Heat the oil in a large pan and cook the onion and leek over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Add celery, carrot and garlic, then cover and cook for another 5 minutes. Add water, potato, parsnip, kohlrabi or turnip, and green beans. Bring to a boil, lower heat and cover, simmer for 5 minutes. Add peas, zucchini, and small cannellini beans and season to taste. Cover and simmer for about 25 minutes, until all vegetables are tender. Meanwhile make the pesto: Put all ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth, scraping down the sides as necessary. (Alternatively pound together using a pestle and mortar.) Add spinach to the soup and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir a spoonful of the pesto into the soup. Ladle into bowls
and serve the remaining pesto separately.
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