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1
Rinse the beans and pick out debris. Soak the beans for 4-6 hours or overnight in filtered water. The beans should be covered by 1-2 inches of water. If you forget, no big deal. The beans will just take a little longer to cook.
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2
Saute the pancetta in a little olive oil over medium heat in a large dutch oven or stock pot until crisp. Remove the pancetta with a slotted soup and set aside.
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3
Turn the heat up to medium high and add the onions, celery, diced carrot, and garlic to the pancetta drippings. Saute approximately 8-10 minutes until soft.
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4
Drain the beans, reserving the liquid. Add enough chicken stock to the bean liquid so you have 8 cups of liquid. Add the combined liquid, beans, parmesan rinds, and chili powder to the pot. The chile powder adds a beautiful color and a light background flavor.
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5
Bring to a boil and hard boil for five minutes. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the beans they are just about cooked through and soft. It took me about 2 hours but it really depends upon your beans. If your liquid is evaropating too fast or you prefer a more brothy soup, add more stock or partially cover the pot.
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6
Add salt to taste (I used 1 TB but it depends upon the salt content of your stock), the carrot coins and simmer for 10 minutes. Then add the green beans, zucchini, and squash and simmer until cooked through, 5-10 minutes.
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7
Turn the heat to low and add the spinach and lemon juice. Cover until the spinach is just wilted. Season to taste with salt and lots of pepper.
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8
Serve topped with a dollop of the pesto and a sprinkling of the pancetta bits if your piggly wiggly husband hasn't already sneaked all the pancetta bits when you weren't looking!
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9
Pulse all the ingredients in a food processor until coarsely blended. Start with 3 TB olive and add more if need to combine. Season to taste with salt
