Soupe au Pistou
Inspired by Julia Child's recipe on page 45 in Mastering the Art of French Cooking. This soupe au pistou celebrates the flavors of the season with fresh basil, garlic, tomato, and other vegetables.
Ingredients
- 3 quarts water
- 2 cups carrots diced
- 2 cups onions diced
- 1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt
- 15.5 oz navy beans drained and rinsed
- 2 cups green beans fresh or frozen, diced
- 1/3 cup dry speghetti broken into 1 inch pieces
- 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1/8 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon saffron threads
Pistou
- 4 cloves garlic crushed
- 4 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1/4 cup basil minced
- 1/2 cup parmesan grated
- 1/3 cup olive oil extra virgin
- 1 French bread rounds, toasted
Instructions
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Bring the water, carrots, potatoes, leeks or onion, and salt to a boil in a large soup pot. Then immediately reduce the heat to a simmer uncovered for 20 minutes. **
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20 minutes before serving the soup, add the can of beans (rinsed), green beans, pasta, bread crumbs, black pepper, and saffron. Simmer for 15 minutes or until the green beans are cooked through. They should be bright green.
Make the Pistou
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While the soup is simmering for the last 15 minutes, make the pistou in the bottom of a soup tureen. Do this by mixing the tomato paste, chopped fresh basil, fresh chopped garlic, grated parmesan cheese, and olive oil until well combined.
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When you are ready to serve the soup, pour 2 cups of the soup into the tomato mixture and stir to combine. This will make sure the pistou is evenly dispersed through the soup.
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Add the rest of the soup to the pistou in the tureen, taste, adjust the seasoning if needed, and enjoy immediately with toasted French bread.
