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Provençal Soupe au Pistou |
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| Category: | Entrées |
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| Description: | Pistou (pesto’s French cousin) is a prized condiment that, here, elevates what would otherwise be a banal vegetable minestrone to a dish with amazing taste and intensity. This version of the recipe is from the Restaurant Galerie des Arcades in Biot, a tiny hilltop hamlet near Antibes on the Côte d’Azur. |
| Number of Servings: | Serves 4 |
| Ingredients: | For the soup 2 cups dried flageolet beans (or white or navy beans) 10 cups water 1 celery stalk, chopped 2 zucchini, cubed 2 potatoes, cubed 1 onion, chopped Salt For the pistou 1 large bouquet of basil, stemmed 2 or 3 garlic cloves 1 tomato, seeded and finely chopped 1/4 cup olive oil For the garnish Olive oil Parmigiano cheese, grated |
| Directions: | To make the soup: Soak the beans overnight in water to cover. Place the beans and soaking liquid in a pan, add more water if necessary to cover, and bring to a boil. Cook for 20 minutes. Drain and set aside. Place the celery, zucchini, potato, onion, and salt to taste into a large pot with water to cover, bring to a boil, and let simmer for 1½ hours. Add the drained beans. (Note: Some recipes call for a handful of cooked cubes or crumbles of smoked bacon for extra flavor; add with the beans.) To make the pistou: Put the basil, garlic, tomato, and olive oil into a blender (yes, in France, blenders are allowed) and chop finely until it becomes a syrupy paste. To serve, ladle the soup into large soup bowls, then dab a generous spoonful of pistou on top of the soup, stirring it in with a spoon. Drizzle olive oil over each serving and sprinkle grated Parmigiano cheese on top. Serve additional Parmigiano at the table, if desired. |
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