Soupe au Pistou

We have had some really unpredictable weather in Georgia this month. It seems like it goes from 85 degrees one day to 50's the next.  On the day that I planned soup, it was a cool, rainy Sunday afternoon and soup just sounded like a perfect Fall meal for a dreary day.  Two days later when I was scheduled to make the soup, it was a sunny day in the mid 80's - not really soup weather.  I decided to go ahead with my plan for soup since I had already bought all of the ingredients, knowing it was less than ideal soup weather.  

Soupe au Pistou
For the Pistou
4 cups fresh basil
1 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cloves garlic 
1 plum tomato

Process all ingredients in a food processor.   

For the soupe
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 ounce pancetta, minced
5 cloves garlic, chopped
3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
2 celery ribs, sliced
1 yellow onion, chopped
1/2 medium zucchini, chopped
1/4 head savoy cabbage, thinly shredded
8 cups chicken stock
7 whole tomatoes canned, chopped
1/3 cup broken spaghetti
15ounce can cannelini beans

​Heat oil in saucepan.  Add pancetta and cook 2 minutes.  Add garlic, carrots, celery and onions.  Cook covered 12-15  minutes.

Add zucchini and cabbage.  Cook 3-5 minutes, covered.  

Add stock and tomatoes.  ​Bring to a boil.  Add pasta and cook 8 minutes.  

​Mash 1/2 of the beans with a fork.  Add to soup along with whole beans.

​ Serve soup with a dollop of pistou.  

This soup was a hit.  The pistou really gives it nice depth and flavor.  When the weather turn cold, curl up with a warm bowl of Soupe au Pistou.  It's delicious.

Ciao!

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