Soupe au Pistou

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                            FOOD FUNNY
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This one from lifetime subscriber and former Poet Laureate of Recitopia Caroline has the ring of truth to it:

I spent a good part of a recent afternoon stuck on the grocery's express
line behind a woman with way too many items. "I'm sorry," she told the
clerk, "I guess I forgot to count the things I had in my cart."

"Don't worry," the clerk replied. "Everyone behind you is counting them."

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                            TODAY'S RECIPE
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Today's recipe is a reduced-fat version of a French classic. You can add
the pistou (kind of the French version of pesto) to your favorite
vegetable soup, and you can even use it to dress up a can of minestrone.
Or you can start from scratch, as I have done here. Served with thick
slices of toasted garlic bread, this dish is a meal in itself.

Soupe au Pistou

For the soup:
1 Tbs (15 ml) olive oil
2 medium onions, cut into 1/2 in (1 cm) dice
2 medium carrots, cut into 1/2 in (1 cm) dice
2 medium zucchini (courgettes), cut into 1/2 in (1 cm) dice
1/4 lb (125 g) green beans (haricots) cut into 1 in (2.5 cm) pieces
3 medium tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2 in (1 cm) dice
8 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 lb (250 g) potatoes, cut into 1/2 in (1 cm) dice
3 cups (750 ml) low-fat chicken broth, vegetable broth, or water
1 cup (250 ml) chick peas (garbanzos) or canned bean of your choice, rinsed and drained
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese for garnish

For the Pistou:
1 cup (250 ml) packed fresh basil leaves
1 Tbs (15 ml) olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup low-fat chicken broth, vegetable broth, or water
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Begin by making the soup. Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over
moderate heat, and cook the onions and carrots for 5 to 10 minutes,
until soft but not brown. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a
boil. Cover, reduce the heat, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until the
vegetables are tender. For the pistou, combine all ingredients in a
blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Serve garnished with pistou and grated Parmesan.
Serves 4 to 6.
Received on Wed Dec 2 12:31:05 2009