Classic pistou blend (Print Version)

# Ingredients:

→ Soup

01 - 4 tablespoons of cooking oil
02 - 1 medium onion
03 - 1 medium leek
04 - 1 celery stalk
05 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme or a few sprigs of fresh thyme
06 - 500 g potatoes
07 - 1 medium zucchini (about 350 g)
08 - 2 large carrots
09 - 2 liters of water
10 - 200 g green beans
11 - 1 can cannellini beans (400 g)
12 - 120 g frozen peas (or fresh if you have them)
13 - Salt and pepper to taste

→ Pistou

14 - 40 g basil leaves (roughly 1 large bunch)
15 - 2 cloves of garlic
16 - 50 g grated Parmesan cheese
17 - 3 tablespoons olive oil
18 - Salt and pepper to taste

→ Extras

19 - 300 g small pasta (like macaroni) cooked separately

# Instructions:

01 - Dice the potatoes into 1-inch cubes, slice the zucchini into thin rounds or half-moons, cut the carrots into 5-mm rounds, the leek into thin rings, and the celery into 5-mm slices. Finely chop the onion.
02 - Warm up 2 tablespoons of oil in a big pot over low heat. Toss in the onion, leek, and thyme. Cook gently for about 8 minutes, then scoop them out and set aside.
03 - In the same pot, pour in another 2 tablespoons of oil. Heat it up on medium-high, then add the potatoes, carrots, celery, and zucchini. Let them cook for about 3 minutes, stirring sparingly at first so they get a little golden.
04 - Add the thyme, onion, and leek back to the pot. Pour in 2 liters of water until the veggies are covered. Let it simmer on low heat for 15 minutes. Add in the green beans and let it boil, then reduce to a simmer for another 8 minutes. Stir in the peas and cannellini beans with their liquid at the end and simmer for another 2 minutes. Take the pot off the heat and season with salt and black pepper.
05 - Ladle the soup into bowls, toss in some of the cooked pasta, and finish with a dollop of pistou. Stir the pistou just before enjoying your soup.
06 - Using a blender, blend the basil leaves with garlic, salt, and Parmesan cheese into a thick paste. Slowly pour in the olive oil and combine either by stirring manually or blending on low speed. Avoid blending on high to keep the basil’s flavor fresh and vibrant.

# Notes:

01 - You can switch out the basil pistou for a parsley version—it’s still delicious.
02 - Add the pistou to bowls of soup just before eating rather than mixing it into the full pot to keep the flavor fresh.
03 - Cooking the pasta separately helps avoid having them go soggy if the soup sits too long.
04 - Feel free to throw in any veggies you prefer to customize this dish.

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