PROVENÇAL VEGETABLE SOUP

Serves ???

(via America’s Test Kitchen: The Complete Vegetarian Cookbook)

 

Pistou

½ cup fresh basil leaves

1 oz Parmesan cheese, grated (½ cup)

⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 garlic clove, minced

 

Soup

1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 leek, white and light green parts only, halved lengthwise, sliced 1cm thick, and washed thoroughly

1 celery rib, cut into 1cm pieces

1 carrot, peeled and sliced ¼ inch thick

Salt and pepper

2 garlic cloves, minced

3 cups vegetable broth

3 cups water

½ cup orecchiette

8 oz haricots verts, trimmed and cut into 1cm lengths

1 (15 oz) can cannellini or navy beans, rinsed

1 small zucchini, halved lengthwise, seeded, and cut into ¼-inch pieces

1 large tomato, cored, seeded, and chopped medium

 

Make the pistou:

Process all ingredients together in food processor until smooth, scraping down bowl as needed, about 15 seconds. (Pistou can be refrigerated for up to 4 hours.)

 

Make the soup:

Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add leek, celery, carrot, and ½ tsp salt and cook until vegetables are softened, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in broth and water and bring to simmer.

 

Stir in pasta and simmer until slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in haricots verts and simmer until bright green but still crunchy, about 3 minutes. Stir in cannellini beans, zucchini, and tomato and simmer until pasta and vegetables are tender, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

 

Serve, topping individual portions with generous Tbsp pistou.