Dec 12 Pistou Soup

Ingredients

• Pistou

  • 4 garlic cloves, peeled and halved
  • 2 cups (500 mL) fresh basil
  • 3/4 cup (175 mL) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2/3 cup (150 mL) olive oil
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper

• Soup

  • 3/4 cup (175 mL) dried cannellini beans (soaked overnight)
  • 3/4 cup (175 mL) dried red kidney beans (soaked overnight)
  • 1 tbsp (15 mL) olive oil
  • 1 large purple onion, diced
  • 4 strips of bacon, cut
  • into matchsticks
  • 3 Yukon gold potatoes, diced
  • 3 carrots, peeled and diced
  • 1 zucchini, diced
  • 2 celery stalks, diced
  • 1 leek, white part only, cut into thin rounds
  • 6 cups water
  • 3 Roma tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tbsp (15 mL) fresh sage, minced
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

Pistou:
Using a mortar and pestle, crush garlic with a pinch of salt. Add basil and crush with pestle until it forms a paste. Add in cheese and while mixing, pour in olive oil in a slow, steady stream until all ingredients are well mixed and paste is fairly smooth. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour before using.

Soup:
Heat oil in a large pot set over medium heat. Add onion and bacon, and cook until the bacon has rendered its fat. Add potatoes, carrots, zucchini, celery, and leek and sauté for 5 to 7 minutes. Add water, tomatoes, bay leaves, sage and beans to pot; simmer for about 30 minutes or until all vegetables are tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove bay leaves before serving.

To Assemble:
Ladle the soup into bowls and using a pastry bag, squeeze a circular swirl of Pistou into soup (about 1 tbsp). Place the remaining Pistou on the dinner table so more can be added if desired.

Serves 4

Credit: Brandon Boone