Soupe au Pistou

Name: Soupe au Pistou
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients: 1 cup dried white beans, soaked overnight (cannellini or navy work beautifully); 2 tbsp olive oil; 1 large large yellow onion, diced; 2 clove garlic cloves, minced fine; 2 medium medium carrots, peeled and diced; 2 medium medium zucchini, ends trimmed and diced; 1 cup fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces; 2 medium ripe tomatoes, peeled and roughly chopped; 6 cup good-quality vegetable broth; 1 tsp kosher salt; 0.5 tsp freshly ground black pepper; 1 cup small pasta shells or macaroni; 2 cup fresh basil leaves, stems removed, packed tight; 3 clove garlic cloves, peeled; 0.25 cup extra virgin olive oil, your best bottle; 0.5 tsp fine sea salt

Provençal Soupe au Pistou — Summer's Garden in a Bowl with Vibrant Basil Oil

This sunny soup captures the essence of southern France with its medley of fresh vegetables swimming in aromatic broth. The magic happens when you swirl in the pistou — that bright, garlicky basil paste that transforms each spoonful into something absolutely luminous. It's comfort food that happens to be packed with vegetables.

FrenchMediterraneanSoupVegetarianComfort FoodHealthySummer

Prep20 min

Cook45 min

Total1 hr 5 min

Servings6

Difficultyeasy

Nutrition

fat10g

carbs38g

protein12g

calories285

Ingredients

1 cupdried white beans, soaked overnight (cannellini or navy work beautifully)
2 tbspolive oil
1 largelarge yellow onion, diced
2 clovegarlic cloves, minced fine
2 mediummedium carrots, peeled and diced
2 mediummedium zucchini, ends trimmed and diced
1 cupfresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 mediumripe tomatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
6 cupgood-quality vegetable broth
1 tspkosher salt
½ tspfreshly ground black pepper
1 cupsmall pasta shells or macaroni

Pistou

2 cupfresh basil leaves, stems removed, packed tight
3 clovegarlic cloves, peeled
¼ cupextra virgin olive oil, your best bottle
½ tspfine sea salt

Instructions

Empty your soaked beans into a colander and give them a good rinse under cold water. Drop them into a large pot of boiling water and cook until they're completely tender — no chalky centers — about 45 minutes. They should yield easily when pressed between your fingers.
⏱ 45 min
Warm the olive oil in your largest heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook until it's soft and translucent, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. You want gentle sizzling, not aggressive browning.
⏱ 5 min
Stir in the minced garlic and let it bloom in the oil until fragrant, just 1 minute. Don't let it brown or it'll turn bitter — the moment you smell it, move to the next step.
⏱ 1 min
Toss in the carrots, zucchini, green beans, and tomatoes. Stir everything together and cook for 5 minutes, letting the vegetables soften slightly and the tomatoes start to break down. This builds the flavor foundation for your soup.
⏱ 5 min
Pour in the vegetable broth along with your cooked beans, salt, and pepper. Bring everything to a rolling boil, then dial back the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cover and cook for 15 minutes to let all the flavors meld together.
⏱ 15 min
Add the pasta directly to the simmering soup and cook according to the package directions until al dente, typically 8-10 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking. The pasta will continue cooking slightly in the hot broth.
⏱ 10 min
While the pasta cooks, make the pistou: combine the basil leaves, garlic cloves, olive oil, and salt in a food processor. Pulse until you have a smooth, bright green paste that's completely uniform. Scrape down the sides as needed.
Ladle the hot soup into bowls and top each serving with a generous spoonful of pistou. Let everyone stir it in themselves — watching that verdant swirl disappear into the soup is half the pleasure of this dish.