Soupe Au Pistou from Nice

A simple and flavorful vegetable soup from The Soup Bible by Debra Mayhew. The combination of pesto and sundried tomato paste is an inspired touch.

• Ready In: 40 mins
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 5  cups  vegetable stock
• 1  zucchini, diced
• 1  small potato, diced
• 1  shallot, chopped
• 1  carrot, diced
• 1 (8 ounce) can chopped tomatoes
•  salt and pepper
• 1⁄2 cup  thin green beans, cut in 1/2 inch lengths
• 1⁄2 cup frozen baby peas
• 1⁄2 cup pasta, small pasta shapes (for example, conchigliette, ditali or farfalline)
• 4 -6  tablespoons  traditional basil-based pesto sauce (commercial or homemade)
• 1  tablespoon sun-dried tomato paste
•  grated parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions

1. Place vegetable stock in a large saucepan, add zucchini through tomatoes and season with salt and pepper.
2. Bring to a boil, cover, lower heat and simmer 20 minutes.
3. Add green beans through pasta and cook about 10 minutes longer until pasta is tender.
4. Adjust seasonings if necessary.
5. Whisk together pesto and sundried tomato paste.
6. Ladle soup into 4 bowls and stir a spoonful of the pesto mixture into each.
7. Pass around grated Parmesan to be sprinkled on soup, if desired.