Soupe au Pistou - A Wonderful Provençal Soup

Soupe au Pistou is a delicious Provençal vegetable soup. "Pistou" is the French word for Pesto alla Genovese, a basil sauce which originated in Genoa, Italy. The pistou is made separately from the soup and mixed in with the soup when it is served. The main difference between Genoan pesto and the Provençal pistou is that the latter does not have pine nuts.

We served this dish as one course in a French meal we had with friends. 

The recipe I used was an Ina Garten recipe which I found on Food Network (http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/provencal-vegetable-soup-recipe.html) It is very easy to make, but takes a bit of time. The original recipe states that it yields 6 - 8 servings. I followed the original recipe closely, and it yielded 10 generous servings.

The recipe below is divided into two parts - one for the soup and one for the pistou.

Soup Ingredients

- 2 tablespoons good olive oil
- 2 cups chopped onions - 2 onions (One large onion did the trick for me.)
- 2 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts - 2 to 4 leeks (I only need 1 & 1/2 large leeks. It is important to wash leeks carefully because they can easily hold sand. There are on-line videos showing how to do this.)
- 3 cups of 1/2-inch-diced, unpeeled boiling potatoes - 1 pound (Boiling potatoes are potatoes such as red potatoes or Yukon gold. It took me 3 medium potatoes)
- 3 cups of 1/2-inch diced carrots - 1 pound (about 13-14 ounces was what I needed for 3 cups.)
- 1 & 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3 quarts homemade chicken stock or canned broth (I used the canned.)
- 1 teaspoon saffron threads (I omitted this ingredient.)
- 1/2 pound haricots verts, with ends removed and cut in 1/2 (I used regular fresh green beans.)
- 4 ounces spaghetti, broken into pieces
- 1 cup pistou 
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

Soup Directions

Heat the olive oil in a large stockpot. Add the onions and sauté over low heat for 10 minutes, or until the onions are translucent.

Add the leeks, potatoes, carrots, salt, and pepper; and sauté over medium heat for another 5 minutes.

Add the chicken stock/broth; bring to a boil; then simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, or until all the vegetables are tender.

Add the haricots verts and spaghetti; and bring to a simmer. Cook for 15 minutes.

To serve, whisk 1/4 cup of the pistou into the hot soup; then season to taste. Depending on the saltiness of your chicken stock, you may need to add up to another tablespoon of salt. (Mine needed no additional salt.) Serve with grated Parmesan cheese and more pistou.

Pistou Ingredients

- 4 large garlic cloves
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 24 large basil leaves
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup of good olive oil

Pistou Directions

Place the garlic, tomato paste, basil, and Parmesan cheese in a food processor, and purée.

With the food processor motor running, slowly pour the olive oil down the feed tube to make a paste.

Pack into a container; pour a film of olive oil on top; and close the lid.

Refrigerate if not using immediately.