Soupe au Pistou Recipe

 Vegetable Soup with Basil and Garlic

This simple and delicious vegetable soup is from the 1994 cookbook Backroad Bistros, Farmhouse Fare – A French Country Cookbook by Jane Sigal.

Jane is a “journalist, author, editor, recipe developer and teacher” who lived in France for 12 years and went to culinary school at Ecole de Cuisine La Varenne. She has been a contributing editor at Food & Wine, the New York Times, Saveur, the Wall Street Journal, Fine Cooking and the list goes on.

Back in the 90’s when I lived in New York City with my wife Meg, I had the opportunity to cook with Jane at our downtown loft. If my memory is correct, Jane and I shopped for ingredients and then prepared an incredible Indian meal.

I know I have photos of the night but they are not digital and stored away in some box I haven’t opened in years. I definitely need to get all my photos scanned.

Jane’s recipe is called Soupe Au Pistou or translated to Vegetable Soup with Basil and Garlic. Pistou is a “puree of fresh tomatoes, garlic, basil, Parmesan and olive oil. It’s sort of a French version of Italian pesto.

Besides being used as a condiment for this classic French vegetable soup, I like to serve it with roast chicken, spread it on French bread or add a couple of spoonfuls to pasta as a quick and easy sauce.

I already have a recipe for pistou here so it’s not included in this recipe. You can make it ahead of time or while you are preparing the soup.

Print Recipe

Soupe au Pistou - Vegetable Soup

From our friend Jane Sigal

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time1 hr 30 mins

Total Time2 hrs

Course: Soup

Cuisine: French

Servings: 8 servings

Ingredients

• 1 cup dried white beans or two 15 ounce cans
• 1 sprig fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 12 cups water
• 2 tablespoons olive oil extra virgin
• 3 leeks white and light green parts only
• 2 carrots peeled and diced
• 1 rib celery diced
• ½ pound zucchini diced
• ½ pound green beans cut into 3/8 inch pieces
• 2 potatoes peeled and diced
• ½ cup dried pasta small

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Prepping the Beans

• If you are using dried beans, you need to soak them most of the day or overnight before starting this recipe. Once they have soaked for a minimum of 6 hours, drain them and put them in a large pot, cover with water and bring the water to a boil.

  Boil for about 5 minutes, drain, rinse and drain again.
• Put the beans back into the pot and once again cover them with cold water along with the fresh thyme and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer the beans, uncovered for 1 to 1½ hours until tender.
• Jane says to add 1 teaspoon of salt toward the end of the cooking process. Drain the beans one more time and reserve until you about to serve the soup.
• If you are using canned beans, rinse them in a colander and reserve until ready to use.

Making the Soup

• With 30 minutes left to the simmering of the beans, add 12 cups water to another large pot and bring to a boil.
• Add a little salt, the olive oil and all the diced vegetables and bring back to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes.
• 15 minutes into cooking the vegetables, add the pasta and cook until soft.
• With just 5 minutes left to cooking the vegetables, add the reserved beans to heat up in the soup.
• MEANWHILE - while the vegetables are cooking, make the pistou and reserve.

  Here's the recipe for pistou.

Finishing and Serving

• When the soup is done cooking, taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
• Serve the soup in warmed bowls and either add a spoonful of pistou to each bowl or have it on the side and let your family and friends add the pistou themselves.