Soupe Au Pistou
Submitted by mdwright
Soupe au pistou, a Provencal vegetable soup with white beans, potatoes, pasta, and a fresh basil-garlic-olive oil pistou stirred in at the table. France’s answer to Italian minestrone.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
35 minREADY
60 minSoupe au pistou is the pride of Provence: a hearty vegetable soup loaded with white beans, potatoes, green beans, carrots, and small pasta, finished with a fragrant basil-garlic-olive oil paste stirred in right before serving.
The pistou (France’s cousin of Italian pesto, but without the pine nuts) is what makes this more than just vegetable soup. Blending fresh basil, crushed garlic, chopped tomatoes, oregano, and olive oil into a raw paste, then dissolving it with a ladle of hot broth in the serving tureen, releases all those fresh herb aromas into the soup without cooking them out.
Bacon simmered from the start builds a smoky, savory backbone in the broth. The vegetables go in stages so nothing overcooks: beans and carrot first, then potatoes and green beans, then pasta last.
Chef Tips
- Add the pasta near the end and cook just until done. Overcooked pasta turns the soup starchy and cloudy.
- Drizzle the olive oil into the pistou slowly, like making mayonnaise, for a smooth, emulsified paste rather than a greasy mixture.
- Let the finished soup sit covered for 5 minutes after adding the pistou. This resting time infuses the broth with basil flavor.
- Serve with extra Parmesan at the table and crusty bread for a complete meal.
Variations
- Add a Parmesan rind to the broth while simmering for extra umami depth. Remove before serving.
- Use zucchini or summer squash in place of or alongside the green beans for a more summery version.
- Skip the bacon for a vegetarian version and add an extra splash of olive oil for richness.
Ingredients
Directions
Scald bacon, and place in a stock pot with 3 liters water.
Bring to a boil and add the white beans and carrot. Simmer covered until beans are almost cooked.
Add string beans and potatoes. And continue cooking uncovered over medium heat.
Add pasta and cook until pasta is done. Check seasonings.
In a small bowl blend tomatoes, garlic, basil and oregano and salt and pepper, if desired.
Start adding the olive oil as if for a mayonnaise, alternating with and transfer the tomato mixture to a serving tureen and dissolve it with a little of the boiling soup.
Pour rest of soup into mixture and cover.
Let stand 5 minutes to infuse.
Serve at once.
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