Dive into this vibrant French-inspired summer pistou, a delightful cross between a soup and a stew! Packed with wholesome vegetables and protein-rich beans, it's a light and healthy meal that will keep you energised. The tomatoes provide a boost of Vitamin C, while the beans and vegetables are bursting with fibre.
chopped
finely sliced
finely diced
drained
chopped
finely chopped
small pack
freshly grated
Heat the rapeseed oil in a large pan over a medium heat. Add the finely sliced leeks and finely diced courgette to the pan and fry for 5 minutes until softened.
Pour the vegetable stock into the pan with the softened vegetables. Add three-quarters of the drained cannellini beans and the chopped green beans. Stir in half of the chopped tomatoes. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for 8 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.
While the soup is simmering, combine the remaining cannellini beans, the remaining chopped tomatoes, the finely chopped garlic, and the basil in a food processor or a bowl with a stick blender. Blend until the mixture is smooth.
Stir the freshly grated Parmesan into the blended pistou mixture.
Stir the prepared pistou sauce into the simmering soup. Cook for 1 minute, allowing the flavours to combine.
Ladle half of the summer pistou into bowls for immediate serving or pour into a flask for a packed lunch. Allow the remaining soup to cool completely before chilling it in the refrigerator. It will keep for a couple of days.
For an extra depth of flavour, roast the tomatoes and garlic before blending them into the pistou.
This soup is excellent for meal prepping; portion it into individual containers and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Adjust the consistency by adding more stock if you prefer a thinner soup, or less if you like it thicker like a stew.