Soupe Au Pistou

Soupe au Pistou pronounced "soup-oh-pea-stoo" is a traditional vegetable soup from the South of France. Filled with many vegetables and a little bit of pasta, this unique tasting soup is so incredibly delicious, full of amazing flavors! Pistou is a nut-free pesto, so if you love garlic and basil, you'll love this recipe!

5 from 5 votes

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Prep Time 25

Cook Time 55

Total Time 1 20

Course Main Course

Cuisine French

Servings servings

Calories 263 kcal

Equipment

1 large pot with lid such as dutch oven
wooden spoon
1 blender or food processor

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
½ yellow onion finely chopped, about ½ cup
1 medium leek finely chopped, about ½ cup. White part only.
2 stalks celery finely chopped, about ½ cup
2 carrots sliced or chopped, about 1 cup
1 teaspoon fresh thyme chopped
salt to taste
black pepper to taste
8 cups vegetable broth or chicken broth
1 15.5 oz can crushed tomatoes divided: reserve 3 tablespoons of it to make pistou
1-2 bay leaf dried
1 cup green beans chopped into 1" pieces
1 potato chopped into bite size pieces, about 1 cup
1 15.5 oz can cannellini beans or great northern beans, rinsed and drained
1 zucchini chopped into bite size pieces, about 1 cup
⅓ cup pasta uncooked, macaroni or any of choice

For the Pistou (nut-free pesto)

1 ½ cups fresh basil about a large handful fresh leaves
3 tablespoons reserved crushed tomatoes from can
5-6 cloves garlic
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup freshly grated parmesan
1 pinch salt more or less to taste
1 pinch black pepper more or less to taste

Instructions

In large pot, heat up olive oil over medium high heat. Once hot, add chopped onion, leek, celery and carrots. Sprinkle generously with salt, pepper and chopped thyme, cook for about 6 minutes, stirring often with wooden spoon.
Once the veggies are cooked down a bit, add broth and crushed tomatoes (don't forget to save 3 tablespoons for the pistou) and bay leaf to the pot. Bring to a low boil, then reduce heat to medium to medium-low, add lid to pot and simmer for about 15 minutes.
After 15 minutes, add green beans, cover pot and cook for about 10 minutes.
Then add chopped potatoes, zucchini, the can of cannellini beans. Cover and let simmer on medium-low for another 8-10 minutes.
Then add uncooked pasta, leave the lid off and cook until cooked, about 10 to 15 minutes or until fully tender.
While soup continues cooking, prepare the pistou (nut-free pesto). In blender or food processor, add olive oil, garlic cloves, 3 tablespoons of reserved tomatoes from can, basil and parmesan and pulse until all combined. *You can add a little more oil if necessary or a tablespoon of the soup broth if not blending well..
Once pasta is fully cooked, add 3 tablespoons of pistou to soup, and mix it in. Adjust salt and pepper. Remove soup from heat, serve in bowls, you can add a little more pistou to taste, and sprinkle with fresh grated parmesan. Enjoy!

Notes

Pistou: if you want a shortcut, you could use pre-made pesto instead of making the pistou from scratch. They're not exactly the same but very similar in taste.
Pasta: Don't put too much pasta or they'll absorb all the broth. You can use gluten-free pasta if you wish.
If soup feels too thick, add a little water or more broth.

*The nutritional values shown in this recipe are approximate for one suggested serving size using the ingredients listed but not including any optional items and may vary per actual preferred portion sizes.

Nutrition

Keywords comfort food, french classic, french food, soup season, soupe au pistou

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