Soupe au Pistou

Soupe au Pistou is the great summer soup of Provence, a generous pot of seasonal vegetables and beans finished at the table with pistou — the Provençal cousin of pesto made from fresh basil, garlic, and olive oil without pine nuts. The soup itself is simple and nourishing; the raw herb paste stirred in at serving is what makes it extraordinary.

Serves: 6

Ingredients

For the soup:

• 2 medium courgettes (zucchini), diced 1cm
• 200g (7 oz) green beans, cut into 3cm pieces
• 2 medium waxy potatoes, peeled and diced 1cm
• 2 medium carrots, diced 1cm
• 400g (14 oz) tin white haricot or cannellini beans, drained
• 400g (14 oz) tin crushed tomatoes
• 100g (3.5 oz) small pasta (vermicelli or ditalini)
• 1.5 litres (6 cups) light vegetable stock
• 1 large leek, sliced
• 2 tbsp (30ml) olive oil
• Salt and black pepper

For the pistou:

• 40g (1.5 oz) fresh basil leaves (large bunch)
• 3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
• 60ml (4 tbsp) good extra-virgin olive oil
• 30g (1 oz) finely grated Parmesan or Pecorino
• Pinch of salt

Instructions

1. Warm the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Sweat the leek and carrots for 5 minutes until softened.
2. Add the potatoes, crushed tomatoes and stock. Bring to a boil, then simmer 10 minutes.
3. Add the green beans, courgette and drained white beans. Simmer 10 more minutes until all vegetables are just tender.
4. Add the pasta and cook a further 8 minutes until al dente. Season generously with salt and pepper.
5. While the pasta cooks, make the pistou: pound or blend the basil, garlic and salt to a rough paste. Stir in the olive oil and cheese.
6. Ladle the hot soup into bowls and add a generous spoonful of pistou to each. Serve with crusty bread.

Cook's Notes: Pistou should be made fresh and added raw — never cook it. The soup is even better the next day once the flavours meld, but add fresh pistou at each serving.