Pistou Soup Recipes

Steps:

• Make the pistou: Purée the tomato, basil, parsley and garlic in a food processor. While the machine is running, drizzle in the oil. Add the cheese, and mix well, then transfer to a small bowl.
• Make the soup: In a large, heavy pot over medium heat, add celery, carrot, leek, thyme and olive oil. Season with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the leek is starting to brown, about 10 minutes.
• Add the potatoes and 8 cups water, and bring to a boil, scraping up any bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes, then stir in remaining vegetables and pasta. Cook uncovered until the pasta is al dente and the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.
• Remove the pot from the heat, and stir in about half the pistou. Taste, and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve with the rest of the pistou on the side, spooning it directly into the soup as needed.

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, and cook for 3 minutes. Add the carrot and turnip, and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the water and chicken broth, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, and cook for 10 minutes. Add the potatoes, leek, zucchini and green beans. Simmer for 20 minutes, skimming the surface as necessary.
• While the soup simmers, combine the parsley and basil in a small bowl. Stir in the garlic, tomatoes and olive oil. Set aside.
• Stir the beans and spaghetti into soup. Simmer for 15 minutes longer. Two minutes before serving, stir the tomato mixture, salt and pepper into the soup. Serve hot or at room temperature, but not chilled.

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the leeks and saute just until they start to turn translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and saute about 1 minute more. Add the carrots and celery and continue sauteing until the vegetables deepen in color but have not yet begun to brown, 3 to 4 minutes more. Pour the stock into the pan, bring it to a boil, and reduce the heat to maintain a simmer. Sprinkle in a generous pinch of salt.
• Tie the peppercorns, thyme, and parsley in a square of cheesecloth, securing it with kitchen string. Add this bouquet garni to the pan. Stir in the beans, zucchini, summer squash, and tomato. Continue simmering until the vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the Pistou: Put the garlic and tomatoes in a blender or food processor with about 3 tablespoons of the olive oil. Begin processing. With the machine running, add the basil leaves, and then pour in enough extra-virgin olive oil to make a smooth, thick, but fluid paste. Transfer about 2/3 of the paste into a serving bowl to pass alongside the soup.
• Make the Goat Cheese Croutons: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Brush the bread slices with olive oil and arrange them on a baking sheet. Bake until golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove them from the oven and turn on the broiler. Spread 1 side of each crouton with goat cheese and put it back on the baking sheet. Broil until the cheese is warm and slightly bubbly, about 3 minutes. Set aside.
• When the soup is ready, stir the remaining pistou into the saucepan, ladling some of the hot broth into the blender or processor bowl to swirl and rinse any pesto clinging inside into the pan. Remove and discard the bouquet garni. Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning with a little more salt.
• Ladle the soup into individual heated serving bowls. Float a crouton in the center of each bowl. With a spoon, drizzle a little more pistou over the crouton and soup in each bowl. Serve immediately, passing more pistou alongside for each person to add, to taste.

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the carrots and onion and cook, stirring constantly, until the onion is lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, tomato paste and 1 tablespoon salt and cook 1 more minute. Add 7 cups water, cover and bring to a boil. Uncover, reduce the heat and simmer 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Meanwhile, trim the green beans and zucchini and cut into 1/2-inch pieces. Stir into the prepared broth along with the beans and spaghetti. Simmer until the pasta is al dente, about 10 minutes.
• When ready to serve, whisk 1/3 cup pesto into the soup. Ladle into bowls and top with the remaining pesto. Sprinkle with parmesan and serve with bread, if desired.

Steps:

• For the pistou: Combine the oil, basil, lemongrass and chile in a mortar and pestle or food processor and crush together.
• For the soup: Heat the olive oil in a large pot. Add the garlic and onions and cook gently, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent. Add the tomato puree, bay leaves, carrots, courgettes and thyme and cook until the vegetables are al dente (tender but still a little crunchy), 15 to 20 minutes. Add the boiling water and green beans and return to a boil, and then add the pasta. Cook until the pasta is al dente, 10 minutes.
• Stir in the peas and white beans. Remove the sprig of thyme and the bay leaves, and then add the salt and sugar and black pepper to taste.
• Serve immediately in bowls, with a dollop of Vietnamese pistou on top of the soup.

