Autumn Soup With Pistou Food

PROVENCAL VEGETABLE SOUP: SOUPE AU PISTOU

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the leeks and saute just until they start to turn translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and saute about 1 minute more. Add the carrots and celery and continue sauteing until the vegetables deepen in color but have not yet begun to brown, 3 to 4 minutes more. Pour the stock into the pan, bring it to a boil, and reduce the heat to maintain a simmer. Sprinkle in a generous pinch of salt.
• Tie the peppercorns, thyme, and parsley in a square of cheesecloth, securing it with kitchen string. Add this bouquet garni to the pan. Stir in the beans, zucchini, summer squash, and tomato. Continue simmering until the vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the Pistou: Put the garlic and tomatoes in a blender or food processor with about 3 tablespoons of the olive oil. Begin processing. With the machine running, add the basil leaves, and then pour in enough extra-virgin olive oil to make a smooth, thick, but fluid paste. Transfer about 2/3 of the paste into a serving bowl to pass alongside the soup.
• Make the Goat Cheese Croutons: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Brush the bread slices with olive oil and arrange them on a baking sheet. Bake until golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove them from the oven and turn on the broiler. Spread 1 side of each crouton with goat cheese and put it back on the baking sheet. Broil until the cheese is warm and slightly bubbly, about 3 minutes. Set aside.
• When the soup is ready, stir the remaining pistou into the saucepan, ladling some of the hot broth into the blender or processor bowl to swirl and rinse any pesto clinging inside into the pan. Remove and discard the bouquet garni. Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning with a little more salt.
• Ladle the soup into individual heated serving bowls. Float a crouton in the center of each bowl. With a spoon, drizzle a little more pistou over the crouton and soup in each bowl. Serve immediately, passing more pistou alongside for each person to add, to taste.

SOUPE AU PISTOU

Steps:

• Drain the white beans and combine with 2 quarts water in a large, heavy soup pot or Dutch oven. Bring to a boil. Skim off any foam, then add half the onion, half the garlic and the bouquet garni. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer 45 minutes. Add salt to taste.
• Heat the olive oil in a heavy skillet, and add the remaining chopped onion and a generous pinch of salt. Cook, stirring, until tender, about five minutes. Add the leeks and remaining garlic. Stir together for a few minutes, and add the tomatoes. Cook, stirring, until the tomatoes have cooked down slightly and the mixture is fragrant, five to 10 minutes. Stir this mixture into the soup pot, add all of the remaining vegetables except the green beans, and bring back to a simmer. Cover and simmer over low heat for 45 minutes to an hour. Taste and adjust the seasonings.
• While the soup is simmering, blanch the green beans for five minutes in salted boiling water. Transfer to a bowl of ice-cold water. Drain and set aside.
• To make the pistou, mash the garlic with a generous pinch of salt in a mortar and pestle. Remove it and set aside. Grind the basil to a paste in the mortar, a handful at a time, then add the garlic back in and mix together well. Work in the olive oil a tablespoon at a time, then stir in the cheese.
• Add the pasta to the simmering soup about 10 minutes before serving, and cook until cooked al dente. Add pepper, taste and adjust salt. Stir the blanched green beans into the soup and heat through. Serve, adding a spoonful of pesto to each bowl for guests to stir in. Pass additional Parmesan for sprinkling.

SOUPE AU PISTOU

Steps:

• Place beans in a small saucepan and cover with a generous amount of water. Bring to a boil and cook, covered, until beans are tender, about 1 hour. Drain and reserve. (To test a bean for doneness, choose a small one. Smaller beans take longer to cook because of their dense centers. The bean should taste creamy, rather than powdery, inside.)
• Make Pesto by pureeing garlic, olive oil, and a few basil leaves in a blender. Gradually add remaining leaves until all are pureed. Transfer to a small bowl, add grated cheese, and stir. Set aside.Cut each vegetable into even 1/2-inch dice and set aside. To avoid discoloration, reserve potatoes in a bowl of cold water.
• Bring chicken stock to a boil in a large stockpot. Add white beans, potatoes, carrot, and onion. Return to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook, uncovered, 15 minutes. Add remaining vegetables and bring back to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook an additional 10 minutes, uncovered. Season to taste. Serve soup with a dollop of pesto in each bowl.

