Summer Minestrone Soup

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cups thinly sliced leek, white and light green parts only (about 2 leeks)
• 1 cup thinly sliced carrot
• 1 cup thinly sliced celery
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 8 cups unsalted chicken stock (such as Swanson)
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can unsalted diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can unsalted cannellini beans, rinsed, drained, and divided
• 2 cups chopped yellow squash
• 2 cups chopped zucchini
• 1 cup chopped red bell pepper
• 1 cup fresh green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1/2 cup uncooked ditalini pasta
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 5 ounces Lacinato kale, stemmed and chopped
• 1/4 cup homemade or refrigerated pesto (such as Buitoni)
• 2 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (about 1/2 cup)

1. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add oil; swirl to coat. Add leek, carrot, celery, and garlic; cover and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally (do not brown). Add tomato paste; cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add stock and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, and simmer 15 minutes.
2. Place 1 cup cannellini beans in a small bowl; mash with a fork. Add mashed beans, remaining cannellini beans, squashes, bell pepper, green beans, pasta, salt, and black pepper to pan. Increase heat to medium; cook 10 minutes. Stir in kale; cook 2 minutes. Place 2 cups soup in each of 8 bowls, or follow freezing instructions. Top each serving with 1 1/2 teaspoons pesto and 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese.
3. How-To
4. FREEZE: Cool soup completely. Freeze flat in a large zip-top plastic freezer bag for up to 2 months.
5. THAW: Microwave soup in bag at MEDIUM (50% power) 5 minutes or until pliable.
6. REHEAT: Pour soup into a large Dutch oven. Cook over medium heat, partially covered, 20 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Serve with pesto and Parmesan cheese.

olive oil, only, carrot, celery, garlic, tomato paste, chicken, tomatoes, beans, yellow squash, zucchini, red bell pepper, fresh green beans, pasta, kosher salt, black pepper, lacinato kale, pesto, parmesan cheese

Taken from www.myrecipes.com/recipe/summer-minestrone-soup (may not work)