Soupe au Pistou Recipe
Soupe au Pistou is a glorious vegetable-based soup from the south of France and is much simpler than its fancy name portrays.
Servings 6 Servings
Calories 271kcal
Ingredients
- 1 Medium Onion 150g
- 1 Medium Celery Stick 50g
- 1 Medium Carrot 125g
- 2 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 2 Garlic Cloves
- 1 Medium Tomato 125g
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 2 Sprigs Fresh Thyme
- 400 g Tin of Cannellini Beans 14oz
- 1 Litre Vegetable Stock 4 Cups
- ½ teaspoon Black Pepper
- 75 g Small Pasta ½ Cup (I use Macaroni)
- 1 Small Courgette 150g
- 100 g Green Beans ⅔ Cup
For the Pistou:
- 1 Garlic Clove
- 50 g Basil Leaves 1 Packed Cup
- 25 g Gruyere Cheese ¼ Cup (or vegetarian alternative)
- 50 ml Olive Oil 3 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon
- 1 Pinch Black Pepper Be generous
Instructions
- Peel and cut the onion into a 3-4mm (⅛") dice.
- Cut the celery sticks into a dice roughly the same size as the onions.
- Top and tail the carrot, cut it into quarters lengthways and then cut it into 1cm (just under ½") long lengths.
- Heat the olive oil in a 24cm or 10" saucepan over a medium-low heat, add the chopped onion, celery and carrot and give everything a stir.
- Bash the garlic cloves with the side of a knife, remove the paper and throw them in the pan, cook everything for 10 minutes (stirring occasionally) without colouring the vegetables; if they begin to colour, reduce the heat.
- Cut a shallow cross through the skin of the base of the tomato and place it in a bowl, pour over some boiling water and allow it to sit for 5-7 minutes. Then peel off the skin, roughly chop the tomato, and throw it into the pan with the vegetables.
- Throw in the thyme and bay leaf and turn the heat up to medium-high and cook for another 3-4 minutes.
- Drain the beans and add them to the pan along with the vegetable stock, have a taste and as much salt as you see fit, and the black pepper. Simmer on low-medium for 10 minutes.
- Pour the pasta into the pan and cook for 3 minutes.
- Whilst the pasta is simmering, cut the courgette into 1.5cm (½") chunks.
- Top and tail the green beans, then cut them into 1.5cm (½") lengths.
- Add the green beans and courgettes to the soup and cook for another 7-10 minutes or until the pasta is cooked.
- Whilst the soup is finishing, throw all of the ingredients for the pistou into a mini blender and blitz to a rough "paste".
- Serve the soup with the pistou on the side and allow the diner to stir it through the soup at the last minute.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 | Calories: 271kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 4mg | Sodium: 570mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 5g
