THE MINIMALIST'S SOUPE AU PISTOU

The Minimalist's Soupe au Pistou image

One of my favorite dishes to make with fresh basil is soupe au pistou, the Provençal creation that combines legumes, vegetables and a strong but pared-down version of pesto (no more than basil, garlic and oil) to produce a gutsy, hearty soup. Though most traditionally done in late summer - you want good, ripe tomatoes for this, and preferably fresh beans, like cranberry - I make a pot of this as soon as the basil hits the market. Sometimes I make it in winter, just to remind myself that summer's coming. The recipe is a series of suggestions and it is eminently flexible. The zucchini and tomatoes, though not absolutely essential, are Provençal classics, but you can use whatever vegetables you can find as long as you finish the thing with basil.

Provided by Mark Bittman

Categories pastas, project, soups and stews, appetizer, main course

Time 45m

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 13

Ingredients

1 cup fresh shell beans (like cranberry or lima), soaked for a couple of hours in water to cover, or 1/2 cup dried beans, soaked overnight (or boiled for 2 minutes and soaked for 2 hours), drained
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
2 celery stalks, trimmed and chopped
2 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped
2 small to medium zucchini, trimmed and chopped
2 tomatoes, cored, seeded and chopped
6 to 8 garlic cloves, peeled
2 cups fresh basil leaves, washed
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup small pasta like ditalini, or capellini broken into pieces
Freshly grated Parmesan to taste

Steps:

Put beans, onion, carrots, celery and potatoes in a large saucepan with water to cover by at least 2 inches. Bring to a boil and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 30 to 60 minutes (dried beans will take longer to cook than fresh), adding a little more water if necessary. When beans are just about tender, add zucchini and tomatoes and simmer for another 20 minutes or so.
Meanwhile, combine garlic, basil and olive oil in a food processor (or a mortar and pestle) until pasty; use a little more oil if necessary. Season with salt and pepper.
About 10 minutes before serving, add pasta to soup and cook until tender but not mushy; season again. Serve soup, passing pistou and Parmesan at the table.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 411, UnsaturatedFat 16 grams, Carbohydrate 54 grams, Fat 19 grams, Fiber 7 grams, Protein 9 grams, SaturatedFat 3 grams, Sodium 1107 milligrams, Sugar 9 grams