Soupe au Pistou
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.
Servings: 8
Calories: 242kcal
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)
- ⅓ 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.
Nutrition
Calories: 242kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Sodium: 1178mg | Potassium: 430mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 3698IU | Vitamin C: 22mg | Calcium: 97mg | Iron: 3mg