Pistou is a Provençal sauce made from garlic and basil. The Argentines make a similar sauce called chimichurri, which relies on parsley and chile. But the point of these and of pesto is the same: a whack of flavor. Here, pistou wakes up a good veggie stock. But you could just as well serve it alongside plain grilled chicken or steak.
Ingredients
For the Stock
- Cooking spray
- 1 medium onion, finely diced
- 1 large leek, trimmed and finely sliced
- 1 medium fennel bulb, finely chopped
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and finely chopped
- 2 medium zucchini, finely chopped
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 medium celery stalk, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1 (14-ounce/400 g) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 (14-ounce/400 g) can diced tomatoes
- 2 cups/500 ml chicken or vegetable stock
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Lemon zest, for serving
For the Pistou Sauce
- 3 garlic cloves
- Small handful of fresh basil leaves
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 ounces/60 g Parmesan cheese, grated
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
How to Make It
- Spray a large saucepan with oil and sauté the onion and leek for 3 to 4 minutes over medium heat, stirring and adding a spoonful or two of stock if they stick. Add all the other stock ingredients to the pan, stir, season lightly, and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes.
- For the pistou sauce, put the ingredients in a blender and pulse to a smooth paste. Serve the hot soup in a deep bowl with a dollop of pistou and a final grating of lemon zest.
