Cold Weather Soupe au Pistou (Diana Henry)

Cold Weather Soupe au Pistou (Diana Henry)

I googled about soupe au pistou and here's a great definition: The French have imposed their own pronunciation on the Italian minestrone to describe a hearty soup of boiled vegetables and pasta. The Provençal pistou is a pomade of garlic, fresh basil, grated cheese, and olive oil, descendant of the Genovese pesto. A soupe au pistou is a minestrone into which, at the moment of serving, a pistou is incorporated. Beyond that point of definition, no two are alike. [Source]

This week, IHCC's theme is Happy, Healthy! I choose Diana Henry's Cold Weather Soupe au Pistou; although there's no winter in Malaysia, we do have cold rainy season here. Some states are severely flooded!

This soup, packed with vegetables and beans (with added pasta), is definitely a yummy and healthy dish for happy tummies. :)

Recipe adapted from here.

Ingredients:
(Serves 4)

Note: I've halved the recipe.

For the soup:

2 generous tablespoons rice bran oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 celery stick, chopped
1 cup pumpkin, cubed
1 potato, chopped into small chunks
Salt and pepper
3 cups low-sodium chicken stock
1 cup flageolet beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup animal-shaped pasta

For the pesto:

2 tablespoons walnuts
2 tablespoons pine nuts
1/2 garlic clove, crushed
A handful fresh coriander leaves
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons grated Cheddar cheese

How to:

1. To make the soup: Heat up oil in a deep saucepan. Add onion and carrot; sauté for 5 minutes. Add the rest of the vegetables, season with salt and pepper; sauté for 10 minutes. Pour in chicken stock and simmer for 5 minutes. Add beans and cook for 5 minutes.

2. To make the pesto: Put the nuts, garlic, coriander leaves, and half the oil into a food processor. Pulse-blend, then stir in the remaining oil and grated cheese.

3. To serve: Top the soup with spoonfuls of pesto, serving the rest alongside.