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Delicious pistou soup

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Pistou soup is a classic dish from Provence that's full of fresh, delicate flavors. A blend of veggies—like carrots, potatoes, zucchini, green beans, and peas—slowly simmers in a light broth. The star ingredient is pistou, a fragrant blend of basil, garlic, olive oil, and Parmesan. Serve the soup with separately cooked pasta, adding a generous spoonful of pistou to each bowl right before eating. It's like tasting Provence in every spoonful.

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alicia in the kitchen
Updated on Wed, 18 Jun 2025 09:01:26 GMT
Classic pistou soup Pin it
Classic pistou soup | tasteofsavor.com

This veggie soup with pistou is a cozy, flavor-packed dish passed down through generations in Provence. Every spoonful brings you straight to southern France with its fresh veggies and a bright, herby pistou.

The first time I made this soup for my family on a chilly fall night, it instantly became our go-to Sunday tradition. The smell of simmering veggies and fragrant basil made the whole house feel warm and inviting.

Tasty Ingredients

  • For the pistou
  • 4 cups fresh basil leaves (about 40g): makes everything smell amazing
  • 2 garlic cloves: brings a punchy kick
  • 1/3 cup grated parmesan (around 50g): adds a lovely savory note
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil: use the best you’ve got, extra virgin is awesome
  • Salt and pepper: season to taste so everything pops
  • For the soup
  • 4 tablespoons oil: for frying, helps veg taste great
  • 1 medium onion: brings natural sweetness
  • 1 leek: for that subtle sweet vibe
  • 1 celery stick: gives freshness and crunch
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme or a few sprigs fresh: for that classic aroma
  • 500g potatoes: adds bulk and comfort
  • 1 medium zucchini (about 350g): goes all soft when cooked
  • 2 big carrots: sweetens things up
  • 2 liters water: this’s the soupy base
  • Big handful green beans (about 200g): you’ll love that snap
  • One 400g can of white beans: packs a protein boost
  • 1 cup peas, frozen or fresh (about 120g): brings a sweet pop
  • Salt and pepper: just a little more for the soup
  • Extra
  • 300g small pasta (like elbows): cook on the side to keep them just right

Simple Step-By-Step Directions

Get the pistou ready:
In a food processor, blitz basil leaves with salt, garlic, and parmesan until you’ve got a chunky paste. Carefully stir in the olive oil or pulse on low. Don’t blend long or on high or the pistou might turn a bit bitter.
Dish up and add pistou:
Ladle soup into bowls. Pile in some of those cooked pasta. Top each with a generous spoon of pistou. Swirl it through at the table right before you dig in so it’s super fresh.
Final bits for the soup:
Chuck in peas and canned white beans with their water. Let it all bubble for another couple minutes, just enough to keep peas green and tasty.
Drop in green beans:
Toss the green beans into the pot and turn up the heat until it’s bubbling. Simmer for about eight minutes till the beans are still a little snappy.
Mix and let it simmer:
Put the onion, leek, and thyme mix back in. Pour in water to cover all the veggies. Simmer gently for 15 minutes so things soften up, but veggies aren’t mushy.
Give your veggies some color:
Add another two spoons of oil to the pot, turn up the heat, then throw in carrot, celery, potato, and zucchini. Let them sit for a minute or so without stirring to get a bit of color. Stir and cook for another minute or two. This makes them extra tasty.
Start with the aromatics:
Heat two tablespoons oil in a big pot. Add onion, leek, and thyme. Cook gently around eight minutes until onions are see-through with a bit of gold. Pull them out onto a plate for later.
Veggie chopping time:
Dice potatoes into 1-inch cubes, cut zucchini into half-moons about a half-inch thick, slice carrots and celery thinly, leek into skinny rounds, and finely slice your onion. This way, everything cooks evenly and looks great in your bowl.
Season to taste:
Take the pot off the heat. Add salt and pepper till you like how it tastes. Try it and tweak so it’s perfectly balanced.

Basil’s the real MVP here. Every summer, I grow a bunch of basil on my balcony—just so I can make a proper pistou for this soup. Its bold aroma takes basic veggies and makes them sing. Tastes like summer markets in Provence!

Storing and Make-Ahead Tips

Pop leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge—they’ll be good for three days. If you want to freeze, do just the soup (skip the pasta and pistou for now). When you’re ready to eat, warm the soup up gently, then toss in freshly cooked pasta and make a new batch of pistou so everything stays tasty and just right.

