Soupe au Pistou

By The Canadian Living Test Kitchen

27 people added this to their Recipe Box

This recipe makes 8 servings

Ingredients

1-1/4 1-1/4cups cupsdried white beans, (such as cannellini, navy or flageolet)
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 1 1tbsp tbspextra-virgin olive oil
1 onion , finely chopped1 1oniononions, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic , minced3 3cloves garlic, minced
1 stalk celery , thinly sliced1 1stalk stalkcelery, thinly sliced
6 carrots , diced6 6carrotcarrots, diced
1/2 tsp salt 1/2 1/2tsp tspsalt
1/2 tsp pepper 1/2 1/2tsp tsppepper
6 cups water 6 6cups cupswater
5 cups chicken stock 5 5cups cupschicken stock or vegetable stock
1 bay leaf 1 1bay leafbay leaves
1 fresh thyme sprig 1 1fresh thyme sprigfresh thyme sprigs
4 small red potatoes , cubed4 4small red potatoes, cubed
1 1small fennel bulbfennel bulbs, trimmed, cored and cubed
3 3plum tomatoplum tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced
1 zucchini , diced1 1zucchinizucchinis, diced
4 oz thin green beans 4 4oz ozthin green beangreen beans or haricots verts
2 cups shelled fresh peas 2 2cups cupsshelled fresh peafresh peas or frozen peas
3/4 cup broken vermicelli 3/4 3/4cup cupbroken vermicelli
Pistou:
1-1/2 1-1/2cups cupslightly packed fresh basil leaffresh basil leaves
1 1cup cupgrated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1/4 1/4cup cupextra-virgin olive oil
4 large cloves garlic , minced4 4large cloves garlic, minced

Preparation

Rinse beans and sort, if necessary, discarding any blemished ones and any grit.

In large saucepan, cover beans with 3 times their volume of water. Bring to boil; boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat; cover and let stand for 1 hour. Drain. Return soaked beans to pan along with 3 times their volume of fresh water. Bring to boil; reduce heat, cover and simmer until beans are tender, about 3 hours. (Or soak overnight, drain and cook with 3 times their volume of water until tender, about 2-1/2 hours.) Drain; set aside.

Meanwhile, in Dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat; cook onion, garlic, celery, carrots, salt and pepper until onion is softened, about 6 minutes. Stir in water, stock, bay leaf and thyme; bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Add cooked beans, potatoes and fennel; return to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until potatoes are almost tender, about 5 minutes.

Add tomatoes, zucchini, haricots verts, peas and vermicelli. (Note: If using frozen peas, add during last minute of cooking.) Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until haricots verts and peas are tender.

Pistou: Meanwhile, in food processor, pur?basil with cheese; gradually blend in oil in thin, steady stream. Transfer to bowl; stir in garlic. (Make-ahead: Transfer to resealable plastic bag, press out air and refrigerate for up to 1 day or freeze for up to 2 weeks.)

To serve, ladle soup into warmed bowls. Top with generous dollop of pistou.