Provencal pistou soup

8 servings

30 minutes

Provençal pistou soup is a gastronomic treasure of southern France, infused with the aroma of sunny Provence. This rich yet light soup with beans, vegetables, and dried mushrooms gains special charm from the pistou sauce—a vibrant and fresh blend of herbs, garlic, and olive oil. Similar to Italian pesto but without nuts and cheese, it adds a lively zest to the soup. Originally made by peasants using seasonal vegetables and herbs, it became not only delicious but also accessible. Warm, comforting, and incredibly fragrant, it is perfect for a family dinner or a leisurely lunch with loved ones. Its flavor palette balances the gentle sweetness of vegetables with the spiciness of herbs, creating a culinary symphony worthy of a true gourmet.

Energy value per serving

• Calories: 212.9
• Proteins: 7.2g
• Fats: 13.3g
• Carbohydrates: 18.8g

Ingredients

• Fresh cilantro (coriander): 1 bunch
• Onion: 2 pc
• Garlic: 4 clove
• Carrot: 3 pc
• Celery: 3 stem
• Tomato paste: 3 tbsp
• Fresh thyme: to taste
• Young zucchini: 2 pc
• Dried porcini mushrooms: 20 g
• Green beans (frozen): 100 g
• Frozen green peas: 100 g
• Large white beans: 100 g
• Pickled capers: to taste
• Parsley: 1 bunch
• Green basil: 1 stem
• Olive oil: 100 ml
• Green chili pepper: 1 pc
• Soy sauce: 50 ml

Cooking steps

1. Soak a handful of dried mushrooms in boiling water and cover with a lid.

   Required ingredients:

   • Dried porcini mushrooms: 20 g

2. Pour hot water over frozen beans and peas and cover them.

   Required ingredients:

   • Green beans (frozen): 100 g
   • Frozen green peas: 100 g

3. In a saucepan, sauté finely chopped onion, garlic, diced celery, carrot, and julienned zucchini. Add bay leaf and thyme.

   Required ingredients:

   • Onion: 2 pieces
   • Garlic: 4 cloves
   • Celery: 3 stems
   • Carrot: 3 pieces
   • Young zucchini: 2 pieces
   • Fresh thyme:  to taste

4. Fry everything for 10 minutes, add tomato paste, mix, and add sugar and capers with liquid (50 g).

   Required ingredients:

   • Tomato paste: 3 tablespoons
   • Pickled capers:  to taste

5. Pour hot water over the vegetables in the required amount, add finely chopped mushrooms with liquid, boiled large white beans, green beans, and peas.

   Required ingredients:

   • Dried porcini mushrooms: 20 g
   • Large white beans: 100 g
   • Green beans (frozen): 100 g
   • Frozen green peas: 100 g

6. Try the salt (I recommend under-salting and making the pistou sauce saltier).

7. Preparing the sauce: blend a bunch of parsley with an equal amount of cilantro and 1 basil stem (be careful with basil, it's very dominant - but it's a matter of taste), adding olive oil in a thin stream. Instead of salt, I added soy sauce for an Asian touch. It turned out very tasty. I made the sauce salty.

   Required ingredients:

   • Parsley: 1 bunch
   • Fresh cilantro (coriander): 1 bunch
   • Green basil: 1 stem
   • Olive oil: 100 ml
   • Soy sauce: 50 ml

8. Add sauce to the soup plate to taste.

   Required ingredients:

   • Green chili pepper: 1 piece