Minestrone Soup with Pesto

This is very close to Olive Garden style Minestrone soup.I am not sure if Olive Garden's soup has pesto in it but the pesto just takes the soup to an entirely different level in terms of the flavor.If you dont like pesto or for some reason allergic to pine nuts or nuts in general , you can always avoid it.I simmer the ingredients for half hour in Veg Broth (Could always use Broth of your choice) and I serve it with Rosemary & Olive Oil Bread (That I got from Wegmans)

6 Cups of Vegetarian Broth
3 garlic cloves, sliced vertically
1 Big Yellow Onion, chopped
1 can of 14 1/2 ounce of crushed/diced tomatoes
2 celery stalks, diced
2 carrots, chopped/cubed
2 Zucchini, peeled, chopped
1 cup of Fresh Spinach, chopped
1 can of Canellini beans
1/2 can of Kidney Beans
2 red potatoes, peeled, cubed
1 cup seashell pasta
1 tablespoon of dried thyme
2 tbsps of Basil pesto
Salt and Pepper

• Heat 2 tbsps of Olive Oil.Saute the chopped onions until soft
  
• Add garlic, celery and carrots and cook till tender
• Add the spinach and cook for 5 min
  
• In the meantime, bring a pot of water with some salt to a boil.Add Pasta and cook till tender about 8 to 10 min.Drain the water in a colander.
• Stir in the Thyme and Pesto
  
• Now, add the beans, zucchini, and potatoes along with the tomatoes
• Pour in the broth and stir all the contents once before you bring it to a boil.
• Cook until potatoes are soft.
• Simmer it for about half hour or so and then add the pasta
• Season with parmesan cheese and serve immediately.
  

Ciao,
Shri