Pistou soup

Here is a traditional recipe for pistou soup, serving 6.

Ingredients:

*For the soup:

2 courgettes

200 g green beans

2 potatoes

2 carrots

2 ripe tomatoes

1 onion

150 g cooked white beans (or red beans)

100 g small pasta shapes (coquillettes, elbow pasta, etc.)

2 litres of water or vegetable stock

Salt, pepper

2 tbsp olive oil

*For the pistou:

1 large bunch of basil

2 to 3 cloves of garlic

5 cl olive oil

50 g grated Parmesan or Gruyère (optional)

Method:

Peel and dice all the vegetables into small cubes.

Fry the onion in the olive oil for 3 minutes.

Add the carrots, potatoes, courgettes, green beans and tomatoes.

Pour in the water or stock, season lightly with salt and leave to simmer for 40 minutes.

Add the white beans, then the pasta, 10 minutes before the end of the cooking time.

Meanwhile, prepare the pistou: crush the garlic with the basil in a mortar (or blend briefly), then stir in the olive oil and cheese, if using.

Remove from the heat, add the pistou to the soup and stir.

Tips:

Do not bring the pistou to the boil after adding it: this preserves the basil’s fragrance.

Serve with a little grated cheese and toasted country bread.

In summer, use fresh, seasonal vegetables for a more authentic flavour.

Total time: about 1 hour. Enjoy your meal! 🍲🌿