Provençal Vegetable Soup
Provençal Vegetable Soup is a true celebration of the South of France. This comforting soup showcases the region's sun-drenched bounty, brimming with garden-fresh vegetables such as carrots, peas, zucchini, peppers, leeks, French beans, tomatoes, and celery. Seasoned with Provençal herbs such as thyme and rosemary, this dish offers interesting flavors and textures. White beans add a layer of heartiness, while the psitou, or garlicky sauce with cheese, infuses an herbal richness to the soup, thus tying all the ingredients together. Its earthy flavors pair well with a French baguette or any crusty bread. Whether you like to have it as a light lunch or a rustic dinner starter, this soup is truly satisfying!
Equipment
- Dutch oven, stovetop
Ingredients
- 1½ tbsp olive oil extra virgin
- 3 clove garlic minced or crushed
- 1 leek white/light green part chopped
- 1 stick celery chopped
- 4 French beans (haricots verts) chopped
- 1 carrot peeled, small cubes
- 1 zucchini peeled, chopped
- ¼ cup fresh peas
- 2 tomato blanched, deseeded, chopped
- 1 bell pepper chopped
- ¼ cup white beans cooked
- 4 cup homemade vegetable stock
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground pepper
- 1½ tsp Provencal seasoning
- ⅓ cup pistou
- 2 sprig fresh oregano for garnish
Instructions
- Prepare the ingredients. Prepare the homemade pistou. To make pistou at home, grind fresh basil leaves and some cheese in a spice grinder with garlic, salt, and olive oil.
- Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven or pot. Add the leek and celery and sauté for a minute on medium heat. Add the carrots, garlic, French beans, and sauté for 1-2 minutes.
- Toss in the zucchini, tomato, peppers and add the stock to the pot, Cook for 10 minutes on high to medium heat.
- Season the soup with salt, Provencal seasoning, and ground pepper. Add the frozen peas and cooked beans. Cook for 5 minutes.
- Turn off the heat. Ladle the soup into bowls, add a dollop of homemade pistou and serve hot garnished with fresh oregano.
Notes
- To make pistou at home, grind fresh basil leaves and some cheese in a spice grinder with garlic, salt, and olive oil.
- Substitute Provencal seasoning with thyme and dried rosemary.
- The veggies are cooked in stages for flavor, color, and texture. Do not add all the veggies at once, as some of them will get overcooked.
- Do not overcook the white beans. If using dried beans, soak them in water overnight and pressure cook in an Instant Pot.
Nutrition
Calories: 124kcalCarbohydrates: 16gProtein: 4gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gSodium: 615mgPotassium: 564mgFiber: 4gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 4615IUVitamin C: 64mgCalcium: 59mgIron: 2mg
