Adzuki Bean Minestrone

"You don't have to cook fancy or complicated masterpieces—just good food from fresh ingredients." — Julia Childs

As is often the case, the other night we had lots of ingredients—including pre-soaked Adzuki beans—but no plan. So this is what we made. It was super easy and quite delicious. Pesto makes everything better! Use this recipe as a guideline and feel free to ad lib. Of course, organic ingredients are always preferred.

Ingredients

Soup
2 cups dried Adzuki beans, soaked overnight, then simmered until tender but still al dente
1 bunch carrots with tops (dice the carrots and save the tops for the pesto below)
1 large onion, peeled and diced
2 ribs celery, sliced
5 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
2 cups homemade chicken stock
A few fresh oregano sprigs (or 1 tablesoon dried oregano)
1 cup oven-roasted tomatoes in olive oil (or a small can of whole tomatoes roughly chopped)
2 bunches chard (or kale, arugula, spinach), sliced into ribbons
Olive oil, for cooking

Pesto
 5 cloves garlic, peeled
1/4 cup Parmesan, cubed
Handful of almonds
Half handful of walnuts
1/2 cup olive oil
1 bunch each of basil and carrot tops (or substitute with other leafy greens)
Juice of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

Warm olive oil in a soup pot. Add carrots, onion, celery, and garlic and cook until just softened but the carrots are still a little firm. Add the beans and sauté for a few minutes so they absorb the aromatics. Add a splash of red or white wine if you like. Pour in the stock and more wine or water if needed to reach your desired consistency. Toss in the oregano sprigs and simmer for about 30 minutes or until flavors meld and beans are tender. Just before serving, remove oregano stems and stir in the greens. Simmer a few more minutes until the greens are wilted.

For the pesto, start by pulsing garlic, Parmesan, and nuts in a food processor or blender until a chunky paste forms, adding half of the olive oil as you go to create a malleable mass. Then add the greens, the rest of the olive oil, and lemon juice. Pulse until the greens are incorporated but not completely pulverized. Season with salt to taste.

Serve the soup in bowls topped with a dollop of pesto, swirling it in to incorporate slightly. We placed the pesto on the table so everyone can add more as desired.

Pesto makes everything better—use any leftovers on eggs, pasta, rice, or wherever you want a flavor boost!