Italian Vegetable Soup With Beans, Spinach & Pesto - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, cut into small dice
3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced 1/4-inch thick
3 medium celery stalks, sliced 1/4-inch thick
1 medium bell pepper (red or yellow), stemmed, seeded and cut into medium dice
1 pound all-purpose potatoes, unpeeled and cut into medium dice
1 (16 ounce) can petite diced tomatoes
2 (15.5 ounce) cans cannellini or other white beans, undrained
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth in can or carton
7 ounces loosely packed baby spinach
1 cup frozen green peas
Salt and ground black pepper
Prepared pesto (found in grocer's refrigerated section)

Preparation

Heat oil in a soup kettle over medium-high flame. Add onions, and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Add carrots, celery, peppers, potatoes, tomatoes, bean and chicken broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until vegetables are just tender, about 15 minutes. Add spinach and peas; continue to simmer until spinach wilts, 3 to 4 minutes longer. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls, adding a spoonful of pesto to each serving of soup.
For lunch, pack soup in separate leakproof containers. Warm soup in microwave and top with pesto.