Creamy white and morish, this light potato soup could easily be a meal, especially with the protein from the nuts in the pesto. For a “green” change, pistachios have been used rather than pine nuts, adding color and lots of antioxidants.
Ingredients
INGREDIENTS
buttermilk or skim milk
chopped fresh basil
Chopped fresh parsley
Dried Oregano
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Grated parmesan cheese
leek
lemon juice
non-fat chicken stock
olive oil
potatoes
roasted pistachios
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Directions
DIRECTIONS
To make the Pesto, place all of the ingredients except the oil in a blender and process to a coarse paste, scraping down sides.
Add the oil in a stream until the mixture reaches desired consistency, then fold in the cheese. Set aside. This will make more than needed for this recipe – store in a sealed container in the fridge for 1-2 days to use with pasta or over chicken or seafood.
To make the soup, heat the oil in a large saucepan and add leek. Cook on medium heat until leek starts to soften, but not brown.
Add the potatoes, stock and oregano and bring to a boil. Cover and cook until potatoes are tender, 10-15 minutes
Puree soup in blender, adding milk and seasoning to taste.
Return to saucepan to reheat. Spoon soup into bowls, top with the pesto, and give a light swirl with a spoon. Scatter with a few of the extra pistachios.
