Ranger Pale Ale and Garden Vegetable Soup with Basil Pesto

Spring has come but things haven't quite warmed up yet. We're still dealing with the 60'sand 70's here in LA and after a non-existent summer last year, I'm ready for some heat. While we wait, this is a delightful spring soup that ties the seasons together.

This vegetarian soup can use either Great Northern or Cannellini beans to give it some girth and the blast of pesto adds a vibrant touch that ties it all together. It may require some chopping and prep work but once that is done, assembly is easy and you can scale the recipe up to feed Napoleon's army of keep some for another rainy day in the freezer.

We were approached by Foodbuzz's Tastemaker program to come up with something that pairs well with the beers from New Belgium Brewing Company. We jumped on the idea - New Belgium is one of our favorites and on any given day, you'll have a good chance of finding one of their Folly Packs (a variety of different brews) in our fridge.

Garden Vegetable Soup with Basil Pesto

Soup:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
3 medium carrots, sliced
3 celery stalks, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 fennel bulbs, chopped
2 zucchini, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
5 medium tomatoes (or 2 cans chopped tomatoes), peeled and chopped
2 quarts vegetable stock (homemade or store bought)
2 cups cooked cannellini beans (fresh or canned)
salt and pepper, to taste

Basil Pesto Garnish:

2 cups fresh basil leaves
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 cup-3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions:

In a large stockpot, heat olive oil over medium heat and sauté onions, carrots and celery seasoned with a little salt and pepper for 2-3 minutes. Add in garlic, fennel, zucchini and red bell pepper and continue to sauté for an additional 3 minutes. Add in tomatoes and cook until tomatoes break down, about 3-5 minutes.

Pour in vegetable stock and bring up to a boil, turn down heat and let simmer until vegetables are almost cooked through, about 10-15 minutes. Add in beans and continue to simmer until beans are warmed through. Taste soup for seasonings and add additional salt and pepper as necessary. Ladle warm soup into bowls and garnish with a tablespoon of basil pesto.

To make pesto: In a food processor or blender add basil, garlic, and pine nuts and pulse until finely chopped. With the motor running slowly pour in olive oil until everything is incorporated. Stir in parmesan cheese and taste for seasonings. Add in salt and pepper as necessary.