Best 20 Pistou Recipes

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.

PROVENçAL VEGETABLE SOUP (SOUPE AU PISTOU)

Steps:

• Make soup:
• Cook leek, celery, carrot, garlic, and thyme sprig in oil with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a 5-to 6-quart heavy pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until vegetables brown and stick to bottom of pot, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Add potatoes and chard stems with 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Add water and bring to a boil, stirring and scraping up brown bits.
• Stir in edamame, zucchini, green beans, pasta, chard leaves, and 1/4 tsp salt and simmer, uncovered, until pasta is al dente and vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Discard thyme sprig.
• Meanwhile make pistou:
• Heat a dry small skillet (not nonstick) over medium heat until hot, then char tomato on all sides. Core tomato, then purée with basil, parsley, and garlic in a food processor. Add oil and cheese and blend well.
• Remove soup from heat and stir in half of pistou and salt and pepper to taste. Serve soup with remaining pistou.

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:

• Bring the vegetable broth and water to a boil in a large pot. Stir in the green beans, zucchini, carrots, and potatoes. Return to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 45 minutes.
• Meanwhile, prepare the pistou by processing the basil leaves, garlic, tomatoes, olive oil, and salt together in a food processor until finely chopped; set aside.
• Stir the kidney beans, white beans, canned diced tomatoes, and spaghetti into the soup and return to a simmer. Cook until the spaghetti is tender, about 10 minutes. Remove the soup from the heat and stir in the pistou. Sprinkle with Gruyere cheese and Parmesan cheese to serve.

BAREFOOT CONTESSA'S PISTOU

Steps:

• Place the garlic, tomato paste, basil, and Parmesan in the bowl of a food processor and puree.
• With the motor running, slowly pour the olive oil down the feed tube to make a paste.
• Pack into a container, pour a film of olive oil on top, and close the lid.
• Can also be whirled in a blender.

PESTO AND PISTOU

Steps:

• If using a hand blender, place the garlic, basil, pine nuts, salt and olive oil in a pint jar. Stick the hand blender right down into the mixture and turn on. Blend until smooth. You may have to start and stop a few times at the beginning, and scrape down the sides of the jar. Once the mixture is smooth, add the cheese and stir or blend together. If using a food processor fitted with the steel blade, turn on and drop in the garlic. When it is chopped and adhering to the sides of the bowl, stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula. Add the basil, pine nuts, salt, pepper and olive oil to the food processor and process until smooth and creamy. Add the Parmesan and pulse until well combined. If using a mortar and pestle, add the basil leaves a handful at a time and mash with the pestle. Add the pine nuts, garlic, salt and pepper, and mash to a paste with the basil. Work in the olive oil and the Parmesan.

SUMMER SQUASH SOUP WITH BASIL PISTOU

Steps:

• Melt butter in a medium stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the leek and half the garlic. Season well with salt and pepper; cook, stirring until soft and tender, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Add squash, and cook, stirring, 3 to 5 minutes. Add chicken stock, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, and cook until tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove soup from heat; let cool slightly.
• Fill the bowl of a food processor with basil and remaining garlic. Drizzle olive oil through the feed tube; process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer basil pistou to a small bowl.
• Place slightly cooled soup in the cleaned bowl of the food processor, and process until soup is pureed but still slightly chunky.
• Return to stockpot; cook to reduce liquid and thicken just slightly, about 5 minutes. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Ladle into soup bowls, garnish with basil, and serve with basil pistou.

SOUPE AU PISTOU (PROVENçAL VEGETABLE SOUP)

Steps:

• In a pot, bring the water, salted, to a boil and add carrots, potatoes, onions, green beans and zucchini. Cook 20 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Drain kidney beans and add them to the soup.
• Mix oil, tomato paste, garlic and basil. Pour into the soup and stir well.
• Before serving, sprinkle grated cheese to taste in a bowl or mug. Pour soup over cheese.

WINTER VEGETABLE SOUPE AU PISTOU

Steps:

• In a large soup pot, combine all of the ingredients except the canned beans, pasta and black pepper and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for an hour. Taste, adjust salt, add pepper to taste, and stir in the canned beans (make sure they've been drained and rinsed).
• While the soup is simmering, make the pistou if you don't already have some in your freezer.
• Add the pasta to the simmering soup about 10 minutes before serving, and cook until al dente. Taste and adjust seasonings. Ladle the soup into bowls and place a dollop of pistou in each bowl, or pass the pistou in a bowl and let people stir in their own. Pass additional Parmesan or Gruyère for sprinkling.

