With the last of the red basil, today I prepare the pistou soup minestrone with pesto as we call it here.
The origin of pistou soup is Genoese and Tuscan, established in Corsica where it is called soupe Corse and then in Southern France as soupe au pistou. For the Provençal gastronome Jean-Baptiste Reboul, the soup came from Genoa and it seems that when La Cuisinière provençale was first published in 1897, the pistou soup had not yet become part of the Provençal families’ tradition.
The author specifies: “Cette soupe, d’origine génoise, n’est guère en faveur qu’en Provence” (This soup, of Genoese origin, is appreciated only in Provence”). On the other hand, in Provence as in nearby Liguria, the excellences of the territory were and are precisely the ingredients of the soupe au pistou and that is green beans, new potatoes, blanched tomatoes then pasta and a pesto made of garlic, basil, and olive oil.
Today I wanted to prepare the pistou soup minestrone with pesto with red basil, because today we are talking about red basil in the herbs and flowers on the plate section. At the bottom of the page, you will find the friends’ recipes with this fragrant and special basil.
Red basil is widely used in Asian cuisine for preparing curry. Here it is used exactly like its green cousin, although it has a slightly different flavor.
We know very well that basil, in addition to being indispensable in our Mediterranean cuisine, has medicinal properties. Basil relaxes the digestive system, helps combat insomnia, and also helps with headaches.
Below you will find the pesto recipes and other interesting recipes where you can use this spectacular basil.
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Very Cheap
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 4 People
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Healthy
- Seasonality: Summer, Autumn, Summer
Ingredients for Pistou Soup Minestrone with Pesto
There are various versions of pistou soup; in Provence, every family has their own with different vegetables. However, I stuck to the classic one, using leek instead of onion and fresh borlotti beans, but you can use fresh frozen ones or dry ones soaked overnight and then cooked separately.
For the pesto, I always use my recipe for Genoese pesto, which you can find in three versions here, and you can choose your favorite for this recipe with red basil.
- 4 tablespoons Genoese Pesto
- 1/2 leek
- 2 cloves garlic
- 0.4 oz cherry tomatoes
- 2 carrots
- 2 zucchini
- 3.5 oz borlotti beans
- 3.5 oz green beans, frozen, cooked, boiled
- 35.2 oz vegetable broth
- 2.5 oz pasta
- 1 pinch sea salt
- 1 pinch pepper
Steps for Pistou Soup Minestrone with Pesto
First, prepare the pesto or if you’ve frozen it from the summer, take out a portion. I made mine with red basil.
Prepare the vegetables, wash everything, peel the carrots, trim the green beans, the zucchini, and cut the leek into rings.
Put everything in a pot, along with the borlotti beans (if you used dried ones, add them cooked) and the vegetable broth. Cook for 30 minutes, then add the pasta and cook for another ten minutes.
Portion into plates and let each diner add their own spoonful of pesto.
Serve with croutons.
Tips
The Pistou Soup Minestrone with Pesto is even better if served the next day.
Check out the friends’ recipes using red basil:
Elisa: Sweet Potato Puree with Red Basil and Lime Sauce
Miria: Pumpkin Cream with Cannellini Beans and Red Basil
Tiziana: Red Basil Cocktail, a Surprising Drink
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