crock pot pesto-potato soup with toasted pine nuts

A yummy & quick to put together cool weather recipe. If you don't like pesto, skip that part & then add your favorite potato garnishes such as sour cream, chives, bacon crumbles or shredded cheese as you serve the soup. Serve with a salad & crusty bread. Enjoy!

Pesto-Potato Soup with Toasted Pine Nuts

Ingredients for Soup:

• 2 T olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled & diced
• 6 c. vegetable stock
• salt to taste

Ingredients for Pesto (or buy store bought if you're short on time &/or energy!):

• 2 large garlic cloves, peeled
• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• 2 c. firmly packed basil leaves
• 1/2 t. salt
• freshly ground black papper
• 1/3 c. extra virgin olive oil

Ingredients for Garnish:

• 1/4 c. pine nuts, toasted (careful, they burn easily!)

1. To make the soup, place oil & garlic in a 4-6 qt. slow cooker, cover & cook on High while you prep the potatoes. Once prepped, add potatoes, stock & salt. Cover & cook on Low for 6-8 hours.
2. To make pesto, combine garlic & pine nuts in a food processor or blender. Pulse until coarsely chopped. Add basil, salt & pepper to taste & process until ground to a paste. With the machine running, stream in olive oil through feed tube & process until well blended. Set aside until ready to serve.
3. When potatoes are soft, use an immersion blender to purée the soup right in the slow cooker. Otherwise, purée in batches in a blender or food processor, returning to slow cooker to keep warm. 
4. To serve, ladle soup into bowls, swirl a spoonful or pesto into each serving & garnish with a sprinkling of toasted pine nuts.