• >
  • Recipes
  • >
  • Pistou Soup

Pistou Soup

A light, spicy twist on a traditional summer vegetable soup. French 'pistou' is a distant relative of the Italian pesto, but my version reflects the Vietnamese influence on modern French food.

Recipe courtesy Rachel Khoo
Show: Little Paris Kitchen: Cooking with Rachel Khoo Episode: Quiche Lorraine
TOTAL TIME: 1 hr 5 min
Prep: 25 min
Inactive Prep: --
Cook: 40 min
YIELD: 4 to 6 servings
LEVEL: Easy

ingredients

VIETNAMESE PISTOU:
  • 5 tablespoons sunflower oil
  • 1 bunch fresh Vietnamese or Thai basil, chopped
  • 1 stalk lemongrass, roughly chopped
  • 1/2 small red chile, seeds removed
SOUP:
  • 8 1/2 cups boiling water
  • 7 ounces/200g green beans, cut into small pieces
  • 3 1/2 ounces/100g dried small pasta, such as orzo
  • 7 ounces/200g fresh or frozen peas
  • One 14-ounce/400g white beans, such as haricots blancs, cannellini, drained and rinsed
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • Pinch sugar
  • Freshly ground black pepper
recipe tools

    • COMMENT ON THIS PROJECT

        

    Sign in

    All fields are required.

    E-mail Address:

    Password:

    Remember me on this computer

    Signing in

    Please enter your email address and we will send your password

    E-mail Address

    Your password has been sent and should arrive in your mailbox very soon.

    Not a member?

    Sign up for My Cooking Channel to share photos, show off your style, and connect to an enthusiastic and helpful community.

    It's free and easy.

  • Print Recipe

Directions

For the pistou: Combine the oil, basil, lemongrass and chile in a mortar and pestle or food processor and crush together.

For the soup: Heat the olive oil in a large pot. Add the garlic and onions and cook gently, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent. Add the tomato puree, bay leaves, carrots, courgettes and thyme and cook until the vegetables are al dente (tender but still a little crunchy), 15 to 20 minutes. Add the boiling water and green beans and return to a boil, and then add the pasta. Cook until the pasta is al dente, 10 minutes.

Stir in the peas and white beans. Remove the sprig of thyme and the bay leaves, and then add the salt and sugar and black pepper to taste.

Serve immediately in bowls, with a dollop of Vietnamese pistou on top of the soup.

COMMENT ON THIS PROJECT

    

Sign in

All fields are required.

E-mail Address:

Password:

Remember me on this computer

Signing in

Please enter your email address and we will send your password

E-mail Address

Your password has been sent and should arrive in your mailbox very soon.

Not a member?

Sign up for My Cooking Channel to share photos, show off your style, and connect to an enthusiastic and helpful community.

It's free and easy.

Review This Recipe

You must be logged in to review this recipe.

or Sign Up to Review

5

Newest Ratings and Reviews

Read all 1 reviews

  • on January 06, 2013

    Flag

    I watched The Little Paris Kitchen, and was quit impressed, and tried this Pistou Soup. This is the best soup I have tasted. There are so many flavors, I love it. I want to see more of Rachel Khoo, and The Little Paris Kitchen.

    people found this review Helpful.
    Was this review helpful to you? Yes | No
Advertisement

On TV

*ALL TIMES EASTERN
ON AIR
NOW
TONIGHT
10:00
PM

what's hot

Road Trip with G. Garvin
Road Trip with G. Garvin Host: G. Garvin

Get Cooking Channel on your TV.

Learn How