Soupe au Pistou

Soupe au pistou is a French vegetable soup similar to the Italian version of minestrone.  This is a crowd-pleasing  hearty vegetable soup loaded with summer vegetables like zucchini, yellow squash and tomatoes, potatoes, beans, herbs and a rich chicken stock.  A heaping dollop of pesto (or pistou) is stirred in at the end.

This hearty chicken vegetable soup recipe is an easy one to pull together.  It’s a nourishing soup that has been a family favorite for as long as I can remember.

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FRENCH STYLE CHICKEN VEGETABLE SOUP RECIPE

If you want to make this a vegan vegetable soup, then omit the chicken breast and use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.

• 1 chicken breast (optional)
• 6 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup water
• 3 sprigs flat leaf parsley
• 2 sprigs thyme
• 3 tablespoons light olive oil
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, split, germ removed and minced
• 2 leeks, minced (white parts only)
• 1 cup carrots, chopped
• 1 cup celery, chopped
• 3 tablespoons white wine (or sherry)
• 6-8 baby red potatoes, quartered
• 3/4 cup frozen green beans (haricots verts) 
• 1 cup canned cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 3 Roma Tomatoes, seeded and cut into small cubes
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Pistou

• 1 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup olive oil

HOW TO MAKE FRENCH STYLE CHICKEN VEGETABLE SOUP

This chicken vegetable soup comes together in about 45 minutes start-to-finish.

1. Add the chicken and chicken broth, water, parsley and thyme sprigs to a stock pot, and cook until the chicken starts to fall off the bone.
2. Remove the chicken and sprigs from the broth and set aside to cool.
3. After it has cooled, chop the chicken and discard the skin and bones and sprigs.
4. Using a colander, strain the broth to remove any fat.
5. In a large pan, heat oil over medium heat. Saute the onion, leeks, garlic and celery until translucent (about 10 minutes). Add the wine and let simmer for a minute more.
6. Add the chopped chicken, onion, leeks, garlic, carrots, celery, potatoes, haricots verts (green beans),  and tomatoes to the broth. Let simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the vegetables are just fork tender.
7. Add the cannel ini beans and heat through for  3 – 5 minutes.

Pistou

1. Combine the basil, garlic, cheese in a food processor or blender and process.
2. While the motor is running, and the olive oil in a slow, thin stream. Continue to process until the pistou until you reach your desired consistency.
3. To keep the pistou from turning brown on top…place a tablespoon of olive oil on the top of the pistou then seal tightly.

It’s impossible to have a hurried bowl of this French vegetable soup  ….. no…this is a soup to savor with plenty of crusty bread and healthy dollops of pistou.  I love to crowd this soup with plenty of fresh vegetables from the farmers market.  I’ll also add a little zucchini and yellow squash.  Adding the pistou (with its ensemble of flavors) to this soup is what makes this soup gloriously scrumptious….and it’s what makes this soup… our favorite.

MORE HEALTHY CHICKEN SOUP RECIPES

• Mexican Chicken Soup
• Roasted Garlic Chicken Soup
• Spring Chicken Vegetable Soup
• Immune Boosting Chicken Soup
• Chicken Tortilla Soup
• Spring Chicken Vegetable Soup

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Yield: 6 servings

Soupe au Pistou

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Soupe au pistou is a French vegetable soup similar to the Italian version of minestrone. This is a crowd-pleasing hearty vegetable soup loaded with summer vegetables like zucchini, yellow squash and tomatoes, potatoes, beans, herbs and a rich chicken stock. A heaping dollop of pesto (or pistou) is stirred in at the end.

Ingredients

• 1 chicken breast (optional)
• 6 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup water
• 3 sprigs flat leaf parsley
• 2 sprigs thyme
• 3 tablespoons light olive oil
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, split, germ removed and minced
• 2 leeks, minced (white parts only)
• 1 cup carrots, chopped
• 1 cup celery, chopped
• 3 tablespoons white wine (or sherry)
• 6-8 baby red potatoes, quartered
• 3/4 cup green beans (haricots verts)
• 1 cup canned cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 3 Roma Tomatoes, seeded and cut into small cubes
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup olive oil

Instructions

For the Soup

1. Add the chicken and chicken broth , distilled water, parsley and thyme sprigs to a stock pot, and cook until the chicken starts to fall off the bone. Remove the chicken and sprigs from the broth and set aside to cool.
2. After it has cooled, chop the chicken and discard the skin and bones and sprigs. Strain the broth to remove any fat.
3. In a large pan, heat oil over medium heat. Saute the onion, leeks, garlic and celery until translucent (about 10 minutes). Add the wine and let simmer for a minute more.
4. Add the chopped chicken, onion, leeks, garlic, carrots, celery, potatoes, haricots verts (green beans), and tomatoes to the broth. Let simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the vegetables are just fork tender.
5. Add the cannel ini beans and heat through for 3 - 5 minutes.

Pistou

1. Combine the basil, garlic, cheese in a food processor or blender and process.
2. While the motor is running, and the olive oil in a slow, thin stream. Continue to process until the pistou until you reach your desired consistency.
3. To keep the pistou from turning brown on top...place a tablespoon of olive oil on the top of the pistou then seal tightly.