Carlo and I got hooked on soup for lunch when we lived in Austin and we would order from the Soup Peddler each week. He would deliver vacuum sealed packs of all kinds of soup to our house that were the perfect serving size for lunch for 2 people. Most times we would place the soup packets in the freezer and then defrost them as needed. Man, the Soup Peddler was so awesome, especially when the weather got cooler!
Sadly there is no Soup Peddler-equivalent in Vegas, but I did make a HUGE pot of soup last week that was just as delicious as anything that we ordered from him. This Soupe Au Pistou, or Provencal Vegetable Soup, is crammed full of veggies and has a mellow depth to it from the added saffron. But what really makes the soup is the pistou, a twist on pesto but with the addition of tomato paste. It adds a nice freshness and brightness to the soup so the soup doesn’t taste like just any old veggie soup from a can. Also the soup really fills you up and feels like a real meal so you aren’t starving a couple of hours later.
When I make soup, I normally make a large vat so we can have lunch for a few days and then I also put the soup in individual serving sized containers and freeze them for a later date. This soup freezes really well, which is good since the recipe makes enough for 8 large bowls of soup at $1.71 per serving.
Soupe Au Pistou
Soup:
2 tablespoons good olive oil
2 chopped onions
3 chopped leeks, white and light green parts
1 pound 1/2-inch-diced unpeeled boiling potatoes
1 pound 1/2-inch-diced carrots
1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 quarts homemade chicken stock or canned broth
1/2 teaspoon saffron threads
1/2 pound green beans, ends removed and cut in half
4 ounces spaghetti, broken in pieces
Pistou:
4 large garlic cloves
1/4 cup tomato paste
24 large basil leaves
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1/2 cup good olive oil
Heat the olive oil in a large stockpot, and add the onions. Saute them over a low heat for around 10 minutes, or until the onions are translucent. Add the leeks, potatoes, carrots, salt, and pepper to the pot and saute them over medium heat for another 5 minutes.
Add the chicken stock and saffron to the mix. Bring everything to a boil, then let it simmer uncovered for about 20-25 minutes, or until all of the veggies are tender. Add the green beans and spaghetti to the pot, bring to a simmer, and cook for 10 more minutes.
To make the pistou, whiz together the garlic, tomato paste, basil, Parmesan, and olive oil in a food processor until everything is mixed to create a paste. To keep its colour when you put the pistou in the fridge, place it into a container and pour a light film of olive oil on top and cover the container with a lid.
Finish off the soup by stirring 1/4 cup of the pistou into the hot soup, then season to taste with salt and pepper.
Serve the soup by topping each bowl with a big dollop of pistou to complete the dish.
