Chicken Minestrone with Basil Pesto

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, diced small
• 3 ribs celery, diced small
• 3 medium carrots, diced small
• 2 small zucchini, diced small
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
• Black pepper, to taste
• 1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed, or 1 1/2 cups cooked white beans
• 1 can whole San Marzano tomatoes, with juices
• 6 cups chicken stock or water
• 1/2 cup small pasta, such as small shells, ditalini, or ancini di pepe,
• 2 handfuls green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch lengths
• 3 cups cooked, shredded chicken
• 1 cup pesto, homemade or store-bought

Directions

1. Set a large soup pot on the stove over medium heat, then warm the oil. Add the onion, celery, carrots, zucchini, and 1/2 teaspoon salt, and sauté, stirring now and then, for 5 minutes, until the vegetables are just beginning to soften.
2. Tip the tomatoes and their juices into a bowl. Use a potato masher, a dinner fork, or your hands to break them down into small pieces.
3. Add the beans, the crushed tomatoes, and the stock or water to the pot, then bring everything to a simmer. Let it cook for about 8 minutes. Stir in the green beans and the pasta, and keep cooking for 8 to 10 minutes, until the pasta is tender. Add the shredded chicken and cook for another minute, until the soup is heated all the way through.
4. Taste, then season with more salt and black pepper as needed. If the pesto is not ready yet, make it while the soup is simmering.
5. Spoon the soup into bowls and finish each serving with a few spoonfuls of pesto.