New Year's Eve Dinner

It was chilly (!) here on the last day of 2014. We decided on a hearty soup and a crusty bread for dinner. The soup was made mostly following a recipe from The Soup Bible, on page 172. The flavor was juuuust right. I'll be making it again fosho.

Chunky Bean and Vegetable Soup, from The Soup Bible, edited by Debra Mayhew

Ingredients: 
2 TBS olive oil
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 leeks, sliced
3 carrots, sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1.25 quarts of vegetable stock
1 (14oz) can of tomatoes (+/- basil)
1 (14oz) can of cannellini beans
1 TBS pesto
salt n pepper

Directions:
1. Heat olive oil in a large pot. Add celery, leeks, carrots, and garlic. Cook slowly until soft (5-10 minutes). 2. Stir in tomatoes and stock. Bring to a boil. lower the heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. 3. Stir in the beans and pesto. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Heat through for at least 5 minutes. Voila. (May be served with Parmesan cheese on top).

And the bread? Dudes. This was good crusty-on-the-outside bread, and by far the easiest I've ever made.  No kneading. It only rises once. I used parchment paper. It's done in less than 2 hours . . I was a bit incredulous when I read the recipe, but: it worked out perfectly. We ate it with garlic butter and the soup. http://sharemykitchen.com/recipes/my-recipes/breads-buns-and-pastry/quick-crusty-bread/