Garden Vegetable Soup with Pistou
Reprinted with permission from
Golden Door Cooks at Home: Favorite Recipes from the Celebrated Spa
Made from basil, garlic, olive oil, and Parmesan cheese, pistou is stirred into soups, stews, and pastas to add aromatic flavor and color. Ordinarily, that savory burst comes from a large amount of olive oil and cheese, but my version uses no oil and just a bit of Parmesan. The trick is to puree the pistou ingredients with some of the hot soup and then stir this mixture back into the soup. This method gives the soup the extra body and robust flavor of classic pistou without the added fat.
Serves 8
Ingredients
1 cup dried flageolet, great northern, or cannellini beans6 cups Chicken or Vegetable Stock (pages 268 and 269) or store-bought low-sodium broth
1 bay leaf
1 medium carrot, diced
2 celery ribs, diced
1 medium zucchini, diced
4 ounces green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 small leek, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
1 cup packed coarsely chopped fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons tomato paste
1/2 cup sliced scallions (white and green parts)
2 garlic cloves, smashed
1/2 large ripe red tomato, seeded and diced
Preparation
Rinse the beans in cold water and pick over them, discarding any stones or debris. Place them in a large bowl and pour in enough cold water to cover by 2 inches. Let stand overnight.
Drain the beans, discarding the water. Transfer the beans to a medium saucepan and add the stock and bay leaf. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat. Simmer gently, partially covered, until the beans are tender, 40 to 50 minutes.
Stir in the carrot, celery, zucchini, green beans, leek, salt, and pepper and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes. Remove and discard the bay leaf.
Combine the basil, parsley, Parmesan, tomato paste, scallions, and garlic in a blender.
