Soupe au Pistou
 
vegetable soup with pesto

Pistou is a French version of pesto - very similar to Italian pesto, but without pine nuts. In this recipe, this flavorful accompaniment livens a fresh and bright vegetable soup. We love to make this dish over the summer when the vegetables are at their peak and we have plenty of fresh basil from the garden to make the pistou.

A zesty Sauvignon Blanc makes an excellent pairing against the pungent garlic and herbal notes of the pistou. For our 'Steal' wine, we feature a classic New Zealand offering from major producer Villa Maria that should be easy to find in your local wine market. Our 'Splurge' is a more refined offering from France's Sancerre region that is popular at restaurants - keep an eye out for this selection on wine lists.

Wine Pairing

"Splurge"
2010 Pascal Jolivet Sancerre 
A clean and lively style with bracing acidity and a subtle hint of residual sugar for roundness. ($24) 

"Steal"
2010 Villa Maria "Private Bin" Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough New Zealand 
Typical New Zealand goosebery notes make this value-priced selection more complex. ($15)

Soupe au Pistou Ingredients:

Soup
2 crookneck yellow squash
1 zucchini
2 leeks
2 large russet potatoes
2 large carrots
2 celery stalks
1 can crushed tomatoes
1 can chickpeas (low-sodium)
5 cups vegetable stock
1 garlic clove
3 tbsp butter
2 tbsp olive oil
1 bay leaf
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

Pistou
1 cup of fresh basil leaves
3 tbsp olive oil
1 lemon
½ cup grated parmesan cheese

Soupe au Pistou Cooking Instructions:

Basically heat olive oil and add crushed garlic for 2 minutes.  Stir in diced vegitables and cook for about 5 minutes stirring occasionally make sure vegitables get heated uniformly.  Toast chick peas on separate pan for about 3 minutes over med high heat.  Put chickpeas in vegitable mixture then add rest of ingredients and stir.  Bring to a boil then reduce heat to simmer for about an hour.

1.) Mince garlic. Dice carrots and celery, and cut up squash, zucchi, leaks and potatoes into medium-sized chunks. 

2.) In a large Dutch oven, heat butter and olive oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add fresh vegetables and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3.) In a separate skillet, add drained chickpeas and cook 3 minutes over medium-high heat, then add to vegetable mixture.

4.) Stir in remaining ingredients, then bring to a low simmer for an hour. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

5.) While soup is cooking, prepare pistou by combining ingredients in a blender or food processer and mixing until a uniform consistency. Add salt to taste.

6.) Serve soup with a tbsp of pistou as garnish on top.

 
Next Recipe:  Butternut Squash Ravioli with Brown Butter Sage Sauce