MoreCheese

And now its quiet again...

After three lovely days of the house bursting at the seams with our two families, mountains and mountains of food, lots of conversation, lots of playtime with a very active 18-month old niece, and two dogs, it is just the Rockstar and me and Puppykins again.  It is very, very quiet.... perfect for stretching out and having a nice nap on the couch.... if you can find room, that is.

Hope you had a great long weekend, too.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!!

Hoping yours is filled with good company, good food, and lots of love and laughs!

Soup Au Pistou

This is one of my favorite winter soups.  Its the Provencal version of minestrone, served with a nice dollop of Pistou (pesto) on top.  Its got lots of vegetables, to give you all the vitamins your body craves as the days get colder and the sun gets a little weaker.  Its got pasta and hearty red beans (by my variation) to fill your belly, and a lovely, nutty, cheesy Pistou to feed your soul.  For a really savory meal, toast some baguette and rub the toasted parts with a raw clove of garlic -- then dunk, and enjoy the chewy, garlicky wonderfulness of this fantastic Provencal recipe. 

* Nota Bene:  This soup was just named by Vegetarian Times as one of the best cold- and flu- fighting things you can eat!!!  It has to do with the raw garlic you add at the end, although I'm sure that all the fresh veggies help, too.

Soup Au Pistou

Adapted from The Best of the Mediterranean, by Sandra Gluck

For the soup:

2 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 large onion, chopped

2 leeks, white and light green parts, thinly sliced

3 cloves garlic, sliced

1 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes

1 14-oz. can kidney beans*  

1 large carrot, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced

1 to 2 tsp salt

10 cups water**

1 cup green beans, cut into 1-inch lengths

1 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced

3/4 cup uncooked elbow macaroni (you can also use penne or rotini, but the little macaronis are the best)

* The original recipe calls for cannellini beans, but I like the robust red color and hearty flavor of the kidney bean for this soup.
** I tried using vegetable broth for the batch pictured above, which turned the soup an orange-y color and muddled the flavors of the vegetables and Pistou.  Using plain water works much better, and I will not use the veg broth again.

For the Pistou:

3 garlic cloves

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 cup fresh basil leaves

1/3 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese

3 Tbsp olive oil

Instructions:

1.  In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the oil over low heat.  Add the onion and cook on low, about 7 minutes, or until soft.

2.  Add the leeks and garlic, and cook another 2 minutes.

3.  Add the chopped tomatoes, beans, carrot, salt and water. Increase heat to medium-high until soup starts boiling, then reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

4.  Add the green beans, zucchini and macaroni, and simmer for an additional 15 minutes.

To prepare Pistou:

 

If you are going to make homemade Pistou, you can prepare it while the soup is simmering.  When I'm in a rush, I use store-bought pesto and crush a clove of raw garlic into it to add a nice bite.  (Most of the premade pestos I've tried are just too mellow for my taste.)  Honestly, nothing beats fresh, homemade Pistou, and using a mortar and pestle is so delightfully old-school.  For a nutty variation, mix in a Tbsp of crushed walnuts at the end.

1.  Pound the garlic and salt in a mortar with pestle until well mashed.

2.  Add the basil and pound until combined with garlic paste.

3.  Transfer to a small bowl or food processor, add the Parmesan and oil, and beat or whir until creamy.

 

To serve, remove the soup from heat and add a dollop of Pistou to each bowl.  

Makes 8 large, hearty servings.