Soupe au Pistou (Provençal Vegetable Soup with Basil)

Ingredients

For 6 portions

• 🏺 6 Tbsp olive oil
• 🧅 1 medium onions
• 🧅 1 medium leek
• 🥕 2 medium carrots
• 🥔 300g potato
• 🥒 2 medium courgette
• 🪴 200g green beans
• 🍅 2 medium tomato
• 🫘 400g white beans, canned
• 🍝 100g macaroni (dry)
• 🍆 1 cube vegetable stock cube
• 🥤 1,500ml tap water
• 🧂 1 Tsp salt
• 🌿 40g basil
• 🧄 3 cloves garlic

Method

1. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and sliced leek and cook gently for 8 minutes until soft but not brown.
2. Add the carrots and potato, cut into 1 cm dice, and the chopped tomatoes. Cook for 3 minutes.
3. Pour in the water with the crumbled stock cube (check it's vegan) and the salt. Bring to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes.
4. Add the courgettes, cut into 1 cm dice, the green beans, cut into 2 cm lengths, and the drained white beans. Simmer for 10 minutes.
5. Add the pasta and cook for 10 minutes more, until the pasta and all the vegetables are tender. Add a splash of water if it's too thick – it should be a chunky, brothy soup.
6. Pistou: pound the garlic with a pinch of salt in a pestle and mortar (or use a small blender), add the basil leaves a handful at a time and pound to a paste, then slowly work in the remaining 4 tablespoons of olive oil.
7. Take the soup off the heat. Serve in bowls with a generous spoonful of pistou swirled into each – don't boil it once the pistou is in, or the basil loses its fragrance.