This vibrant Summer Pistou is a celebration of the season’s finest vegetables swimming in a fragrant, herb-infused broth that captures the essence of French countryside cooking. Unlike its Italian cousin minestrone, this traditional Provençal soup gets its distinctive character from the fresh pistou sauce – a bright green blend of basil, garlic, and olive oil that’s stirred in just before serving. Packed with tender summer vegetables, creamy white beans, and small pasta, this one-bowl meal is both nourishing and refreshing. The beauty of pistou lies in its flexibility – you can use whatever fresh vegetables are at their peak, making it the perfect way to showcase your garden’s bounty or the best picks from the farmer’s market.
Serves: 6-8 people
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Ingredients
For the Soup:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- 2 medium carrots, diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 2 medium zucchini, diced
- 1 cup green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 3 medium tomatoes, peeled and chopped
- 6 cups vegetable or chicken broth
- 2 cups water
- 1 can (15 oz) white beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup small pasta (like ditalini or small shells)
- Salt and pepper to taste
For the Pistou Sauce:
- 3 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
Prepare the Vegetables
Start by washing and chopping all your vegetables into small, uniform pieces about half an inch in size. This ensures they cook evenly and are easy to eat. Peel the tomatoes by scoring an X on the bottom, dropping them in boiling water for 30 seconds, then transferring to ice water. The skins will slip off easily.
Build the Soup Base
Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it becomes soft and translucent. Add the carrots and celery, and continue cooking for another 5 minutes until they start to soften.
Add the Summer Vegetables
Stir in the diced zucchini and green beans. Cook for 3-4 minutes, allowing the vegetables to slightly soften while maintaining their bright color. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook for another 2-3 minutes until they start to break down and release their juices.
Create the Broth
Pour in the vegetable or chicken broth and water. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for 10 minutes. The vegetables should be tender but still hold their shape. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Add Beans and Pasta
Stir in the drained white beans and the small pasta. Continue simmering for 8-12 minutes, or until the pasta is cooked according to package directions. The beans will heat through and absorb some of the flavors from the broth.
Make the Pistou Sauce
While the soup finishes cooking, prepare the pistou sauce. In a food processor or blender, combine the fresh basil leaves, garlic cloves, grated Parmesan cheese, and salt. Pulse a few times, then slowly drizzle in the olive oil while the machine is running. Process until you have a smooth, bright green sauce similar to pesto.
Final Assembly
Once the pasta is cooked, taste the soup and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper as needed. Remove the pot from heat. The soup should be thick and hearty but still have plenty of broth.
Serve with Pistou
Ladle the hot soup into bowls and top each serving with a generous spoonful of the fresh pistou sauce. The heat from the soup will release the aromatic oils from the basil and garlic, creating an incredible fragrance.
Serving Suggestions
Summer Pistou is perfect as a light lunch or dinner on its own, but you can also serve it with crusty French bread or garlic bread for a more substantial meal. A simple green salad dressed with lemon vinaigrette makes a lovely accompaniment. For special occasions, serve with a chilled rosé wine or a light white wine.
Storage Tips
The soup base can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days and actually improves in flavor as it sits. However, make the pistou sauce fresh each time you serve it for the best flavor and color. If you must store the pistou, cover it with a thin layer of olive oil and refrigerate for up to 2 days.
Recipe Notes
The beauty of pistou is its adaptability. Feel free to substitute vegetables based on what’s fresh and available. Yellow squash can replace zucchini, lima beans can substitute for green beans, and cherry tomatoes work well when large tomatoes aren’t at their best.
If you can’t find small pasta, break larger pasta like spaghetti into small pieces. The pasta should be small enough to fit easily on a spoon with the vegetables.
For the pistou sauce, use only the freshest basil you can find. Look for leaves that are bright green without any dark spots or wilting. The sauce should be made just before serving to maintain its vibrant color and fresh flavor.
You can make this soup vegetarian by using vegetable broth, or make it heartier by using chicken broth. Some traditional recipes include a ham bone simmered in the broth for extra flavor.
