Pistou Soup

This is my version of my mom’s pistou soup. Pistou is the Provencal version of pesto: basil, garlic and olive oil! Pure green-gold in a spoon! For this version, however, I’ll be using my kale-parsley pesto because it is less expensive and also helps me use up all the kale that seems to appear magically in my fridge.

Here is what you need:

• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 bunch of green onions, minced (about 1 cup)
• 3 zucchinis, cubed
• 5 potatoes, cubed
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes, cut in half
• 2 cups green lentils
• 2 tbs of fresh thyme (about 6-7 stalks)
• 2 bay leaves
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup pesto
• optional ingredients: 3 carrots (chopped), 2 stems of celery (chopped), 1 leek (minced), 1 cup walnuts

Here is what you do:

1. In a large soup pot, saute the onion and garlic with a few tablespoons of water until fragrant.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients but keep the pesto last. Put on high heat.
3. Cover with water, and add to more cups of water. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and let simmer until the lentils are done.
4. Remove from heat and add pesto. Give a quick stir.
5. Serve hot with some warm bread.

Using lentils also makes it super fast to prepare because there is no soaking required.This makes for a great lunch. It is super filling and comforting, while not being heavy. The flavours all work so well together, and the kale-parsley pesto is a great alternative to basil pistou.

Let me know if you give this a try!