Soupe au Pistou
The Quirky Foodster Team
Ingredients
- Potatoes, diced — 2
- Courgettes, diced — 2
- Tomatoes, chopped — 2
- Green beans, chopped — 1 cup (100 g / 3.5 oz)
- Cooked white beans — 1 cup (170 g / 6 oz)
- Small pasta — 1/2 cup (60 g / 2 oz)
- Water or vegetable stock — 6 cups (1.4 litres / 48 fl oz)
- Fresh basil leaves — 2 cups (40 g / 1.5 oz)
- Garlic — 3 cloves
- Olive oil, divided — 1/2 cup (120 ml / 4 fl oz)
- Grated Parmesan — 1/2 cup (50 g / 1.75 oz)
- Salt and pepper — to taste
Method
- Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large pot and add the potato, courgette, tomato and green beans.
- Add the water or stock and bring to a boil, then simmer for 20 minutes.
- Add the white beans and pasta, and cook for a further 10–12 minutes until the pasta is tender.
- Meanwhile, pound or blend the basil, garlic and remaining olive oil into a smooth, vibrant pistou.
- Season the soup with salt and pepper.
- Stir a generous spoonful of pistou into each bowl of soup just before serving, with grated Parmesan on the side.
Introduction: A hearty summer vegetable soup finished with a fragrant basil and garlic pistou, a Mediterranean classic shared across Monaco and the Riviera.
Cultural Background: Soupe au pistou celebrates the peak of summer produce, its bright basil paste stirred in at the end reflecting the same tradition as Italian pesto just across the nearby border, adapted into a beloved vegetable soup along this stretch of coast.
Tips: Add the pistou at the very end of cooking, off the heat, to preserve its bright colour and fresh flavour. Use good-quality olive oil for the pistou, as its flavour carries the dish.
Variations: Add diced carrot or leek along with the other vegetables. Use different small pasta shapes according to preference.
Storage: Refrigerate the soup (without pistou) in an airtight container for up to 3 days; store pistou separately.
Reheating: Reheat the soup gently on the stovetop; stir in fresh pistou just before serving.
Nutrition: Per serving (approx.): 320 kcal, 10 g protein, 16 g fat, 36 g carbohydrate.
FAQs:
Q: Is pistou the same as pesto?
A: They are closely related, though traditional pistou typically omits
Q: Can this soup be made vegetarian?
A: Yes, it’s naturally vegetarian when made with vegetable
- Potatoes, diced — 2
- Courgettes, diced — 2
- Tomatoes, chopped — 2
- Green beans, chopped — 1 cup (100 g / 3.5 oz)
- Cooked white beans — 1 cup (170 g / 6 oz)
- Small pasta — 1/2 cup (60 g / 2 oz)
- Water or vegetable stock — 6 cups (1.4 litres / 48 fl oz)
- Fresh basil leaves — 2 cups (40 g / 1.5 oz)
- Garlic — 3 cloves
- Olive oil, divided — 1/2 cup (120 ml / 4 fl oz)
- Grated Parmesan — 1/2 cup (50 g / 1.75 oz)
- Salt and pepper — to taste
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