greens, courgettes, beans and even broccoli, so feel free to mix and match any green veggies in this recipe.

Greens and beans are real health superheroes, so the more we can get into our everyday eating the more our bodies will thank us for it. They deliver essential vitamins and minerals as well as being high in fibre and low calorie, which will help fill us up for longer.

The Pesto adds an extra creaminess to this soup which my family love. Try finishing with some extra parmesan or a splash of chilli sauce for another added flavour kick.

What you will need for the Greens, Beans and Pesto Soup :

• Olive oil
  • One of my favourites
  • Rich in healthy monounsaturated fats
• Spring onions
  • Offering a slightly lighter flavour than onions in this soup
• Celery
  • Offers a delicate flavour brilliant in stocks, casseroles and soups
• Courgette
  • One of my favourite green veggies
  • They are nutrient-dense, which means they contain a wealth of essential nutrients
• White Beans
  • A store cupboard staple as they are a great source of protein, fiber, are low GI and low in saturated fat
  • Also brilliant for cheaply bulking out any dish
  • I used cannelini and butter beans
• Green Lentils
  • Great for adding an extra protien and fiber punch
  • Also another versatile ingredientt for bulking out stews, sauces and soups
• Vegetable Stock cubes
  • Basis of any great soup
• Cabbage
  • Packed with nutrients and great for digestion
• Green beans
  • I always keep green beans in the fridge as they are so verstaile
• Pesto
  • A store cupboard staple
  • Adds a lovely creaminess to this soup

Diabetes Note

A no-carb count soup, well almost, that is perfectly filling but even better with some crusty bread for soaking up the delicious broth.

The only ingredient that you may want to count for is the pesto. Obviously, the carb count varies depending on the one you use and how much you like to add. Based on the pesto I used the Net Carb Count amount was below 1g per serving. However, as always you know best what you need to count for.

Greens, Beans and Pesto Soup

A delicious bowl of goodness that is light and simple, making it a perfect lunch idea all year round.

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Cuisine: SoupDifficulty: Easy

Cook Mode

Keep the screen of your device on

Servings

6

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

30

minutes

Net Carbs

1g

Total time

40

minutes

Ingredients

• Big glug cooking oil such as Rapeseed or Olive

• 5 medium spring onion, finely chopped

• 2 sticks celery , finely chopped

• 1 large courgette, spiralised or grated

• 50 g green lentils

• 2 Cans tinned white beans in water drained,
  e.g. cannellini or butter

• 2 Cubes vegetable stock

• 200 g leafy greens like cabbage or kale, thinly sliced

• 100 g green beans, chopped

• 75 g green pesto

Directions

• Heat a good glug of olive oil in a large saucepan, add the spring onions and celery. Place a lid on the pan and gently sweat the vegetables for around 10 minutes.
• When the vegetables are softened add the vegetable stock with around 1.2 litres of boiling water and stir well to dissolve the cubes.
• Tip in the drained beans and green lentils. Simmer on a low heat for 15 minutes.
• Add the kale or cabbage and green beans. Bring to a simmer and cook for a further 5 minutes
• Remove from the heat, add in your spiralised courgette, season well and stir through the pesto.
  Finish with some extra parmesan or a splash of chilli sauce.

Tips and Notes

• You can use a combination of kale and cabbages if you prefer or any green vegetables you have leftover.
• If you would like to add meat to this recipe, you could always tear up some boiled chicken breast and warm it through in the broth when you add the cabbage
• Finish with some extra parmesan or a splash of chilli sauce.
• Diabetes Note – The only ingredient that you may want to count for is the pesto. Obviously, the carb count varies depending on the one you use and how much you like to add-in. So as always you know best what you need to count for.

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