Vegan Minestrone with Pistou Recipe

Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• 1 medium onion, chopped finely

• 2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped into 1/2” pieces

• 1 celery stalk, chopped into 1/2” pieces

• salt and pepper to taste

• 4 large cloves of garlic, minced

• 1 lb tomatoes seeded and chopped into 1/2” pieces

• 1 medium turnip peeled & diced into 1/2” pieces

• 3 small zucchini, sliced into 1/2” rounds

• A bouquet garni made of 1 bay leaf, 3 sprigs parsley, 3 sprigs thyme, tied with kitchen twine

• 1 15-oz can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

• 6 oz green beans cut into 1” lengths

  Pistou

• 1-2 cloves of garlic (to taste)

• 2 cups fresh basil leaves tightly packed (about 2 oz)

• 2 tbsp pine nuts (optional)

• salt & pepper to taste

• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

• 2 tsp lemon juice

Preparation

1. Heat olive oil on medium low heat in a dutch oven or other large heavy pot. Add onion, carrots and celery. Cook until vegetables begin to soften, stirring intermittently. After about 3 minutes add 1/2 tsp salt. Continue to cook, stirring frequently. Once vegetables are tender (about 5 more minutes) add garlic and stir. After about 1 minute add tomatoes. Continue to cook another 10 minutes or so, until the tomatoes have cooked down a bit and released their fragrance.

2. Add 2 quarts of filtered water, the turnip, zucchini and bouquet garni. Bring to a simmer. Add 2 tsp salt, reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer 45 minutes. From time to time check to see that the soup is simmering and not boiling.

3. While soup is simmering bring a small pot of salted water to a boil. Prepare a bowl of ice water to blanch and shock green beans. Boil green beans 4-5 minutes, till just tender, then drain and plunge straight away into the ice water. Once beans have cooled, drain them and set aside. This method retains the bright green color of the green beans as well as vitamins and minerals.

4. When soup has simmered for 45 minutes, stir in cannellini beans. Taste and adjust salt and pepper, remove the bouquet garni. Stir in the green beans.

5. Blend the pistou in a high powered blender with a pusher. Store it in a tightly sealed container in refrigerator for 5-7 days.

6. Serve the soup with a dollop of pistou on top, to be stirred in upon eating. Soup should keep in fridge also for 5-7 days and can be frozen for 3-6 months.