Soup au pistou with walnut pesto recipe
This is a classic Provençal vegetable soup, which we’ve given a rich, earthy walnut pesto twist. Perfect for warming up those cold winter nights.
See method- Serves 6 bowls
- 20 mins to prepare and 20 mins to cook
- 177 calories / serving
Ingredients
For the soup
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 carrot, finely chopped
- 1 celery stalk, finely chopped
- 1/2 fennel bulb, finely chopped
- 1x 31g pack basil stalks, finely chopped (reserve leaves for pesto)
- 3 garlic whole cloves
- 400g tin chopped tomatoes
- 200g spinach, chopped
- 400g tin cannellini beans, washed and drained
- 1 ¼ ltr good quality vegetable stock
For the walnut pesto
- 50g walnuts, chopped
- large bunch basil leaves reserved from soup
- 40g Parmesan
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 125ml (4fl oz) mild olive oil
- 1 tsp sea salt
Each serving contains
- Energy
- 735kJ 177.0kcal
- Fat
- 14g
- Saturates
- 4g
- Salt
- 0.4g
- Sugars
- 2g
of the Reference intake
Carbohydrate 2.9gProtein 10.1gFibre 1.2g
Method
- In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil and add the onion, carrot, celery and fennel. Cook for 5-6 minutes over a low heat until starting to soften. Add the garlic and basil stalks and cook for 2 more minutes. Add the tomatoes, spinach, cannellini beans and when the spinach has wilted, season with salt and pepper and add the stock. Mix well and bring to a simmer, cook for 10 minutes.
- While the soup is cooking, prepare the pesto. Put the walnuts, basil, Parmesan and garlic into a food processor and whizz for 10 seconds or until nearly smooth. Add the salt and whizz again, gradually drizzling in the oil until it is all combined. Season to taste.
- Once the soup is done, ladle into 6 bowls and drizzle the pesto on top of each one.
- See more Vegetarian recipes
