Exploring the Flavors of Soupe au Pistou: A Traditional French Recipe

This is Julia Child's traditional take on the simple yet aromatic Provencal vegetable soup. What distinguishes this soup from similar ones is the freshness of its vegetables and the incorporation of pistou, a sauce made with garlic, basil, tomato, and cheese. Each time I prepare this, I'm amazed by the flavor of the broth that this recipe produces.

Annotated Cooknotes: This is a quick and straightforward soup. It's also perfect for using up leftovers from the fridge. If you have vegetables and herbs not listed in the ingredients, feel free to add them—the more, the better.

Ingredients 3 quarts of water

2 cups diced waxy potatoes

2 cups diced carrots

2 cups diced onion or white of leek

1 tablespoon salt

2 cups canned white navy or kidney beans, drained

1/3 cup broken spaghetti

1 slice stale white bread, crumbled

2 cups fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch lengths

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Optional: pinch of saffron

Pistou

4 cloves crushed garlic

4 tablespoons tomato paste

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 to 1/2 cup fruity olive oil

Directions: 1) To make soup: Bring water, potatoes, carrots, and onions or leeks, and salt to a boil in a 6-quart soup pot. Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 40 minutes. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. About 20 minutes before serving, add white beans, broken spaghetti, bread, pepper, and saffron to the soup and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the green beans and simmer 5 to 10 minutes more, until they are cooked through but still crunchy. Again, adjust salt and pepper to taste.

2 ) To make pistou: While the soup is simmering, place the garlic, tomato puree or paste, basil and cheese in a soup tureen or another pot. Pound to a paste with a wooden spoon, then beat in olive oil, drop by drop.

3) To finish and serve: Whisk a cup of hot soup into tureen containing pistou. When smooth, add the rest of the soup and stir well to combine. Serve ho