Soupe au Pistou

Name: Soupe au Pistou
Yield: makes 4 servings
Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups fresh shell beans, preferably a combination of white, red, and black, or 1/2 cup dried beans, soaked overnight and drained; 2 leeks, white and light green parts only, sliced and well rinsed, or 1 large onion, sliced; 2 carrots, chopped; 2 celery stalks, chopped; 2 potatoes, peeled and chopped; 2 zucchini, chopped; 4 medium tomatoes, cored, seeded, and chopped; 4 garlic cloves, peeled; 2 cups fresh basil leaves; 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more as needed; Salt and black pepper to taste; 1 cup small pasta, like ditalini or capellini, broken into pieces; Freshly grated Parmesan to taste

December 14, 2011

Pistou is a garlic-basil paste almost identical to pesto—the names in fact are the same, just in different dialects. In France it’s used less to dress pasta than to thicken soups while heightening their flavor. Pistou is usually passed at the table so your guests can add as much as they like.

Recipe information

Yield
makes 4 servings

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups fresh shell beans, preferably a combination of white, red, and black, or 1/2 cup dried beans, soaked overnight and drained

2 leeks, white and light green parts only, sliced and well rinsed, or 1 large onion, sliced

2 carrots, chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

2 potatoes, peeled and chopped

2 zucchini, chopped

4 medium tomatoes, cored, seeded, and chopped

4 garlic cloves, peeled

2 cups fresh basil leaves

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more as needed

Salt and black pepper to taste

1 cup small pasta, like ditalini or capellini, broken into pieces

Freshly grated Parmesan to taste

Preparation

Step 1
Place the beans, leeks, carrots, celery, and potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with 7 cups water. Bring to a boil and then simmer, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes. Add the zucchini and 3 of the tomatoes and simmer for another 20 minutes.
Step 2
Meanwhile, pound the garlic and basil in a mortar and pestle or process in a food processor until pasty. Add the remaining tomato and combine until smooth. Slowly add the oil until very well combined and smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
Step 3
Just before serving, add the pasta to the soup and cook until al dente, about 7 minutes. Stir 1 tablespoon of the pistou into the soup and then season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately with the Parmesan and remaining pistou.

The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved. MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.

TagsSoup Soup/Stew Capellini Pasta Ditalini French European Basil Herbs & Spices White Bean Bean and Legume Vegetable Black Bean Tomato Main Dinner Nut Free Vegetarian Easy Simmer Food Processor Cookbooks

Recipe information

Ingredients

Preparation

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Recipe notes