Soupe au Pistou
Soupe au Pistou, also known as soup with pesto. If you like minestrone soup, then you’ll love this soup pistou! White beans, vegetables, ditalini pasta with a generous serving of basil and pesto!
Pesto lovers, this Soupe au Pistou is for you!
This soupe au pistou is an incredibly hearty and flavorful Provençal soup that’s perfect for any season. Made with zucchini, carrots and ditalini pasta.
The star of the show is the pistou, a vibrant green sauce made with fresh basil, garlic, olive oil, and Parmesan cheese. The pistou is then drizzled over the soup, adding a burst of flavor and a beautiful presentation.
This soup can also easily be made vegan by using a prepared vegan pesto in place of the pistou. Like my vegan pesto or kale pesto. I tested this soup pistou with both and it works!
See below for more details or scroll down for the full recipe.
Ingredient Notes
This one is so easy to make– and uses just a handful of everyday ingredients.
You can use any vegetables that you want, I like zucchini with this but green beans also work as does potatoes if you want a heartier soup.
I firmly belive that a good broth makes or breaks any homemade soup, so make sure that you like the flavor of your broth!
The pistou needs basil, garlic, parmesan cheese and olive oil. If you want a dairy-free soup, then you can use a vegan parmesan cheese or use a prepared vegan pesto or a homemade vegan pesto. Gotham Greens makes a really yummy vegan pesto.
How to Make This Soup Pistou
Saute the Vegetables
Saute the vegetables in olive oil with thyme until tender.
Add the Broth and Tomatoes
Add the broth, tomatoes and bay leaves and bring to a boil.
Add the pasta
Add the pasta and cook until pasta is tender. Add in the beans.
Make the Pistou
In a food processor, add the basil, garlic and parmesan cheese. With the motor running, drizzle in the olive oil until creamy.
Add the Pistou
Remove the soup from heat and drizzle in the pistou.
Divide and serve!
Divide the soup into bowls and garnish with more pistou, fresh chopped basil and parmesan cheese, if desired.
Tips for Success
This soup pistou is pretty hard to mess up– that’s the beauty of rustic soups like this! For best results, cut the vegetables evenly for even cooking time. You can add other vegetables if you’d like– sometimes I throw in chopped kale or spinach at the end if I have it.
If you plan on enjoying this soup au pistou right away, you don’t need to cook the pasta separately. However, if you plan on enjoying it later, I recommend cooking the pasta separately and then adding it right before serving, as this prevents the pasta from becoming overcooked and mushy.
For the pistou, you can make it ahead of time and store it in the fridge for 2-3 days, but the color will darken as it stores. Fresh basil leaves will give the pistou a vibrant green color and intense flavor. If the pistou is too thick, add a little more olive oil, or even broth.
More Healthy Recipes
- Tuscan Kale Soup
- Chickpea Noodle Soup
- Slow Cooker Vegetable Soup
- Instant Pot Lentil Soup
- Red Lentil Curry Soup
If you try this Soupe Au Pistou, make sure to come back to leave a comment and a rating. Your feedback helps other readers, and seeing you make my recipes makes my day.
Soupe au Pistou
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 white or yellow onion, chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 medium zucchini, chopped
- 1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 15 ounce can diced tomatoes
- 2 cups water
- 3/4 cup uncooked ditalini pasta, or other small pasta shape
- 1 15 ounce can white beans– navy beans, Great Northern or Cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
Pistou:*
- 1 cup packed fresh basil leaves
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large soup pan over medium heat.
- Add the onion and salt and cook until softened, about 10 minutes, stirring often.
- Add the garlic, zucchini, and carrot and cook until vegetables are slightly tender, for about 7 more minutes, stirring often, taking care not to burn.
- Add the thyme and cook for 30 seconds until just fragrant. Add in the broth, bay leaves and tomatoes, along with 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil.
- Add in the pasta, then reduce heat to medium and cook until pasta is tender, about 15 minutes. Add in the beans and cook another 5 minutes until warmed through.
Make the pistou
- In a food processor or blender, combine the basil, garlic, and Parmesan cheese. While the machine is running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until the mixture is smooth and emulsified.
- Remove the soup from heat and swirl in the pistou. Season to taste, adding more salt as needed. This will largely depend on the type of broth you use.
- Divide into bowls and garnish with parmesan cheese, more pesto and fresh basil, as desired.