Soupe au Pistou combines harvest veggies with the last of the summer's pesto. |
"I'm dreaming of a white Halloween?"It's October 29, and it's snowing in Philadelphia. Yes, snowing! Looking out my window onto the city streets is like peering into a gigantic snow globe. Picturesque, yes, but it's a bit jarring for mid-autumn, not to mention a plan buster [I was going to drive to Bucks County to spend the day with friends]. Still, snowstorm exile is the perfect excuse to putter around in the kitchen. Soupe Au Pistou is a Provençal vegetable soup, traditionally made during late summer/early fall. This hearty potage gets its name from a sweet, licorice-scented dollop of pesto that enhances the humble kaleidoscope of cooked harvest produce – sort of like an Hermès scarf dressing up jeans and a T-shirt. Traditionally, it's made with basil pesto, but you can use any kind of pesto you want. [See my previous post on 21 Pesto Ideas].
I adapted and simplified this recipe from one of my most beloved, most-used cookbooks, Recettes de Provençe. I bought it in a little shop in Antibes, France, many years ago for about $10, and its now dog-eared and batter-spattered – which only endears it to me more. Recettes de Provençe is not exactly a best-selling French cookbook. It's a regional recipe collection with few exact measurements, quirky directions, and vague cooking instructions that assume readers already know their way around la cuisine. [Most French readers do, bien sûr.] In this soup recipe, for example, the author calls for "une petite poignée de macaronis," or "A small handful of macaroni." Now your idea of a small handful might be quite different than mine, but that's what I love the most about this coobook – the absence of ego. The assumption that the reader has a brain. The room for improvisation. The endless fields of lavender and sunflowers instead of an October Nor'easter...
Soupe Au Pistou
- 1 cup dried beans, soaked overnight and rinsed [I used cannelini beans]
- 2 cups green beans, ends trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 potatoes, diced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 1 medium zucchini, diced
- 1 or 2 tomatoes, diced
- 1 small onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 bay leaf
- 10 cups vegetable stock, plus more if needed [I recommend Better Than Boullion brand]
- 1 T dried thyme
- 3 T dried parselyA handful of small pasta [I used orzo]
- Sea salt and pepper, to taste
- About a cup of your favorite pesto
- Extra-virgin olive oil, for the gourmandes
Serves 8
Combine the beans, vegetables, bay leaf, and stock into a large soup pot. Bring to a boil and then lower to a simmer for several hours over a low flame, adding stock as needed. I simmered mine for about 2 hours. The longer it cooks, the more the flavors meld and the more "grandma-like" it will taste. [My grandmother used to simmer soup for hours over her coal stove.]
About 15 minutes before you serve the soup, toss in the herbs and pasta. Adjust the seasonings.
To serve, ladle into bowls and top each serving with a healthy dollop of pesto. Be sure to set a small pitcher of best-quality olive oil on the table for drizzling.
About 15 minutes before you serve the soup, toss in the herbs and pasta. Adjust the seasonings.
To serve, ladle into bowls and top each serving with a healthy dollop of pesto. Be sure to set a small pitcher of best-quality olive oil on the table for drizzling.
4 comments:
Celebrate Vegan arrived yesterday! I made the snow day scones today (I'm in the Lehigh Valley north of Philadelphia, so we're in the same snow system). I didn't have dates or soy flour, and those are two key ingredients, but they still turned out great! I haven't used soy flour before, that's new to me, I'll need to pick some up at a health food store. I love that you have so many international holidays in your book! Really fabulous recipes, looking forward to celebrating!
Looks magnifique! My friend and I were in Provence a few years ago and I remember an outdoor market with a vendor selling all kinds of pistou and such. I ALSO remember buying some really nice moutarde for my mother and having it confiscated at customs! Quel dommage.
Anne: I'm so glad you were able to "celebrate" the snow day with scones. Crazy weather, eh? I use soy flour as an egg replacer of sorts. It's not necessary but I think it gives baked goods some extra heft. Hope you like the book!
FoodFued: The moutarde....miam! I have a recipe for homemade in Urban Vegan. Making your own is truly addictive.
well, you are right.. I need to cook this French soup more often
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