Soup au Pistou

Prepare to wow your friends with your confident-but-questionable French skills. “Au Pistou” (oh-PEE-stoo) is the beret wearing cousin of Italian pesto. This soup is a flavorful, Mediterranean identity crisis in a bowl: it has the heartiness of Italian minestrone and the haute confidence of a French kitchen. It’s the culinary equivalent of a cozy blanket by the fire mixed with sunshine. Whether you’re charmed or confused by this ambiguous vegetable and bean soup with little floating pillows of pasta you’ll still enjoy it for what it really is: delicious.

Simple, hormone-friendly recipes are just one part of what I do here at Finding My Fierce. If you’re a woman over 40 and want to learn about rebel wellness, feral confidence, perimenopause and reducing overwhelm, I’m your people. start here

Ingredients

(see printable recipe card down below)

SERVINGS 4 | Start to finish: 40 minutes

• 2 tbsp (30 ml) olive oil or oil of choice

• 1 cup (150 g) chopped onion

• 1 can (425 g / 15 oz) diced or crushed tomatoes

• 4 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 quart (960 ml) low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth

• 1 bay leaf, optional

• 1 tbsp (1 g) dried thyme or Italian seasoning

• Salt and ground black pepper to taste

• 4 oz (113 g) small pasta or gluten-free chickpea or lentil pasta

• 1 zucchini (200 g), ends removed, sliced into rounds and halved

• 1 can (425 g / 15 oz) no salt added white beans, rinsed and drained

• 4 tbsp (60 g) basil pesto, (check it doesn’t contain seed oils)

• Parmesan cheese for garnish

How to Make This

1. In a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, heat the oil. Add the onion and tomatoes, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions begin to soften, about 5-7 minutes.

2. Add the garlic, broth, bay leaf, thyme, 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper and 2 cups water then bring to a simmer. Stir in the pasta and cook, uncovered and stirring occasionally, for 7 minutes.

3. Add the zucchini and cook until the pasta is al dente and the zucchini is softened, about another 5 minutes

4. Stir in the beans and cook until heated, about 3 minutes. Remove and discard the bay leaf.

5. Taste for seasoning and adjust salt and pepper to taste. Serve in bowls and swirl 1 tablespoon pesto into each serving.

Before You Go

This recipe came out of the same place where I write the rest of this blog: in a vintage RV parked in the woods next to a river, where I write about rebel wellness, fierce confidence, simple living and hormone friendly meals for women over 40 in perimenopause and menopause. If you’re interested to learn more about these topics, read my story  or start here .

If this made meal time a little easier, leave a comment below or a review on the recipe card. Tell me what you swapped or what you added.

Melissa

Print

With ImageWithout Image

Soup au Pistou

Servings: 4

Author: Melissa

This French-inspired vegetable soup with beans, veggies, pasta and a swirl of pesto is one of those perfect comfort recipes: easy to make in a small space, perfect for meal prepping in jars, and cozy enough to feel like a hug in a bowl.

Cook modePrevent screen from turning off

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil or use oil of choice
• 1 cup chopped onion or 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved or 1 15-oz can diced tomatoes
• 4 cloves garlic or 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 quart low sodium vegetable broth or 4 bouillon cubes + 4 cups water
• 1 bay leaf, optional
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme or Italian seasoning
• salt and ground black pepper
• 4 ounces small pasta (ditalini, elbows, small shells or broken spaghetti)
• 1 zucchini, sliced with each round cut into 4 sections
• 1 15-oz can any white beans, rinsed and drained
• 4 Tablespoons basil pesto, plus more to serve
• Parmesan cheese for garnish, optional

Instructions

1. In a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, heat the oil. Add the onion and tomatoes, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions begin to brown, about 5-7 minutes.
2. Add the garlic, broth, bay leaf, thyme, 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper and an additional 2 cups water then bring to a simmer. Stir in the pasta and cook, uncovered and stirring occasionally, for 7 minutes.
3. Add the zucchini and cook until the pasta is al dente and the zucchini is softened, about another 5 minutes
4. Stir in the beans and cook until warmed, about 5 minutes. Remove and discard the bay leaf, if using.
5. Taste for seasoning and adjust salt and pepper to taste. Serve in bowls and swirl 1 tablespoon pesto into each serving with more on the side.

Notes

OPTIONAL SWAPS:

1. Swap the zucchini for pantry ingredients such as a can of green beans or spinach or mixed vegetables. Use what you have!
2. While this is a French-inspired vegetable soup, you can certainly include more protein—shredded rotisserie chicken or canned chicken that has been rinsed and drained will stretch the meal even further.
3. If pesto isn’t in your budget, just mix a tablespoon olive oil + 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaves or 1 teaspoon dried basil for a similar flavor profile

Recommended Products on Amazon

Pesto

Soup Pot

Dutch Oven

Nutrition Info

Fat (g)

17 g

Fiber (g)

7 g

Protein (g)

16 g

Nutrition info provided as a courtesy and basic guideline.  The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. View disclaimer.

More Recipes

Simple Chicken and Black Eyed Pea Chili

Tomato Quinoa Soup

Chicken Mini-Meatball Soup

https://findingmyfierce.com/blog/soup-au-pistou

©FindingMyFierce™

vegetable soup, French soup, pesto, pasta, beans, vegan, vegetarian, budget friendly, frugal meals, budget dinner

Soups/Stews

French

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @findingmyfiercelife on instagram and hashtag it #findingmyfiercelife