This soupe au pistou is packed with vibrant veggies like green beans, summer squash, and tomatoes, plus tender ditalini pasta and hearty white beans. Finished with a dollop of fragrant basil pistou, it’s a meal-worthy bowl bursting with bright, fresh flavor.
Soupe au pistou is one of the most delicious vegetable soups you may have never heard of. It doesn't get nearly as much attention as favorites like minestrone and classic vegetable soup, but don’t let that stop you from giving it a try — you’d be missing out! This simple French soup features a mix of vibrant veggies, white beans, and pasta, with each bowl topped with a spoonful of zesty basil pistou.
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Pistou sauce is the French counterpart to Italian pesto. It’s similar, but simpler (and cheaper!) since it doesn’t include nuts. You still get that classic garlicky, basil flavor, and if you love my green minestrone soup, you know that just a small spoonful can turn a simple bowl into a flavor bomb.
This version features a mix of summery vegetables like zucchini, green beans, and yellow squash. It’s light and brothy, making it just as perfect for warm weather as it is for cooler days. Pair it with a salad for an easy spring or summer meal, or serve it with crusty bread when you’re craving something hearty and comforting.
Ingredients You'll Need
Below you'll find a list of ingredients in this recipe, with notes and substitutions. Scroll all the way to the bottom of the post to see the full recipe, including the amount of each ingredient.
- Olive oil. Use good quality, extra-virgin olive oil, since it's a key ingredient in the pistou.
- Onion.
- Carrots.
- Celery.
- Garlic.
- Vegetable broth.
- Diced tomatoes. If you've got fresh tomatoes to use up, feel free. Peel and dice them, then remove the seeds. You'll need about 2 cups.
- Cannellini beans. Other types of beans will work. Chickpeas and butter beans are great options.
- Green beans.
- Dried thyme. Prefer fresh? Go for it, but triple the amount.
- Ditalini pasta. You can use other types of small pasta, like shells or orzo, if preferred. Just keep in mind that the cook time may vary.
- Zucchini.
- Yellow squash.
- Lemon juice. Stick with fresh juice for the brightest, tangiest flavor.
- Lemon zest.
- Salt and pepper.
- Fresh basil. Dried basil won't work here. It needs to be fresh, and you'll need a lot of it — about two bunches if you buy it at the store.
How It's Made
Below is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you'd like to skip right to the recipe!
Step 1: Sweat the vegetables. Start by heating your olive oil, then add diced onion, sliced carrots, and sliced celery. Cook the mixture for about 10 minutes, to soften everything. Add minced garlic and cook it with the mixture for about a minute.
Step 2: Simmer. Add your broth, tomatoes, cannellini beans, green beans, and thyme. Turn up the heat and get the soup to a boil, then lower the heat and let it simmer for about 10 minutes, giving it an occasional stir.
Step 3: Make the pistou. Place all of the ingredients into a blender or food processor: fresh basil, olive oil, minced garlic, lemon juice, and salt. Blend to a paste — keeping just a bit of texture in the mixture.
Step 4: Add the pasta. Stir the pasta into your soup, then let it continue to simmer for about five minutes, until the pasta is about halfway done.
Step 5: Add the squash. Stir in chopped zucchini and summer squash, and continue simmering the soup until the squash and pasta are both tender.
Step 6: Finish the soup. Take the pot off of heat, then stir in your lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, and pepper.
Step 7: Serve. Ladle the soup into bowls, then spoon a bit of the pistou over each one. Your soupe au pistou is ready to enjoy!
Variations
- Veggie swaps. You can replace the vegetables with your favorites. Broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, mushrooms, and leafy greens like kale and spinach are all great options. Just keep in mind that softer veggies will need less cook time, while firmer ones will need to cook longer.
- Add potato. Skip the pasta and instead add a diced potato at the same time as the green beans.
- Add a little heat. Stir in a pinch (or more!) of red pepper flakes to spice up your soup.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sure! Use gluten-free pasta, or just skip the pasta and optionally add a diced potato around the same time as the green beans.
You can, but they'll need to be soaked and fully cooked before you add them.
Absolutely, if that's your preference. Soupe au pistou is traditionally served with the pistou dolloped on each bowl, but if you don't mind breaking with tradition, do it your way.
Leftover soupe au pistou will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for about three days. The pasta will continue to soak up broth and expand during storage, so you may want to add some water or broth when you reheat it.
More Vegetable Soups
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📖 Recipe
Soupe au Pistou
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 medium carrots, sliced
- 2 medium celery stalks, sliced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 7 cups vegetable broth
- 1 (14 ounce/397 gram) can diced tomatoes
- 1 (15 ounce/425 gram) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 cups fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 1 to 2 inch pieces
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ cup ditalini pasta
- 1 small zucchini, quartered lengthwise and sliced
- 1 small yellow squash, quartered lengthwise and sliced
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- Salt and pepper, to taste
For the Pistou
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed (about 2 medium bunches)
- â…“ cup olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Coat the bottom of a large pot with the oil and place it over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the onion, carrots, and celery. Cook the vegetables for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they soften a bit. Stir in the garlic and cook it with the vegetables for about 1 minute, stirring constantly, until very fragrant.
- Stir in the broth, tomatoes, cannellini beans, green beans, and thyme. Raise the heat and bring the liquid to a boil, then lower the heat and let the soup simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- While the soup simmers, place all of the ingredients for the pistou into a blender or food processor, then blend to a relatively smooth, spoonable paste (Note 1). Give the mixture a taste test and adjust any seasonings to your preference. Set the pistou aside for now.
- Stir the ditalini pasta into the soup. Let it continue simmering for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the zucchini and yellow squash. Let the soup continue to simmer until the pasta, zucchini, and yellow squash are tender, about 5 minutes more, stirring occasionally.
- Remove the pot from heat. Stir in the lemon juice and zest, then season the soup with salt and pepper to taste.
- Ladle the soup into bowls and top each one with a dollop of the pistou. Serve.
Notes
- A small blending device, like a mini food processor, works best for this size batch of pistou. If all you have is a full-sized device, it will work (I'm using an 11 cup Vitamix in the photos), but you will need to stop and scrape down the sides of the pitcher quite a few times.
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