This is a delicious, comforting meal when it's cold outside or when you're feeling under the weather. Let us know if you try it!

Pistou Soup recipe for 6 to 8 servings

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 diced leeks, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
  • 2 medium carrots
  • 2 stalks of diced celery, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
  • 15 green beans
  • 2 medium zucchini
  • 3 ripe tomatoes, peeled and seeded
  • 1 teaspoon of peppercorns
  • 4 small sprigs of fresh thyme
  • 4 small sprigs of fresh parsley
  • 2 minced garlic cloves
  • 8 cups of chicken or vegetable stock
  • 4 tablespoons of olive oil

Instructions

  • In a large pot, heat the olive oil and add the leeks and the garlic. Cook for about 3 minutes, just until they start to turn translucent.
  • Add the celery and the carrots and cook for 3-4 minutes longer.
  • Pour the stock into the pan, heat until it boils, then reduce the heat until it's just simmering. Tie together the thyme, parsley and peppercorns with string and add it to the pan.
  • Stir in the tomato, zucchini, and beans and continue to let it simmer for about half an hour, until the vegetables are tender.
  • Remove the peppercorn, thyme and parsley 'bouquet' from the soup. Taste the soup and season with a little more salt if needed.

Optional: Mix an egg yolk, olive oil and chopped basil and add one teaspoon of the mixture to the soup bowl. Then pour the soup on top, and top it off with some grated cheese.

Bon Appétit!

soupe au pistou

Pistou soup, delicious to eat all year round. Photo© V. Mourre CC-BY SA 3.0

France Just For You

Experts in self-drive tours in France

Travelers Reviews

5.0
Sue
This was our first trip to Europe with just the two of us doing all the planning. I was looking for someone to help with the details of lodging and transportation and found Emilie through this site. She planned an incredible trip for us to Normandy/Brittany, Loire Valley and Paris. She is easy to work with, responsive and organized. I told her what …
Robert
From Bordeaux, Medoc wineries, Basque country of France and Spain, Carcassone, Dordogne, pre-historic caves, beautiful medieval towns and villages, switch-back mountain roads, sunshine, truffles, food & wine and gracious b&b hosts to final flight home, this was the trip of a lifetime! We drove over 3,200 kms with the help of our included gps and …
Lawrence
Staying in B&B’s is a great way to see the country and meet the people who live there in their normal environment. And, “France Just for You” provides an excellent way to have this experience. Emilie’s knowledge and detailed planning made the trip exciting and enjoyable! We will definitely seek her out for our next trip to France.
Steve
We normally craft our own trips or join a small group tour. This time, we decided to try Emilie and Guillaume's tailored holiday service to enjoy southern France in a way we wouldn't have otherwise done. It was an excellent experience in every way and we recommend them highly. The BnB's chosen , the sightseeing and dining suggestions made as well …
Anshu & Family
One of the best planned and personalised travel experiences that my family and I have ever had. From information on how to go about navigating the toll machines on the highways; a range of brilliant restaurant recommendations in every town and village that we visited; interesting daily itineraries and extremely hospitable and generous hosts at all …
Susan
This was a wonderful way to travel in France! Our tours were wonderful and the guidebook was very helpful. Each day we had suggestions of things to do and we loved every suggestion! Our car and our accommodations were first class. Having the french phone made travel easy since we could use Waze and Google Maps. If we return to France, we will …