Pistou

Every culture seems to have its own version of vegetable soup.  In America, we have vegetable (+/- beef); Italy has minestrone; Spain has gazpacho....  En France, on mange une bonne soupe qu'on appelle "pistou."  (For those of you who don't speak French, the bold words are the ones to which you need to direct your attention.)

So, here is another soup recipe for the season!  In my mind, the French pistou is more of a summer (perhaps into early fall) option, but it is certainly delicious all year round.  This vegetarian dish demands to be coupled with a dense, warm bread.

Pistou 
(Anouchka & Habibi's Version)

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• ½ cup of baby carrots, diced
• 1 russet potato, diced
• 1 can of diced tomatoes (I prefer the No Salt Added varieties.)
• 1 container (4 cups) of Kitchen Basics Unsalted Vegetable Cooking Stock
• 1 ½ cups of sliced yellow squash (Pictsweet has a good frozen option.)
• Approx. 2/3 cup (86 g) of white pearl onions (Birds Eye has a good frozen option.)
• ½ cup of frozen sweet peas
• ½ cup of frozen, cut green beans
• ½ cup of chick peas/garbanzos (Canned varieties are great.)
• 1 tablespoon of tomato paste
• ¼ teaspoon of sea salt (I like Alessi 100% Natural Fine Sea Salt.)
• 3 tablespoons of prepared pesto (Better Homes & Gardens has an excellent recipe that my family swears by.  Here’s a hint:  Use walnuts instead of pine nuts to save a little money.  Also, you may wish to add a splash of lemon juice to give it a zip and to preserve the beautiful green color.)
• A healthy amount of fresh/dried basil and oregano.

Instructions:

• Using a fork, poke several sets of holes into the russet potato.  Wrap in a paper towel and pop in the microwave for about 2-3 minutes.
• Meanwhile, place everything else (except the pesto, salt & herbs) in a Dutch oven or stock pot and bring to a boil.
• Once the potato is cool enough to handle, cut into small cubes (approx. 1 inch or so).  Add to the pot.
• Reduce heat to a simmer and cover, stirring occasionally.  Add the salt and herbs to taste.
• I don’t know how long I cook it normally, but once all the veggies are tender and hot then you’ll know it’s done. ;)
• Before serving, add a small spoonful of your delicious pesto and enjoy!

Nutrition (based on 4 servings):

• Calories:  223
• Carbohydrates:  28
• Fiber:  5
• Protein:  8
• Sodium:  584
• Calcium:  11

 Bon appétit, mes chers!