Page title and description

Soups & stews
Soupe au pistou (Provencal summer soup)
Ingredients
main
- 100g dried haricot beans, soaked in cold water overnight, then cooked (or use tinned beans)
- olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 celery stalks, finely sliced
- 1 or 2 leeks, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, finely sliced
- 400g tin chopped tomatoes
- 100g potatoes, diced
- a few carrots or a turnip, diced
- 2 courgettes, diced (optional)
- 100g runner or French beans, sliced
For the pistou
- bunch fresh basil
- handful pine nuts (optional)
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed to a paste with a little salt
- 100g Parmesan, freshly grated
- 150ml olive oil
- salt and pepper
Method
Prep time:
20 min
PT20M
Cooking time:
1h
PT1H
To make the soup
-
Step 1
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan, add the onion, celery and leeks and cook slowly for about 15 minutes, until soft but not coloured. -
Step 2
Add the sliced garlic and cook briefly. Stir in the tomatoes, turn up the heat and add the potatoes, carrot and turnips. -
Step 3
Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and cook for 10 minutes. -
Step 4
Add the courgettes and beans, plus enough water just to cover. Bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes. -
Step 5
Add the cooked haricot beans with enough of their cooking liquor to give a soupy consistency. Season to taste.
To make the pistou
-
Step 1
Whizz all the ingredients together in a food processor, then stir into the soup.