Provencal Vegetable Soup

Well, the holidays are over and my body is screaming for some vegetables.  I got Dorie Greenspan's new cookbook "around my french kitchen" this week and this soup looked perfect.  Not to mention, we are expecting a big snow storm.  Warm soup, crusty bread, cold weather......perfect!  This soup was super easy to make and it tastes like heaven.   I figure a couple of days of this soup and I will be ready for sugar again.  LOL.

Provencal Vegetable Soup

around my french table

Dorie Greenspan

2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 large onion, finely chopped

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

Salt and pepper

6 cups vegetable broth, chicken broth or water

3 parsley sprigs

2 thyme sprigs

1 rosemary sprig

1 bay leaf

2 slender carrots, trimmed, peeled, cut into 1/2 inch half-moons

1 small potato, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes

1/3 cup small pasta (elbow, fusilli, or mini penne)

1/4 lb green beans, cut into 1 1/2 inch lengths

1 cup rinsed canned chickpeas or cannellini beans

1 medium zucchini, cut into 1/2 inch half-moons

2 medium tomatoes, cut into cubes or cherry tomatoes, cut into cubes, or one can petite diced tomatoes drained.

1 ear fresh corn, kernels sliced off

Basil pesto for serving

Pour the olive oil into a large casserole --- a stock pot or a Dutch oven that holds at least 5 quarts -- and warm it over medium heat.  Add the onion and garlic, season fairly generously with salt (about 3/4 tsp), pepper (1/4 tsp), lower the heat, and cook, stirring, until the onion is soft, about 10 minutes.  Add the broth or water and herbs and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes

Stir in the carrots and potato and cook for 10 minutes.  Add the pasta and cook for 10 minutes, then stir in the beans (green and canned) and zucchini and cook for 10 minutes more.  (This is not a soup in which any of the vegetables should be crunchy.)  Finally, add the tomatoes and corn kernels and cook for 3 minutes more.

Finish the soup with some pesto, drizzle a little good olive oil and scatter the fresh basil over the top.