SOUPE AU PISTOU

Steps:

• In a large pan, melt the butter. Add the vegetables, and season them well with salt and pepper. Place a round of buttered parchment over the vegetables, cover pan and cook on low heat, stirring 3 or 4 times, for 20 minutes. Add water, bring to a boil and simmer for about 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.;
• In a food processor, blend the garlic, basil and cheese. Drizzle in the olive oil while machine is still running. Serve the soup with a dollop of pistou.;

PISTOU SOUP

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the carrots and onion and cook, stirring constantly, until the onion is lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, tomato paste and 1 tablespoon salt and cook 1 more minute. Add 7 cups water, cover and bring to a boil. Uncover, reduce the heat and simmer 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Meanwhile, trim the green beans and zucchini and cut into 1/2-inch pieces. Stir into the prepared broth along with the beans and spaghetti. Simmer until the pasta is al dente, about 10 minutes.
• When ready to serve, whisk 1/3 cup pesto into the soup. Ladle into bowls and top with the remaining pesto. Sprinkle with parmesan and serve with bread, if desired.

SOUPE AU PISTOU FROM NICE

Steps:

• Place vegetable stock in a large saucepan, add zucchini through tomatoes and season with salt and pepper.
• Bring to a boil, cover, lower heat and simmer 20 minutes.
• Add green beans through pasta and cook about 10 minutes longer until pasta is tender.
• Adjust seasonings if necessary.
• Whisk together pesto and sundried tomato paste.
• Ladle soup into 4 bowls and stir a spoonful of the pesto mixture into each.
• Pass around grated Parmesan to be sprinkled on soup, if desired.

PROVENCAL VEGETABLE SOUP

Steps:

• To make the pistou: mix in the food processor the 1st 3 pistou ingredients until smooth, adding the extra virgin oil last.
• To make the soup: if using dried haricot beans,place in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a hard boil for 10 mins and drain. Place the par-boiled beans, or fresh beans if using, in a saucepan with the herbes de Provence and one of the garlic cloves. Add water to cover by 2.5 cm./1in. Boil, reduce heat and simmer over a medium low heat until tender, about 20 minuters for fresh breans and about 1 hour for dried beans. Set aside in the cooking liquid.
• In a large saucepan or flameproof casserole heat the oil. Add onion and leeks, cook for 5 minutes, stir occasionally, until onion softens.
• Add celery, carrots and the other garlic clove and cook, covered for 10 minutes, stirring.
• Add potatoes, French beans and water, then season lighlty with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, skim any foam that rises to the surface, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
• Add courgettes, tomatoes and peas together with the reserved beans and their cooking liquid and simmer for 25-30mins, or until all the vegetables are tender. Add the spinach and simmer for 5 minutes. Season the soup and swirl a spoonful of pistou into each bowl. Garnish with basil and serve.

SOUPE AU PISTOU (VEGETABLE SOUP WITH PESTO)

Steps:

• Make the pistou: Purée the tomato, basil, parsley and garlic in a food processor. While the machine is running, drizzle in the oil. Add the cheese, and mix well, then transfer to a small bowl.
• Make the soup: In a large, heavy pot over medium heat, add celery, carrot, leek, thyme and olive oil. Season with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the leek is starting to brown, about 10 minutes.
• Add the potatoes and 8 cups water, and bring to a boil, scraping up any bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes, then stir in remaining vegetables and pasta. Cook uncovered until the pasta is al dente and the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.
• Remove the pot from the heat, and stir in about half the pistou. Taste, and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve with the rest of the pistou on the side, spooning it directly into the soup as needed.

PISTOU SOUP

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large pan and sweat the onion, carrots, celery, fennel, turnip, celeriac and parsnip for 5-10 mins. Pour over 1.6 litres of boiling water, season and simmer for 10-15 mins, until the vegetables are tender. At the last moment add the peas and the beans and cook for a further 1 min. Taste and season with salt and pepper as necessary.
• Meanwhile, make the pesto sauce. Blanch the basil leaves in boiling water for 5 secs, then remove and cool under cold running water. Pat dry and purée all the ingredients in a liquidiser. Taste and season, then reserve. Keep in the fridge until required. When ready to serve, pour the soup into a large, warmed tureen, top with some of the pesto sauce and serve to your guests. Place Parmesan and croûtons on the table so guests may help themselves.

SOUPE AU PISTOU

Steps:

• For the stock:
• In a heavy-bottomed pot, heat oil over medium heat; stir in ingredients. Cover. Cook until vegetables are soft, about 30minutes. Add 8 cups water. Bring to a boil. Lower heat; simmer for 45 minutes. Strain, reserving broth and half the vegetables. Skim fat. Discard thyme and bay leaf. Puree reserved vegetables in a blender. Stir into stock.
• For the soup:
• Heat oil in the same pot. Sauté onion, garlic, carrot, celery, and herbs. Add reserved broth, tomatoes and beans. Bring to a boil. Lower heat; simmer 30 to 45 minutes. Ladle into bowls; drizzle with pesto or oil.