Soup Au Pistou

Well it's a bit frigid out there and we all need something to warm us up!  In addition - soup is a great thing to have for leftovers.  Put some in your tupperware to heat the next day for lunch AND the next day.  You have to purchase lots of ingredients up front but it pays off all week and it's delish.  I tore this recipe out of some magazine that I have forgotten by now but I've also seen a similar one in one of the Barefoot Contessa's books.  It's a staple of the French and the Italians.  The first time I made it the recipe called for Parmesan to be sprinkled on top but this recipe claims aged Gouda is preferred - both work well plus the pesto/pistou to be swirled in - A MUST!  I purchased the pesto at our local Wegmans but the recipe here is a French version of pesto and more garlicky and well worth it to make IF YOU ARE SO INCLINED!

Soup Au Pistou


Heat 3 T of olive oil in a large pot.  Add 1 chopped onion, 1 small fennel bulb chopped and 2 chopped zucchini and cook over medium heat for about 10 min till browned.  Add 8 oz. chopped new potatoes, 2 chopped tomatoes (because there are no decent tomatoes to be found on the East Coast in January - I used a 28 oz. can of whole tomatoes), 2 quarts of chicken stock and 1 sprig of thyme.  Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 15 minutes.


Add 2 cups canned cannellini beans, drained and 2 cups canned kidney beans, drained - simmer, covered for another 15 minutes.  Add 6 oz. green beans, cut into 1 inch pieces and 1 oz. spaghetti, broken into pieces and cook for 10 more minutes.  Cover and let stand.


To make the pistou, put 6 garlic cloves, small bunch of basil leaves and 6 T olive oil in food processor and blend until well chopped.


To serve, heat the soup and pass round the pistou or pesto and shredded Gouda or Parmesan to be stirred in to taste - mmmmm


I served this to Harry and our latest house guest, niece, Mary.  They SAID they liked it - they ate it all week, I'll tell ya that...