Description
Aromatic vegetable soup served with fresh French basil sauce (pistou). This traditional Provencal soup is hearty, healthy, and packed with seasonal vegetables.
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 tablespoons frying oil
- 1 medium onion
- 1 leek
- 1 celery stalk
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 lb (500g) potatoes
- 1 medium zucchini (12 oz/350g)
- 2 large carrots
- 8 cups (2 liters) water
- 7 oz (200g) green beans
- 1 14 fl oz (400g) can cannellini beans
- 1 cup (120g) green peas
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 4 cups (40g) fresh basil leaves
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/3 cup (50g) grated Parmesan cheese
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2.5 cups (300g) small elbow pasta
Instructions
- Step: Prepare vegetables by cubing potatoes, slicing zucchini, carrots, leeks, and celery, and chopping the onion.
- Step: In a large pot, warm 2 tablespoons of oil over low heat. Add onions, leeks, and thyme; cook for 8 minutes, then transfer to a plate.
- Step: Increase heat, add remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to the pot, and brown the zucchini, potatoes, carrots, and celery for 3 minutes.
- Step: Return the onion mixture to the pot, add 8 cups of water, and cook over low heat for 15 minutes.
- Step: Add green beans and simmer for 8 minutes.
- Step: Add green peas and cannellini beans; simmer for 2 more minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- Step: Prepare the pistou by pulsing basil, garlic, salt, and Parmesan in a food processor, then whisking in the olive oil.
- Step: Serve the soup in bowls with separately cooked pasta and a spoonful of pistou swirled in just before eating.
Notes
Store the soup, pasta, and pistou separately to prevent the pasta from becoming soggy. The pistou can be kept in the refrigerator for up to a week if covered with a thin layer of olive oil.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Boiling
- Cuisine: French
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 470 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 580 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 62 g
- Fiber: 9 g
- Protein: 16 g
- Cholesterol: 10 mg
Keywords: pistou, vegetable soup, french soup, provencal, healthy, vegetarian, summer recipe