Pistou soup recipe by Raymond Blanc

The French and Italians have always fought over who created this recipe. My Italian friends would argue that the name ‘pistou’ is very similar to the Italian word ‘pesto’; but then there’s also the French Provencal word ‘pistou’, meaning a paste made with garlic and basil, and that is the foundation of this delicious soup. I like to think that ‘pistou’ is probably derived from the old French word ‘pesto’, meaning ‘pestle’: to grind l’ail et le basilic! And let’s not forget that Lombardy was once, albeit briefly, a region of France. Allez les bleus!

INGREDIENTS

For the soup:
1/2 medium white onion, diced
1 medium carrot, peeled and diced
1/2 stick celery, diced
1/2 small fennel, diced
1 small courgette, diced
50g broad beans
50g fresh peas (optional)
8 cherry tomatoes, halved
60ml extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt
White pepper

For the pistou sauce:
30g basil, washed
20g garlic, puréed
100ml extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt
White pepper

For the pistou sauce:

1. Blanch the basil in plenty of boiling water for 3-5 seconds, to cook and fixate the chlorophyll, and so keep its bright green colour. Stop the cooking by plunging it into iced water. Drain, squeeze out any excess water and chop.

2. In a liquidiser, using the pulse button, purée all the ingredients until smooth.

3. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Reserve in the fridge.

For the soup:

1. In a large pan on a medium heat, sweeten the white onion, carrots, celery and fennel in the olive oil for 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

2. Add the hot water and boil rapidly for 5 minutes.

3. Add the courgettes and broad beans and cook for a further 3 minutes, then the peas and tomatoes and cook for 1 minute only.

4. Lastly, mix in the pistou sauce and a generous handful of grated parmesan. Taste and correct the seasoning if necessary.

To finish:

1. Divide the soup between four bowls. Sprinkle some parmesan over each bowl. Serve with croutons or toasted baguette either on the soup or separately.