Soupe au Pistou & Misadventure Vodka (Soup night at the Clopine’s)
Saturday night was soup night at the Clopine’s. I made Soupe au Pistou. This, of course, is one of the 1000 Foods to eat before you die. This is the French version of minestrone-similar with veggies and pasta (in this case I used orzo). The pistou part is a mix of a ground green veggie (I used watercress but this could also be basil) with ground garlic, olive oil and Parmesan. This is dropped cold and sprinkled with Parmesan. Stirred into the soup, it gives the soup a strong fresh garlic taste. Delicious. There are many recipes but I used the Wonders of the World Recipe which I modified quite a bit. I am including my modifications and you can see the original as well. The other interesting thing about soup night is that Jackie brought us Misadventure Vodka. This is vodka made in San Diego from left over baked goods-all food that would be discarded.
Soupe au Pistou” servings='6' time= 2 hours
Ingredients for the Soup:
1 ½ cups white beans, soaked for six hours in 6 cups water and drained
2 quarts (1.9 liters) water
1 large onion, chopped
4 large garlic cloves, minced or pressed
2 tablespoons dried parsley, a parmesan rind and a bay leaf
1 tablespoon (15 ml) extra virgin olive oil
4 small red potatoes, finely diced
1 can of diced tomatoes, liquid included
2 cups shredded savoy or green cabbage
3 large carrots, diced
2 medium-size zucchini, scrubbed and diced
½ pound green beans, trimmed and broken into 1-inch pieces
1 cup orzo pasta
1 cup chopped ham
Ingredients for the Pistou:
2 mashed large garlic cloves
2 cups, tightly packed, fresh watercress leaves
⅓ cup (80 ml) extra virgin olive oil
½ cup (120 ml) freshly grated Gruyere
Freshly ground pepper
½ cup (120 ml) freshly grated Gruyere for sprinkling
Preparation:
1. Drain the white beans and combine with 2 quarts water in a large, heavy soup pot or Dutch oven. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cover for 1 hour or until the beans are tender.
2. In a second pot, heat the olive oil in a heavy skillet, and add the chopped onion and a generous pinch of salt. Cook, stirring, until tender, about five minutes. Add the garlic and tomatoes.
3. Add the remaining vegetables (accept the green beans). Add the bay leaf, parsley and Parmesan rind. Stir and cook until the vegetables are tender (about 45 minutes).
4. While the soup is simmering, blanch the green beans for five minutes in salted boiling water. Transfer to a bowl of ice-cold water. Drain and set aside.
5. To make the pistou, combine the garlic, watercress, ½ cup cheese and olive oil in a food processor and blend until smooth.
6. Drain the bean white beans and add to cooked vegetables. Add the ozro and green beans and cook until the pasta is soft (approximately 10 minutes). Add water or broth if needed. Add pepper, taste and adjust salt. Serve by adding a spoonful of pesto to each bowl for guests to stir in. Pass additional Parmesan for sprinkling.
