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Provençal Soup

This Provençal soup, known as pistou, is great for using up bags of pasta lurking in the cupboard that don’ t quite hold enough for a whole meal but that you don’ t want to waste, either. Feel free to swap the veg, depending on what you have to hand, and likewise the basil sauce can be made with a mixture of herbs, including oregano, thyme, marjoram and rocket.

Ingredients

Serves: 4
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes

  • 1 heaped tbsp butter

  • 2 leeks, sliced

  • 2 carrots, diced

  • 1 celery stalk, sliced

  • 1 fennel bulb, sliced

  • 1 bouquet garni, made up of a large bay leaf, few sprigs thyme and parsley

  • 1l/35fl oz/4 cups vegetable stock

  • 75g/2½oz spaghettini or dried pasta shape of choice

  • 235g/8½oz/2 cups (drained weight) tinned butter beans

  • 2 courgettes, quartered length-ways and sliced

  • 55g/2oz/½ cup fresh shelled peas or frozen petits pois

  • 4 thick slices day-old country-style bread

  • BASIL SAUCE

  • 4 large handfuls basil leaves, plus extra to serve

  • 2 garlic cloves

  • 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

  • 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

  • sea salt and freshly ground black pepper


From  Veggienomics

Watkins Media, 2014

1

Heat the olive oil in a large casserole over a medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes until softened. Turn the heat down slightly and add the carrots, turnips, garlic and coriander seeds and cook, part-covered, for another 5 minutes, stirring regularly, until the carrots have softened slightly.

2

Stir in the ground spices and chilli flakes then add the lentils. Pour in the stock, stir well and bring to the boil. Turn the heat to low, part-cover the pan and simmer for 15 minutes until the lentils are almost tender.

3

Stir in the dates and the preserved lemons and cook, covered, for 10 minutes or until the lentils are tender. Add a splash more stock or water, if the tagine needs it. Season with salt and pepper, scatter the coriander over and serve in bowls with couscous by the side.i.

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