KALE MINESTRONE WITH PISTOU

Steps:

• Minestrone:
• Tie oregano, rosemary, and bay leaves together with kitchen twine.
• Heat oil in a large heavy pot over medium. Add pancetta, if using, and cook, stirring often, until browned around the edges, about 5 minutes. Add onion, leek, carrots, celery, garlic, and red pepper flakes; season with salt. Cook, stirring often, until onion is translucent and carrots are tender, 10-12 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring to coat, until slightly darkened, about 3 minutes.
• Add tomatoes, crushing with your hands as you go, then herb bundle, Parmesan rind, if using, and 6 cups water or reserved bean cooking liquid, or a combination. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Add potatoes, reduce heat, and simmer until potatoes are tender and flavors have melded, 20-25 minutes. Add kale and beans; cook until kale is tender, about 5 minutes. Discard Parmesan rind and herb bundle.
• Do ahead: Soup can be made 2 days ahead (or 2 months if frozen). Let cool; transfer to airtight containers and chill.
• Pistou and assembly:
• Pulse garlic and basil in a food processor until finely chopped. Transfer to a small bowl and stir in oil, Parmesan, and lemon zest; season with salt. Serve soup topped with pistou.

PISTOU (SUMMER VEGETABLE SOUP)

Steps:

• Over medium-low heat, gently saute the leek and onion until they are translucent and just beginning to brown. Add the diced carrots, diced potatoes, chopped tomato and cranberry beans. Add the sage and 8 cups water. Bring to a boil, cover, lower the heat, and simmer for 40 minutes or longer, until the vegetables are soft.
• Twenty minutes before serving, add the string beans, zucchini and linguine. Add more water if necessary, stir to mix the ingredients, and continue cooking.
• While the soup finishes, make the pistou sauce. Place the garlic, basil and Parmesan in the container of a food processor or blender. Process or blend until the mixture is grainy. Continue processing, and add the oil, slowly but steadily, until the mixture is smooth. Mince the tomato pulp very finely, and drain in a fine- mesh sieve. Mix together with the rest of the sauce.
• When ready to serve, add a ladleful of hot soup to the sauce, mix well and combine the sauce and the rest of the soup. Serve immediately.

VEGETABLE SOUP WITH PISTOU

Steps:

• Combine 4 cups water, beans, onion and 2 garlic cloves in heavy large pot. Bring to boil. Reduce heat. Cover; simmer until beans are just tender, stirring occasionally, about 55 minutes.
• Add 6 cups water, 4 garlic cloves, potatoes, leeks, carrots, tomatoes with juices, half of green beans, half of zucchini, thyme and bay leaf. Bring to boil. Cover; simmer until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally, 30 minutes.
• Add pasta to soup. Simmer 12 minutes. Add remaining green beans and zucchini to soup. Simmer until pasta is just cooked through but still firm to bite, about 5 minutes longer. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle soup into bowls. Spoon 1 tablespoon Pistou atop each. Pass remaining Pistou separately.

SUMMER-SQUASH SOUP WITH PARSLEY MINT PISTOU

Steps:

• Make soup:
• Melt butter in a 6- to 8-quart wide heavy pot over moderate heat, then cook onion with salt, stirring, until softened, about 8 minutes. Add squash, carrots, potato, and stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, then simmer, partially covered, until vegetables are very tender, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and cool soup, uncovered, 10 minutes.
• Working in batches, purée; soup in a blender until smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids) and transfer to a bowl. Return puré to cleaned pot and thin with water if desired; simmer 3 minutes. Season with salt.
• Make pistou while vegetables simmer:
• Pulse mint, parsley, and scallion in a food processor until finely chopped. With motor running, add oil in a stream, then add water and salt, blending until incorporated.
• Swirl 1 tablespoon pistou into each bowl of soup.

FRENCH SOUPE AU PISTOU

Steps:

• In a heavy pot (about 8-quart size), combine green beans, onions, potatoes, tomatoes and stock.
• Bring to a boil, then simmer until beans and potatoes are crisp tender.
• Add the cooked white beans with their cooking water (or liquid from cans) and vermicelli, and simmer until the vermicelli is just tender.
• Combine the basil, cheese, oil and garlic in a blender or processor, and puree.
• Stir this paste into the soup, bit by bit.
• Adjust seasoning if necessary.
• After the sauce has been added, the soup may be warmed, but not boiled.
• Serve with hot or toasted slices of French bread.
• To freeze: Prepare soup up to the point of adding pesto. Cool. Place in a rigid freezer container. Seal. Place pesto in a freezer bag. Seal. Attach to the top of the freezer container with tape. Label and freeze.
• To serve: Thaw in fridge. Reheat soup on stovetop until boiling. Turn down heat and add pesto to taste. Enjoy.
• For Vegetarian use vegetable broth and a vegetarian parmesan cheese.