Steps:

• Drain the white beans and combine with 2 quarts water in a large, heavy soup pot or Dutch oven. Bring to a boil. Skim off any foam, then add half the onion, half the garlic and the bouquet garni. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer 45 minutes. Add salt to taste.
• Heat the olive oil in a heavy skillet, and add the remaining chopped onion and a generous pinch of salt. Cook, stirring, until tender, about five minutes. Add the leeks and remaining garlic. Stir together for a few minutes, and add the tomatoes. Cook, stirring, until the tomatoes have cooked down slightly and the mixture is fragrant, five to 10 minutes. Stir this mixture into the soup pot, add all of the remaining vegetables except the green beans, and bring back to a simmer. Cover and simmer over low heat for 45 minutes to an hour. Taste and adjust the seasonings.
• While the soup is simmering, blanch the green beans for five minutes in salted boiling water. Transfer to a bowl of ice-cold water. Drain and set aside.
• To make the pistou, mash the garlic with a generous pinch of salt in a mortar and pestle. Remove it and set aside. Grind the basil to a paste in the mortar, a handful at a time, then add the garlic back in and mix together well. Work in the olive oil a tablespoon at a time, then stir in the cheese.
• Add the pasta to the simmering soup about 10 minutes before serving, and cook until cooked al dente. Add pepper, taste and adjust salt. Stir the blanched green beans into the soup and heat through. Serve, adding a spoonful of pesto to each bowl for guests to stir in. Pass additional Parmesan for sprinkling.

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large pan and fry the leeks and courgette for 5 mins to soften. Pour in the stock, add three-quarters of the haricot beans with the green beans, half the tomatoes, and simmer for 5-8 mins until the vegetables are tender.
• Meanwhile, blitz the remaining beans and tomatoes, the garlic and basil in a food processor (or in a bowl with a stick blender) until smooth, then stir in the Parmesan. Stir the sauce into the soup, cook for 1 min, then ladle half into bowls or pour into a flask for a packed lunch. Chill the remainder. Will keep for a couple of days.

Steps:

• Make pistou: In the bowl of a food processor, combine basil, pine nuts, garlic clove, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Pulse a few times to combine; with machine running, add 1/2 cup olive oil until mixture is pureed, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl; set aside.
• Make croutons: Preheat broiler. Place baguette slices on a baking sheet, and sprinkle each slice with 1/2 teaspoon Parmesan cheese. Place under broiler, and broil until cheese begins to brown, about 2 minutes. Remove from oven; set aside.
• Make soup: Tie together thyme, parsley, and bay leaf with kitchen twine to make a bouquet garni. In a 6-quart stockpot, heat 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add 1/2 onion, bouquet garni, and 2 garlic cloves; saute until onion begins to soften, about 4 minutes. Add shelled fava beans; cook 2 minutes more. Add 2 cups water and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Reduce heat to low; cover, and simmer gently 30 to 40 minutes. Transfer beans and cooking liquid to a bowl; reserve, and remove garlic and bouquet garni.
• While beans are cooking, bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil; add pasta and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook according to package instructions until al dente. Drain in a colander, and set aside.
• In the same saucepan used to cook the beans, heat remaining 1/4 cup olive oil over medium-high heat. Add remaining 1/2 onion with the carrot, celery, leeks, and fennel, and saute 2 minutes. Add remaining 4 cups water, teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper; cook 5 minutes more. Add peas, zucchini, reserved beans and cooking liquid, and pasta. Bring to a boil, and immediately remove from heat to preserve bright color of vegetables.
• To serve, ladle soup into four shallow bowls, and top each with a few croutons. Drizzle 2 tablespoons pistou into each bowl; garnish with Parmesan cheese.

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large pan and sweat the onion, carrots, celery, fennel, turnip, celeriac and parsnip for 5-10 mins. Pour over 1.6 litres of boiling water, season and simmer for 10-15 mins, until the vegetables are tender. At the last moment add the peas and the beans and cook for a further 1 min. Taste and season with salt and pepper as necessary.
• Meanwhile, make the pesto sauce. Blanch the basil leaves in boiling water for 5 secs, then remove and cool under cold running water. Pat dry and purée all the ingredients in a liquidiser. Taste and season, then reserve. Keep in the fridge until required. When ready to serve, pour the soup into a large, warmed tureen, top with some of the pesto sauce and serve to your guests. Place Parmesan and croûtons on the table so guests may help themselves.