Who Wants A Hearty Winter Soup Pistou?
Easy: I do!
As we begin to leave fall behind and settle into winter, I am pulling out a favorite recipe from the legendary Patricia Wells: a deliciously hearty Soup Pistou!
For those who read along, my wife Alex and I once attended a cooking class at Patricia’s home in Provence…and this great cookbook was our original inspiration for taking her class.
I will share more of our adventure with her, but in the summer of 2024, Alex and I had coffee with her and husband Walter, a great reunion in the small town of Vaison la Romaine – it was so great to see them again!
She has decided to stop with the cooking classes, so we will always treasure our time with her and the friendship that resulted….so let’s honor her with this recipe from that cookbook:
prep time: 15 min. cook time: ~45 min. serves: 6-8
INGREDIENTS
extra virgin olive oil
kosher salt
black pepper
1 yellow onion, diced
2 large celery stalks, diced
2 large carrots, diced
1 small zucchini, diced
1 small yellow squash, diced
1 medium yukon gold potato, diced
1 tbsp tomato paste
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 lb fresh tomatoes, peeled, cored and diced
1-20 oz can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
6-8 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1 parmesan rind
1 large bay leaf
6 sprigs thyme
1 cup orzo pasta
10 oz green beans, trimmed and cut into 2” pieces
As you can see, a very robust recipe! And as for the Pistou:
First, a definition:
“Pistou is an uncooked sauce that comes from France’s Provence region and typically contains basil, garlic and olive oil.”
Here are the ingredients needed:
2 cups packed basil, roughly chopped
1 plump garlic clove, roughly chopped
1/3-1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp lemon zest
kosher salt
black pepper
With everything assembled, let’s go!
Heat oil in a large heavy bottom soup pot over medium- high heat. Add garlic, leeks and onion and cook, stirring often until the onion starts to brown, 9 to 10 minutes.
Here’s a short video showing the process:
Add the herbes de Provence, salt and pepper, and cook stirring for 30 seconds, then add in broth, potatoes, rosemary and Seasonal Veggie Medley. Bring to a simmer over high heat, reduce heat to maintain a simmer and cook until the vegetables are tender, 10 to 12 minutes.
For the next step, Patricia mashes one portion of beans but I used whole beans, which I added to the simmering soup.
Next, you let it simmer….just like this – and yes, the smell will make you very happy:
After it has simmered for up to an hour, you then just ladle the soup into a bowl and add the macaroni, then top with shredded parmesan and gruyere, and 2 tablespoons of that delicious pistou – voila!
As usual, I shot the entire process and here is a video that shows the entire “making of” this delicious, nutritious soup…
Bravo to Patricia Wells for capturing all of the traditional flavors of Provence in her cookbooks!
As I said, Alex and I cooked with her, and that meant cooking on the stove that Julia Child gave her!
We had a wild week of fun at that cooking class, and you can see some of our adventures by clicking on my story here:
I cook from a lot of Patricia’s cookbooks – here’s proof:
And of course, one of the most iconic French dishes is this!
Yes, A Classic “French Onion Soup!”
I love this so much, I make it often – here’s Patricia’s recipe!
This recipe from Patricia is a favorite one of mine for holidays or Easter:
Who’s kidding who? It’s perfect anytime you want some lamb!
See her “Gigot D’Agneau” recipe here:
And if you want to live every day like someone in Provence, you have to eat like one, and here is an everyday sandwich that I love:
The Classic “Pan Bagnat!”
Of course, I used Patricia’s recipe as well!
See the recipe here:
I am sharing and storing all of these recipes here!
It’s your site for all things food – if you like what you see, please click on my link and follow this blog as well!
If you like the story, share it with friends on social media!
Categories: Bite Eat Swallow, Bite! Eat! Repeat!, Chef memoirs, Cookbooks, Eat This!, Food, Food Pictures, Food Travel, Recipes, Travel, World's Wildest Food
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