Soupe au Pistou (Soupe au pistou)
Overview
Soupe au pistou is a summer vegetable soup from Provence, finished with a fragrant paste of basil, garlic and olive oil. Fresh white and red beans, green beans, courgette, potato, carrot and tomato are simmered in water until tender, and a handful of small pasta is cooked in the pot at the end. Just before serving, a generous spoon of pistou is stirred into each bowl, turning the broth green-flecked and bright with basil. Grated Parmesan or aged Gouda-style cheese is often added. It is eaten warm or at room temperature.
History
The soup belongs to the cooking of Nice and the Provençal coast and is closely related to Ligurian minestrone with pesto across the Italian border. Pistou is the Provençal word for pounding, and unlike Genoese pesto it is traditionally made without pine nuts. Families prepare large pots in late summer when beans and basil are at their best. Many cooks say the soup tastes even better the next day.
Main ingredients
White and red beans, green beans, courgette, potato, small pasta, basil pistou. The soup is built on water and is usually served hot. Diet: vegetarian; not usually gluten-free.
Explore: Bean soups · Potato soups · More soups from France
Recipe outline serves 4 · ~85 min
Ingredients
- 200 g fresh white beans and 200 g fresh red beans (or tinned)
- 150 g green beans, 2 courgettes, 2 potatoes, 1 carrot
- 2 tomatoes
- 80 g small pasta
- 1 large bunch basil, 3 garlic cloves, 100 ml olive oil
- Parmesan to serve
Allergens: Contains: Gluten, Milk. Based on the typical recipe. Recipes and products vary; always check labels if you have an allergy.
Method
- Simmer the beans in 2 l salted water for 30 minutes.
- Add the diced potatoes, carrot, courgettes, green beans and tomatoes and cook for 20 minutes.
- Add the pasta and cook until tender.
- Pound basil, garlic and salt with olive oil into a pistou.
- Stir a spoon of pistou into each bowl and serve with cheese.
Sources
Description, history and recipe written by SoupWiki and checked against the sources above. Calories and times are rough estimates.
