Potato Parmesan Soup with Pesto

I came across this recipe when searching for ways to use pesto. At first I found it a bit unusual; I would have never thought about adding pesto to potato soup. However, the end result was a rich and creamy soup with a huge pop of personality from the pesto. This, my friends, is not your mama's potato soup (although I'm sure your mama's potato soup is wonderful)! The pesto and Parmesan cheese marry well together. Don't hesitate to sprinkle extra Parmesan cheese on top right before serving. Serve this in a cup as an appetizer or in a bowl as a full meal.


Potato Parmesan Soup with Pesto

Ingredients:
1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 whole medium shallot, diced
1 whole large garlic clove, minced
5 whole medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 bay leaf
1 cup milk
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Salt and pepper, to taste
Pesto

Directions:
In a medium stockpot, drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil and heat to medium. When warm, add shallot and saute until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook for an additional minute. Add potatoes, stock, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil and then simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Add milk and bring back to a low boil. Turn off heat and remove bay leaf. Stir in grated Parmesan. Using an immersion blender, puree soup to desired texture. If you use a blender rather than an immersion blender, make sure soup is cool before blending it to prevent a kitchen explosion. Taste soup at this point and add salt and pepper to taste (the soup should be plenty salty from the Parmesan cheese). If you don't serve immediately, reheat soup before serving.

Place a large dollop (about 1 tablespoon or more) of pesto into each serving bowl and swirl into the soup.

Source: Potato Parmesan soup recipe from Tasty Kitchen