Friend of Julie: Pistou

Pistou is an olive oil—based basil sauce from the south of France that closely resembles Ligurian pesto. Like its Italian twin, pistou can also be served as an accompaniment to grilled meats, poultry, fish and vegetables. I searched online for other ideas on what to do with pistou and discovered you can add it to soups; I included those instructions and a recipe for Pistou Meatball soup.

Photo © Quentin Bacon.

Pistou

There's only one way to make true pistou—by hand. Tear the basil leaves into pieces first, then grind the leaves against the side of a mortar with a pestle to puree them into a silky, creamy sauce. 

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon crushed garlic 
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt 
•  4 1/2 cups basil leaves, torn into pieces (2 ounces) 
• 1/4 cup coarsely grated plum tomatoes 
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 
• 1 cup finely grated Mimolette or slightly aged Gouda (3 ounce)

Instructions

1. In a large mortar, pound the garlic with the salt to a paste. 
2. Add the basil by the handful and grind the leaves against the side of the mortar until almost smooth. 
3. Stir in the tomatoes, then gradually stir in the olive oil until it's incorporated. 
4. Stir in the cheese and refrigerate until ready to serve. 

Above recipe and photo source: Food and Wine

Add Pistou to Soup

1. Make the pistou first and let it sit around for a while, enhancing. 
2. Put the finished soup in bowls and then add a dollop of pistou to it just before serving, releasing a fragrant aroma of basil and garlic. 
3. Or just add the pistou to the pot after the soup has finished cooking and be done with it. 

Pistou Soup with Meatballs

Pistou Meatball Soup
 
Ingredients

• 1 cup of basil leaves
• 6 garlic cloves
• Olive oil
• 2 tbsp grated parmesan
• 1 lb ground meat
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• 2 eggs
• Salt and pepper
• 1 large leek, thinly sliced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 4 tomatoes, diced
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 quarts water
• 3 small zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced
• 3/4 lb Romano green beans, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

Instructions

In the food processor or blender or mortar and pestle, make a thick paste with the basil leaves, garlic and olive oil. Add the Parmesan cheese and set aside.

Form small meatballs with the ground beef, bread crumbs, eggs, salt and pepper. Set aside.

Saute the leek, garlic cloves and carrots in the olive oil until the leek slices are wilted. Add the tomatoes and cook for about 5 minutes. Add tomato paste, bay leaf, water, bring to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the meatballs and continue to simmer for about 20 minutes. Finally, add the white beans, zucchini, and green beans, cooking until the green beans are crisp tender.

Either add the pistou directly to the cooked soup or add a dollop to each bowl. Serve with shaved Parmesan.

Above recipe and photo source: Cooking in Sens. I modified this recipe to be key-friendly.