Soupe au Pistou

Nutrition · per serving

Steps

1. 1

   Prepare all the vegetables before you start cooking: finely dice the onion, carrot, zucchini, potato, and tomato into small even pieces so they cook at the same rate. Finely chop the garlic and pick the basil leaves. Bring the vegetable stock and water together in a jug or saucepan so they are ready to add.

   80 g onion, finely diced100 g carrot, diced small150 g zucchini, diced small180 g potato, peeled and diced small150 g ripe tomato, diced2 garlic cloves25 g fresh basil leaves800 ml vegetable stock200 ml water
2. 2

   Heat 1 tsp olive oil in a medium soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion and carrot and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring often, until the onion turns translucent without browning. Gentle sweating builds sweetness while keeping the soup light.

   1 tsp olive oil80 g onion, finely diced100 g carrot, diced small
3. 3

   Add the zucchini, potato, and tomato. Stir for 2 minutes so the vegetables are coated and the tomato starts to break down slightly.

   150 g zucchini, diced small180 g potato, peeled and diced small150 g ripe tomato, diced
4. 4

   Pour in the vegetable stock and water, then add the white beans, 4 g salt, and black pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a steady simmer and cook uncovered for 15 minutes, or until the potato and carrot are just tender when pierced with a knife.

   800 ml vegetable stock200 ml water240 g cooked white beans, drained4 g fine salt1 g black pepper
5. 5

   While the soup simmers, make the pistou. Using a mortar and pestle or by finely chopping and crushing with the side of a knife, work the garlic with 1 g salt into a paste. Add the basil leaves and crush to a coarse green paste, then stir in 2 tsp olive oil. Keep it fresh and uncooked; the raw basil aroma is the signature of the dish.

   2 garlic cloves1 g fine salt25 g fresh basil leaves2 tsp olive oil
6. 6

   Add the pasta to the simmering soup and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the pasta is tender but not mushy. If the soup thickens too much, add a splash of hot water.

   60 g small pasta (ditalini or small macaroni)
7. 7

   Take the pot off the heat and let the soup stand for 2 minutes. Stir in half of the pistou for fragrance throughout the broth, then taste and adjust seasoning if needed.

8. 8

   Ladle the soup into warm bowls and spoon the remaining pistou on top just before serving. Swirl it in at the table for the brightest basil flavor.

Origin & History

Soupe au Pistou comes from Provence in the south of France, where summer vegetables, beans, and basil are abundant. The word pistou refers to the raw garlic-and-basil paste related to Italian pesto, though traditionally it contains no pine nuts. It is a homely seasonal soup, often made in late summer with whatever vegetables are freshest.