I know what you’re thinking… Soup? In the Summer?! Yeah, yeah. Maybe it’s wishful thinking on my part, but sometimes you have to lure the cooler weather in by enticing it with appropriate foods. I don’t know, maybe it’s working. It’s at least coming off the triple digits for a few days here. That being said, this Pistou Soup is very light and definitely is more of a Spring or Summer soup because of that.

It starts off with a base of onion, leek, and celery and is then layered with some potato, green beans, peas and more! Like I said, this is soup that’s packed with vegetables while also being meatless. The soup is topped off with a pistou, which is basically a pesto that’s made with basil, garlic, and some cheese too.

I chose to go with an assortment of colored fingerling potatoes, but really you could use any that suit your fancy. I did really like how the purple potatoes added even more of a pop of color to the soup though. And I would have used fresh peas if they had been an option at my store this go-round, but they weren’t. The cannellini beans are only here to add just a little bit more of a a hearty and filling bit to the soup.

At the end of it, this soup is a great one to make ahead and reheat for dinner. Just keep the pasta separate from the rest of the soup until you’re ready to enjoy. Otherwise the noodles will soak up all the broth. So there you have it, a Summer friendly soup that isn’t gazpacho!

Pistou Soup

Yield: 6

Author: The Skinny Fork (Amanda Plott)

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 20 MinTotal time: 30 Min

A light vegetable based soup with some pasta and a homemade pistou to top it off!

Ingredients

Soup

2 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 White Onion, Chopped
1 Leek, Cleaned & Sliced
1 Celery Stalk, Sliced
1 Tsp. Dried Thyme
1 Lb. Fingerling Potatoes, Halved & Quartered
1 Zucchini, Sliced
2 Carrots, Diced
1 Handful Fresh Green Beans
1 C. Fresh Green Peas
8 C. Water
1 (15 Oz.) Can Cannellini Beans, Drained & Rinsed
Salt & Pepper to Taste
2 1/2 C. Small Pasta, Cooked

Pistou

4 C. Fresh Basil Leaves
2 Garlic Cloves
1/3 C. Grated Parmesan Cheese
3 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper to Taste

Instructions

Place the 2 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil into the bottom of a large stock pot and heat over medium-high heat.
Add in the 1 White Onion, 1 Leek, 1 Celery Stalk, and 1 Tsp. Dried Thyme and cook for about 5 minutes or until the veggies are tender. Remove the veggies and set to the side.
Place the 1 Lb. Fingerling Potatoes,1 Zucchini, and 2 Carrots into the pot and cook for about 3 minutes.
Add in the 1 Handful Fresh Green Beans, 1 C. Fresh Green Peas, and 8 C. Water.
Bring it all to a boil and reduce the heat to simmer for about 15-20 minutes.
While the soup is cooking, blend together the 4 C. Fresh Basil Leaves, 2 Garlic Cloves, 1/3 C. Grated Parmesan Cheese, 3 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and Salt & Pepper to Taste. Set aside in the fridge to chill.
Add in the 1 Can Cannellini Beans and Salt & Pepper to Taste. Continue to cook for another 5-10 minutes.
Once done, divide the cooked pasta among bowls. About 1/4 C. of the cooked pasta to each.
Spoon in the cooked soup to divide evenly among the bowls as well.
Top each with some of the chilled pistou.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

375.5

Fat (grams)

14.22

Sat. Fat (grams)

2.68

Carbs (grams)

52.46

Fiber (grams)

9.7

Net carbs

42.75

Sugar (grams)

5.98

Protein (grams)

13.29

Sodium (milligrams)

364.14

Cholesterol (grams)

4.83

Nutritional Claims: Balanced • High Fiber • Vegetarian • Pescatarian • Mediterranean • Egg Free • Peanut Free • Tree Nut Free • Soy Free • Fish Free • Shellfish Free • Pork Free • Red Meat Free • Crustacean Free • Mustard Free • Sesame Free • Lupine Free • Mollusk Free • Alcohol Free • No Sugar Added • Sulphite Free • Kosher