Pistou Soup (French Food at Home)

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 cup green beans, cut into 1/2-inch/1 cm pieces
• 1 potato, peeled and diced
• 1 cup carrot, diced
• salt and pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 sprig thyme
• 1 cup white kidney beans, cooked
• 1 cup zucchini, diced small
• 2 medium tomatoes, seeded, and diced
• pesto sauce, for garnish
• parmesan cheese, for garnish

Directions

1. 1

   Heat the oil in a sauté pan and gently cook the onion until translucent, about 5 minutes.

2. 2

   Add the green beans, potato and carrot dice. Pour over 4 cups/1-litre vegetable water or stock. Season with salt and pepper, add the bay leaf and the thyme. Bring to a boil, and simmer 10 minutes.

3. 3

   Add the kidney beans and the zucchini and continue cooking until all the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes longer.

4. 4

   Stir through the tomato.

5. 5

   Ladle the soup into bowls.

6. 6

   (Remove the bay leaf and thyme sprigs).

7. 7

   Add a spoonful of pesto to each bowl, and grate over Parmesan cheese.