French Classic: Soupe au Pistou

French Classic: Soupe au Pistou
©Stine Christiansen

French Classic: Soupe au Pistou

For this dish to live up to its legendary deliciousness, the vegetables must be super fresh.

Severin Corti

For the soup:

Ingredients (5 servings)
200 leek, cleaned, outer skin removed and cut into fine strips
100 celery, top and bottom removed, cut into fine strips
2 tablespoon(s) olive oil
200 potatoes, peeled, finely diced
150 augergine, peeled, finely diced
200 courgette, finely diced
salt
pepper
250 broccoli cut into small florets
150 spinach or young chard, washed and chopped
150 g French beans, cut into 2 cm pieces, runner beans also suitable
400 white beans (1 tin Borlotti or Cannelini beans)

For the pistou:

Ingredients (5 servings)
100 olive oil
1 bunch basil
2 handful fresh garlic, peeled
2 tablespoon(s) freshly grated parmesan or pecorino cheese
  • Put the leek and celery in a large pan of salted boiling water, bring to the boil and cook for 5 minutes.
  • Add the aubergine, courgettes and potatoes, stir, season if necessary. Bring back to the boil.
  • After 10 minutes, stir in the broccoli and spinach, simmer gently for another 10 minutes, then add the runner beans and white beans.
  • Simmer again for 20 minutes until everything is cooked and has taken on a dull green-grey colour - that's how it should be!
  • For the Pistou, blend all the ingredients (garlic, basil and parmesan) to a rough texture in a blender. Add the oil to make a paste.
    Serve the soup with a spoon of Pistou in each bowl. The soup tastes best enjoyed lukewarm.
Severin Corti
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