Taste the vibrant French pistou soup Pin it
Taste the vibrant French pistou soup | tasteofsavor.com

Fun Variations and Easy Swaps

This dish is super flexible depending on what’s in season. In summer, load up on fresh tomatoes and peppers. When fall rolls around, add pumpkin or squash. In the colder months, root veggies like parsnips or rutabagas bring a sweet note. No basil? Parsley pistou totally works. Going vegan? Just use nutritional yeast instead of parmesan.

Backstory and Traditions

Pistou soup got its start around Nice, showing off the Italian influence in Provence cooking. Pistou’s like pesto’s French cousin, but it skips pine nuts. People first made this soup in the summer when gardens were overflowing with basil and veg. Now, it still stands for good-for-you, Mediterranean-style food that highlights local stuff.

Frequently Asked Questions

→ What's special about pistou soup?

This Provençal soup is loaded with veggies like potatoes, zucchini, green beans, and peas, topped with a pistou sauce made from basil, garlic, and cheese.

→ Can basil in pistou be swapped out?

Yes, you can use parsley instead for a slightly different yet delicious version.

→ Should the pasta cook in the soup?

Cooking the pasta separately is best to keep it from getting too soft. Add it when serving.

→ How can I keep the pistou fresh?

To keep its fresh aroma, stir the pistou directly into each bowl instead of the hot pot.

→ Is this soup customizable?

Definitely! You can use any vegetables you have on hand to tailor it to your taste.

Classic pistou soup

A flavorful pistou soup made with fresh veggies and herbs, perfect for comforting moments.

Prep Time
25 Minutes
Cook Time
45 Minutes
Total Time
70 Minutes
By: Alicia

Category: Soups & Stews

Difficulty: Intermediate

Cuisine: French

Yield: 6 Servings

Dietary: Vegetarian

Ingredients

→ Soup

01 4 tablespoons of oil for cooking
02 1 medium onion
03 1 leek
04 1 stick of celery
05 1 teaspoon of dried thyme or a few sprigs of fresh thyme
06 500 g of potatoes
07 1 medium zucchini (350 g)
08 2 large carrots
09 2 liters of water
10 200 g of green beans
11 1 can of cannellini beans (400 g)
12 120 g of frozen peas (preferred)
13 Salt and pepper to taste

→ Pistou

14 40 g of basil leaves (about 1 large bunch)
15 2 cloves of garlic
16 50 g of grated parmesan
17 3 tablespoons of olive oil
18 Salt and pepper to taste

→ Extras

19 300 g of small pasta (macaroni or similar, to be cooked separately)

Instructions

Step 01

Dice the potatoes into 1-inch cubes. Slice the zucchini into half-moons or circles (about 1/2 inch thick). Cut the carrots into thin rounds (5 mm), mince the onion, shred the leek, and chop the celery into small pieces (also 5 mm).

Step 02

Warm 2 tablespoons of oil in a big pot. Toss in the thyme, leeks, and onion. Cook them slowly on low heat for 8 minutes. Once softened, remove and keep aside.

Step 03

Use the same pot and pour in another 2 tablespoons of oil. Heat it up until hot, then add celery, zucchini, potatoes, and carrots. Let them sear for 3 minutes without stirring right away so they get some color. After that, stir everything.

Step 04

Place the softened onions, leeks, and thyme back into the pot with the browned veggies. Add 2 liters of water, ensuring it covers the ingredients. Simmer gently on low heat for 15 minutes before adding the green beans. Let it boil, then reduce to a simmer for another 8 minutes. After that, stir in the peas and cannellini beans along with their liquid. Simmer for just 2 minutes more before turning off the heat and adding salt and pepper as you like.

Step 05

Ladle the soup into bowls. Spoon in some pre-cooked pasta, then place a generous dollop of pistou on top of each bowl. Stir the pistou into the soup right before enjoying.

Step 06

Blend the basil leaves with a pinch of salt, garlic, and grated parmesan in a food processor until a thick paste forms. Add the olive oil and stir it gently by hand or pulse briefly on low speed to keep the basil's fresh flavor.

Notes

  1. You can swap out the basil pistou for one made with parsley—it tastes just as good.
  2. Don't mix the pistou straight into the large soup pot. Add it to each bowl right before serving to keep its flavor fresh.
  3. Cooking the pasta separately prevents it from soaking up too much liquid and becoming mushy.
  4. Feel free to customize this dish with your favorite vegetables.

Tools You'll Need

  • Large pot
  • Kitchen knife
  • Blender or food processor

Allergy Information

Please check ingredients for potential allergens and consult a health professional if in doubt.
  • Gluten present (from pasta)
  • Contains dairy products (parmesan)

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)

It is important to consider this information as approximate and not to use it as definitive health advice.
  • Calories: 280
  • Total Fat: 11 g
  • Total Carbohydrate: 35 g
  • Protein: 7 g