Tomato Bean Soup or Use Up the Food

No joke this is what the inside of my refrigerator looks like most of the times.  It is a mess. 

I have parts and pieces of many things from past dinners or playing around in the kitchen. I also have items that are going to be used for dinner this week as well.  However, the trick is sometimes what do I do with all of it, because I really can't say I have nothing to eat.  I've made it a goal to use up items in our fridge, freezer and pantry.  And I have to say we've been doing a pretty good job.  

So this Saturday lunch looked like this:

My son - leftover pancakes that I stacked with Nutella in the middle and topped with fluff and broiled in  the oven.  A s'more pancake, yes not nutritious, but it tastes really good. 

My daughter: Baked eggs and bits and pieces of veggies.

My husband: poached eggs at 2 pm when he came home from work

Me: Tomato Bean Soup 

I had white bean puré in the fridge that I served with a roast the other night.  I had made the beans in my new Instant Pot, and they are delicious.  I also have garlic scrape pesto that I made in the late summer in my freezer, and I always have a few cans of tomatoes sitting around.  So I started putting things together.

1 T Olive Oil

2 T chopped onion

2 14oz can tomatoes - any kind

1 can of white beans or bean puré

1/2 cup water

2 T or more to taste of pesto

Heat the olive oil in a sauce pan and add the onions. I cook them until they are soft.  Add the tomatoes, beans and water.  Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes or so.  At this point I add the pesto.  If it is frozen I cook the soup until the pesto is dissolved. At this point I take my immersion blender and blend everything.  Taste for salt and pepper.   I also added some chia seeds at the end.  

I served my soup with some Brie and a few crackers.  It made enough for 2; so I had lunch for today.  

Bon Appétit, 

And as always with love from the Midwest,

Beth