Inspired by Soupe au Pistou from House Beautiful Magazine, January 2011 issue and Provençal Vegetable Soup from The Soup Bible
~From Savoring Time in the Kitchen
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 small fennel bulb, quartered, cored, and cut into small dice
2 zucchini, cut into small dice
4 red potatoes, cut into small dice
1/2 cup celery root (celeriac) cut into small dice
2 small carrots, peeled and cut into very small dice
1 large clove of garlic, minced
3 Roma tomatoes, skinned, seeded and chopped*
2 32-oz containers no-sodium chicken stock
2 sprigs of fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme)
1 can of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 can of red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
6 ounces of green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces (I didn't use)
1/2 cup baby peas, either fresh or frozen and thawed
2 ounces of spaghetti, broken into pieces
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Pistou (or use your frozen home made pesto)
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup of packed fresh basil leaves
1/4 grated Parmesan cheese (optional) (Parmesan can also be sprinkled over the top of the soup)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Heat the oil in a large stockpot. Add the onion, fennel, and zucchini and saute over medium heat for about 10 minutes, or until softened. Add the potatoes, celery root and carrots and saute for another 10 minutes. Add the stock, thyme, beans and tomatoes and simmer, covered for about 15 minutes longer. Add the green beans, peas and spaghetti and simmer for another 10-15 minutes until pasta is tender.**
To make the pistou, place the garlic, basil, olive oil and Parmesan (if using) in the bowl of a small food processor or blender and process until blended.
Ladle the hot soup into serving bowls, top with a dollop of pistou and a sprinkle of freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Pass additional pistou at the table, if desired.
*To easily peel the tomatoes, bring a saucepan of water to a boil. Have ready a large bowl of ice water. Plunge the fresh tomatoes into the simmering water for about 2 minutes and remove with a slotted spoon to the ice water bath.
**It is ideal if you can make the soup in the morning and refrigerate until ready to serve so that the flavors can meld.