Recipe: "Soupe au Pistou"
As you already know, here at Les Jardins de La Pascalinette® four-star campsite, we’re mad about good food!
Here is one of Provence’s most iconic recipes – and it’s very easy to prepare too. Listen out for the sound of chirping cicadas while you’re making it! The Soupe au Pistou.
Sometimes mistaken for pesto, pistou is much easier and tastier: it is a paste made only with basil, garlic and olive oil. A vital ingredient of our irresistible Soupe au Pistou, you can also add it to your tomato and mozzarella salads and light holiday meals!
Ingredients (for 6 people)
150 g kidney beans
150 g haricot beans
200 g green beans
4 carrots
2 large tomatoes (optional)
2 large potatoes
2 courgettes
2 white onions
150 g pasta shells
Grated Parmesan cheese (or Gruyere if you prefer)
5 garlic cloves
1 large handful basil leaves
Cold-pressed virgin olive oil
Salt & pepper
(if the beans are dried, soak them beforehand and increase the cooking time)
Prepare the pistou (while the soup is cooking)
Crush the peeled garlic cloves using a pestle and mortar. Gradually add the basil leaves and a drizzle of olive oil until you obtain a paste. Season with salt and pepper. (You can also use a blender but it’s less traditional!) (You can freeze your pistou in ice trays).
- Wash, peel and dice the vegetables (do not peel the courgettes)
- Bring 3 litres of salted water to the boil in a large pot. Add the vegetables and beans (except the potatoes) and cook for 90 minutes. Add the potatoes and cook for a further 30 minutes, then add the pasta shells and cook for another 15 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and add the pistou sauce, mix, cover and leave for 10 to 15 minutes, then serve with optional grated Gruyere or Parmesan cheese.
Bon appétit! And long live Provence!