A colorful soup is just what I love, and this Vegetable Soup au Pistou from Melissa Clark’s “Dinner in French” cookbook is no exception. It features some of summer’s finest goodies – tomatoes, zucchini and string beans (and peas if you are like me and want to just add some in). I know the heat and humidity of summer may not lend themselves to soup dining, but perhaps you will savor this on a cooler summer night.
Pistou is a French mixture of basil, garlic and oil. It is quite similar to its Italian friend, pesto. And in both cases, these sauces can take on a regional inspiration. In this recipe, the pistou is combined with tomato and Parmesan cheese. A little dollop on top of the finished soup goes a long way, and I must say it is ……. magical. It’s like a pop of taste.
This is not an ideal soup to freeze as the pasta is cooked directly in it. Soups freeze better sans pasta.
This dish comes together in less than an hour, and it’s really delightful. Enjoy!
Vegetable Soup au Pistou
Course: SoupCuisine: FrenchDifficulty: Easy6-8
servings25
minutes40
minutesIngredients
- For the soup
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
6 garlic cloves, finely grated or minced
2 medium carrots, diced into 1/4-inch pieces
2 large celery stalks, diced into 1/4-inch pieces
1 large white onion, coarsely chopped
2 tsp. fine sea salt, divided, plus more as needed
1 bay leaf
4 sprigs fresh thyme
4 sprigs fresh parsley
8 ounces green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces (about 2 1/3 cups)
1 medium zucchini, diced into 1/2-inch pieces
1 (15-oz.) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 (14.5-oz.) can diced tomatoes (do not drain)
1 cup small-size pasta, such as shells, ditalini or elbows
Optional: 3/4 cup frozen or fresh shelled peas
- For the pistou
2 cups (about 2 oz.) fresh basil leaves and tender stems
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely grated or minced
1/4 tsp. fine sea salt, plus more as needed
Freshly ground black pepper, as needed
1 ripe plum tomato, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup (2 oz.) grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
- To prepare the soup
- Heat the oil in a large heavy soup pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, carrots, celery, onion and 1/2 tsp. of the salt. Cook, stirring until the onions are just starting to brown at the edges, about 7 minutes.
- Use kitchen twine to tie the bay leaf, thyme sprigs and parsley sprigs together (bouquet garni) and add the bundle to the pot. (Or, you can skip the twine and throw the herbs directly into the pot, though you’ll have to fish them out later.)
- Stir in the green beans, zucchini and another 1/2 tsp. salt; cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until everything is just tender, about 6 minutes. Stir in the cannellini beans, tomatoes and their juices, 4 cups of water, the pasta and another 1 tsp. salt.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the pasta is just al dente (this will vary from 5 to 12 minutes depending on your pasta, so check often.) If using peas, add them and heat through for a few minutes. Remove from heat.
- For the pistou
- Meanwhile, make the pistou. In a food process or blender, blend together the basil, oil, garlic, salt and a large pinch of pepper. Scrape the sides of the container and blend in the tomato and Parmesan. Taste and add more salt if needed. (The Jersey Girl gently mixed the tomato and Parmesan with the basil garlic mixture in a bowl for a sturdier consistency.)
- To serve, remove the bouquet garni (or loose herbs), ladle the soup into bowls, and top them with dollops of the pistou and a drizzle of olive oil.
Please note: The Jersey Girl DOES NOT use as much salt as this recipe calls for. She also used fresh peas in lieu of the string beans.
