Soupe au pistou

One of the great dishes of Provence, a hearty bowl featuring fresh seasonal produce and pasta.

Soupe au pistou. Credit: Plat du Tour / Blink TV

• serves

  4

• prep

  25 minutes

• cook

  30 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 4 carrots, peeled and cut into 1 cm dice
• 3 zucchini, cut into 1 cm dice
• 6 sprigs thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 5 tomatoes, cut into 1 cm dice
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1.2 litres vegetable stock
• 100 g macaroni
• 400 g tin haricot beans (or other white beans

Pistou

• 6 garlic cloves
• 100 ml extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup firmly packed basil leaves
• 70 g (⅔ cup) finely grated parmesan cheese

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and stir for 1 minute, then add the garlic and cook for another 2 -3 minutes or until fragrant. Add the carrot, zucchini, thyme, bay leaf and tomato and cook for 2 minutes or until slightly softened. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then add the stock and bring to the boil.
2. Meanwhile, for the pistou, place the garlic and half the olive oil in a mortar and pestle and crush until the garlic is a paste. Transfer the garlic paste to a bowl, then add the basil and remaining oil to the mortar and pound into a paste. Add the basil paste and parmesan to the garlic paste and stir to combine well. Season to taste and set aside.
3. Once the soup has come to the boil, stir in the macaroni and simmer until al dente. When the pasta is almost cooked, stir in the white beans.
4. To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and top with a good dollop of pistou.

Photography by Blink TV. Styling by Blink TV. Food preparation by Guillaume Brahimi.

Join Guillaume Brahimi for Plat du Tour, each night during the live stage of the Tour de France, exclusively broadcast on SBS. Episodes will also be available at SBS On Demand.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.