I hate canned vegetable soup. It’s a strong statement, yes, but mushy vegetables in a bland soup base that suspiciously has a hint of chicken bouillon is not good vegetable soup. Call me a snob, which I know I can be when it comes to food, but trust me when I say my feelings wouldn’t be marred if you thought me a snob. Vegetable soup deserves more credence and should taste way better than the stuff in the can.
Soupe au Pistou
Yields 8 servings
Soup
2 medium onions, diced
3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
3 large carrots, peeled and sliced into ¼ inch half rounds
1 sprig of fresh lemon thyme (or any thyme will do)
1 small potato, skin on, diced
1 ½ cups of frozen corn
3 cups swiss chard, trimmed, stems diced, leaves sliced into ½ inch strips
4 tbsp unsalted butter
2 cups vegetable broth
2 cups chicken broth
4 cups water
2 tbsp sunflower oil
5 tbsp acini de pepe (or any other type of pasta)
Salt
Pepper
Pistou
1/3 cup fresh sweet basil
¼ cup almonds, ground
1 clove of garlic
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Pepper
First, make the pistou by adding the basil, almonds and garlic to a food processor. Pulse until just blended. Turn the processor on and drizzle in the olive oil until the basil becomes smooth. Turn the processor off and season with salt and pepper. Pulse the mixture a few more times and taste. Adjust the seasoning as needed.
NOTE: I made my pistou a little saltier since it would enhance the seasoning in the soup later on. If you approach it this way, make sure not to over season your soup.
Transfer the pistou to a bowl and set aside.Heat oil and butter in a large crock pot over high heat. Add the onions into the pot and cook until lightly caramelized. Add the carrots and celery to the pot and cook until the carrots start to brown on the edges. Add the potatoes and cook until the potato begins to break apart and sticks to the bottom of the pot. Add the thyme and stir in with the vegetables for 1 – 2 minutes to allow the herb to become fragrant. Add the chard to the pot and cook until the chard begins to turn into a vibrant green. Add both types of broth and the pasta to the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 10 minutes. Check the pasta for doneness. When the pasta is done, add the corn and season the soup with salt and pepper to taste. Let simmer for another 2 minutes and serve topped with a teaspoon of pistou and bread on the side. Store remaining soup in Tupperware (it will taste even better the next day).
