Soupe au Pistou
Provencal vegetable soup with basil pesto
Ingredients
- 1 tin Cannellini beans
- 1 Zucchini
- 150 g Green beans
- 1 Potatoes
- 1 Carrot
- 2 Tomato
- 3 cloves Garlic
- 20 Basil
- 5 tbsp Extra-virgin olive oil
- 1500 ml Vegetable stock
- 1 tsp Salt
Method
- Dice the zucchini, green beans, potato, carrot, and tomato.
- Simmer the vegetables and white beans in the stock until tender, about 25 minutes.
- While the soup simmers, pound the basil and garlic with the olive oil into a rough pistou.
- Take the soup off the heat, then ladle it into bowls and stir a spoonful of pistou into each.
- Serve hot with the rest of the pistou alongside.
Tap “Start cooking” for live timers that flag what to get ahead on while something simmers.
About Soupe au Pistou
Soupe au pistou is the Provençal cousin of Italian minestrone, a high-summer vegetable soup from the south of France defined not by what simmers in the pot but by what is stirred in at the end. That finishing touch is pistou, a raw paste of basil, garlic, and olive oil pounded together, essentially the Provençal answer to pesto minus the pine nuts and cheese. Zucchini, green beans, potato, carrot, and tomato are simmered with white beans into a gentle, brothy base, deliberately kept clean and simple so the pistou can shine. Adding the basil paste off the heat is essential, because heat dulls fresh basil's perfume and the whole dish is built around that bright, garlicky lift.
The result tastes like a garden at its peak: tender vegetables and creamy cannellini beans in a light broth, suddenly perfumed with the peppery, herbal punch of raw basil and garlic the moment you stir the pistou in. It is a vegan, fiber-rich bowl that feels virtuous without tasting austere, filling but never heavy. Traditionally it is a warm-weather supper in Provence, served with extra pistou passed at the table so each person can adjust the intensity to taste. A crust of bread rubbed with garlic alongside makes it a complete, unhurried meal.
Soupe au Pistou: frequently asked questions
How many calories are in Soupe au Pistou?
A serving has about 361 calories — 14.2g protein, 37.9g carbs, 19.2g fat, 9.7g fiber. Figures are estimated from the ingredient amounts and will shift with your portions and brands.
Is Soupe au Pistou gluten-free?
Based on its ingredients, Soupe au Pistou has no gluten-containing components, so it's naturally gluten-free — as always, check that any packaged ingredients you use are certified gluten-free to be safe.
How long does Soupe au Pistou take to make?
About 50 minutes start to finish, but only around 18 of those are hands-on — the rest is largely unattended cooking time you can step away from. In the Homecooked app the timers and parallel steps are sequenced for you so the hands-on part feels even shorter.
How many servings does Soupe au Pistou make?
This recipe makes 4 servings. In the app you can scale it up or down and the ingredient amounts adjust automatically.