Pistou - Vegetable Soup With Basil Sauce Recipe - Recipezazz.com

Ingredients

• *FOR THE BASIL SAUCE*
• 2 cups basil leaves (packed)
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup walnuts, chopped
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 5 tablespoons olive oil (extra virgin)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• *FOR THE SOUP*
• 215 grams cooked cannellini beans (1 cup, canned, drained)
• 1/4 cup olive oil (extra virgin)
• 1 pound tomatoes (ripe, peeled, seeded, and chopped or one 16-ounce can Italian-style plum tomatoes)
• 10 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock, preferably homemade, 2 1/2 quarts)
• 2 carrots (peeled and sliced thin on the bias)
• 2 leeks (medium size leeks, trimmed, washed, cut into 2-inch julienne, and rewashed)
• 1/4 pound string beans, trimmed and cut into 1-1/2 inch pieces
• 2 zucchini (small zucchini, cut into small cubes)
• 1/2 cup dry vermicelli pasta (broken into small pieces)
• 1 cup celery leaves (chopped, tender celery leaves from the inner ribs)
• 1/8 teaspoon saffron (threads)