Ingredients
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 leek, sliced and washed
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 celery sticks, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, sliced
- 1 bay leaf and a few sprigs of thyme
- 2 medium courgettes, diced
- 150 g green beans, cut into short lengths
- 2 ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped
- 400 g tin borlotti or haricot beans, drained (or 250 g fresh shelled beans in season)
- 1.5 litres vegetable stock
- 60 g small gluten-free pasta or brown rice (optional)
For the pistou
- A large bunch of basil (about 40 g)
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast flakes (or 30 g grated Parmesan, not plant-based)
- 80 ml extra virgin olive oil
- A pinch of sea salt
Method
- Soften: heat the oil in a large pan and gently cook the onion, leek, carrots and celery for 10 minutes, until soft. Add the garlic, bay and thyme and cook for 1 minute.Lighter option: soften the vegetables in a few tablespoons of water or stock instead of oil, adding a splash more whenever the pan starts to look dry. Each tablespoon of oil you leave out saves around 120 calories, and most people find the dish tastes just as good.
- Simmer: add the courgettes, green beans, tomatoes, beans and stock. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 20 minutes. Add the pasta or rice, if using, and cook until tender. Season well.
- Make the pistou: pound the basil, garlic and salt in a pestle and mortar (or blitz in a small processor), then stir in the nutritional yeast and olive oil. Unlike pesto, pistou has no nuts.
- Serve: ladle the soup into bowls and stir a generous spoonful of pistou into each one at the table, so its fragrance rises with the steam.
Why it's good for you: A celebration of the summer garden: beans, greens and vegetables provide fibre, plant protein and a wide range of protective compounds. Stirring the pistou in raw, at the last moment, keeps the basil and garlic at their most aromatic and beneficial.
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