Ribollita With Herb Pesto

• Soup:
• 1 1/2 teaspoons extravirgin olive oil
• 2 1/2 cups chopped red onion (l large)
• 1/2 cup chopped carrot (about 1 large)
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 3/4 cups (1/4-inch) cubed Yukon gold potato (about 1 medium)
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage
• 6 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 6 cups stemmed sliced Swiss chard (about 1 bunch)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
• Herb Pesto:
• 1/2 cup chopped basil leaves
• 1/4 cup walnuts, toasted
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 tablespoon extravirgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon hot water
• 1 teaspoon chopped rosemary leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme leaves (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 8 (1-ounce) slices Italian bread, toasted

1. To prepare soup, heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot, and celery; saute 6 minutes or until onion is tender. Add minced garlic; cook 1 minute. Stir in potato and sage. Stir in broth; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Stir in chard; simmer an additional 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and pinto beans. Simmer 5 minutes or until hot. Remove from heat; keep warm.
2. To prepare herb pesto, combine basil and remaining ingredients except bread in a food processor. Process until smooth, scraping the sides with a spatula. Spread 1 1/2 teaspoons pesto over each bread slice. Ladle 1 cup soup into each of 8 bowls. Tuck 1 pesto-topped bread slice into each serving.

extravirgin olive oil, red onion, carrot, celery, garlic, gold potato, fresh sage, chicken broth, swiss chard, salt, freshly ground black pepper, pinto beans, basil, walnuts, flatleaf, extravirgin olive oil, water, rosemary, thyme, lemon juice, salt, freshly ground black pepper, garlic, italian bread

Taken from www.myrecipes.com/recipe/ribollita-with-herb-pesto (may not work)