Bean and Veggie Pesto Soup

I'm always on the lookout for meals that are healthy and easy. This soup from Rachel Ray is super easy if you already have some pesto in the freezer. I have bunches of basil in the garden this year (one of the few plants the groundhogs and deer didn't eat), so I made three batches of pesto and froze what we didn't eat that night. I still have to make more this week. Once you're familiar with this recipe, it's easy to cut up the veggies as the earlier parts of the soup are cooking. It takes about 30 minutes and is so full of veggies that you really don't need a side dish, though a green salad and some garlic bread would be good.

Bean and Veggie Pesto Soup

1 onion, chopped
1 large potato, chopped
1 zucchini, chopped
1 1/2 cups green beans, fresh or frozen
1 can chickpeas, drained
1 can cannellini beans, drained
6 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 cup thin egg noodles or other pasta
1/2 cup pesto, fresh or frozen

Saute onion in olive oil. Add zucchini and potato and cook until barely soft. Stir in chicken broth and beans. Heat to boiling. Add noodles and green beans and cook until done, about 5-6 minutes (add noodles earlier if they need more time to cook than the green beans). To serve, put pesto in bottom of each bowl, spoon in soup and stir briefly.