Soupe au Pistou
This hearty soup from France's Provence region is made of summer vegetables, beans, potatoes, and pasta. It is topped off with the French pistou sauce, similiar to the Italian pesto but without the pine nuts. Though it is a summer food in France, I find it to be a perfect meal on a cold winter night. What you need: 4 tbsp olive oil 1 onion, chopped 2 carrots, peeled and chopped 2 potatoes, peeled and chopped 2 leeks, chopped 2 cups green beans, chopped 1 zucchini, chopped 2 cups white beans, cooked or canned (without juice) 4 tomatoes, chopped 7 cups water 4 tsp salt 1 tsp pepper for the pistou sauce 1 cup packed fresh basil 4 cloves garlic 1/2 tsp salt 4 tbsp olive oil In a large pot, sauté the onions, leeks, carrots, and potatoes in olive oil for 10 minutes or until slightly soft (but not brown). Add the green beans and zucchini and sauté for another 7 minutes. Add the salt, pepper, and water and cook until the broth begins to boil. Add the white beans and tomatoes and cook for ...