PROVENCAL VEGETABLE SOUP WITH PISTOU

Steps:

• In a big soup pot, heat oil over medium heat.
• Add in onion; saute until softened, about 6 minutes.
• Add in carrots, leeks, garlic, celery, thyme, salt and pepper; saute until vegetables start to soften, about 5 minutes.
• Add in wine and cook until reduced by half, about 5 minutes.
• Add in stock and potatoes; bring to a boil.
• Decrease heat and simmer until potatoes are almost tender, about 15 minutes.
• Add in beans, asparagus, squash, spinach, and peas; simmer until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in lemon juice.
• Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, if necessary.
• Ladle into heated bowls and garnish each with a dollop of pistou.

CHICKEN SOUP AU PISTOU

Steps:

• Place the olive oil in a large saucepan and heat over medium-high heat until hot. Add chicken; cook and stir about 5 minutes or until chicken is browned. Add onion; cook and stir 2 minutes.
• Add chicken broth, undrained tomatoes, northern beans, carrots, potato, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, stirring to break up tomatoes. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add green beans and cook for 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
• Ladle soup into bowls, top each with 1 teaspoon pesto and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

PURéED WHITE BEAN SOUP WITH PISTOU

Steps:

• Combine the onion, garlic, drained beans, bay leaf, sage and 2 1/2 quarts water in a large, heavy soup pot or Dutch oven and bring to a boil. Add salt to taste, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer 2 hours, until the beans are very tender and the broth is fragrant. Remove the bay leaf and sage sprig.
• Using an immersion blender, purée the soup (or you can use a regular blender, working in batches and placing a kitchen towel over the top to avoid splashing) until it is very smooth. Return to the pot, heat through, add freshly ground pepper and adjust salt. Thin out as desired with water or milk.
• Ladle the soup into bowls. Stir the pistou, and if it is very stiff, thin out with a little olive oil so that you can drizzle it into each bowl and it won't just fall in as a clump. Put about 2 teaspoons on each bowl, add a few garlic croutons if desired, and serve. Diners should stir the pistou into the soup for the best flavor.

HARICOT VERT AND RED-ONION SALAD WITH PISTOU

Steps:

• Make pistou:
• Purée all pistou ingredients in a food processor until basil is finely chopped.
• Make salad:
• Soak onion in cold water 15 minutes, then drain in a colander and pat dry.
• While onion soaks, cook beans in a 6- to 8-quart pot of boiling salted water, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until just tender, 3 to 6 minutes, then drain in a large colander. Transfer to a large bowl of ice and cold water to stop cooking, then drain again and pat dry.
• Toss beans and onion with pistou. Season with salt and pepper.

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.

PISTOU SOUP

Steps:

• Make pistou: In the bowl of a food processor, combine basil, pine nuts, garlic clove, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Pulse a few times to combine; with machine running, add 1/2 cup olive oil until mixture is pureed, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl; set aside.
• Make croutons: Preheat broiler. Place baguette slices on a baking sheet, and sprinkle each slice with 1/2 teaspoon Parmesan cheese. Place under broiler, and broil until cheese begins to brown, about 2 minutes. Remove from oven; set aside.
• Make soup: Tie together thyme, parsley, and bay leaf with kitchen twine to make a bouquet garni. In a 6-quart stockpot, heat 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add 1/2 onion, bouquet garni, and 2 garlic cloves; saute until onion begins to soften, about 4 minutes. Add shelled fava beans; cook 2 minutes more. Add 2 cups water and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Reduce heat to low; cover, and simmer gently 30 to 40 minutes. Transfer beans and cooking liquid to a bowl; reserve, and remove garlic and bouquet garni.
• While beans are cooking, bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil; add pasta and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook according to package instructions until al dente. Drain in a colander, and set aside.
• In the same saucepan used to cook the beans, heat remaining 1/4 cup olive oil over medium-high heat. Add remaining 1/2 onion with the carrot, celery, leeks, and fennel, and saute 2 minutes. Add remaining 4 cups water, teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper; cook 5 minutes more. Add peas, zucchini, reserved beans and cooking liquid, and pasta. Bring to a boil, and immediately remove from heat to preserve bright color of vegetables.
• To serve, ladle soup into four shallow bowls, and top each with a few croutons. Drizzle 2 tablespoons pistou into each bowl; garnish with Parmesan cheese.