Pistou Soup – Knife Skills Cookery Class

Pistou Soup – Knife Skills Cookery Class

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This recipe was first introduced in our Knife Skills Cookery Class packed full of vegetables in a thin soup it requires deft dicing skills, so that size and shape of each vegetable looks good and keeps it’s consistency. Pistou is very similar to minestrone soup originating from the Provence region if France, the pisou element of the soup is incorporated just before serving.
 

For the Pistou Sauce

  • 30g basil leaves and stalks, washed
  • 20g garlic, puréed
  • 100ml extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 pinch sea salt
  • 2 pinches white pepper
 

For the soup

  • 60g white onion, chopped into 1cm dice
  • 90g carrot, peeled and diced 1cm
  • 50g celery, peeled and diced 1cm
  • 90g fennel, chopped and diced 1cm
  • 60g extra virgin olive oil
  • 5g sea salt
  • 1 pinch Freshly ground white pepper
  • 800ml water, boiling
  • 100g courgette, diced 1cm
  • 50g broad beans
  • 50g peas, fresh (optional)
  • 8 cherry tomatoes, skin on, halved
 
To finish 50g fresh pistou sauce (see above)
  • 40g freshly grated parmesan
  • large handful croutons or toasted baguette finely sliced

Method

  1. Blanch the basil in plenty of boiling water for 3-5 seconds – to cook and fixate the chlorophyll to keep its bright green colour. Stop the cooking by plunging it into iced water. Drain, squeeze out any excess water and chop.
  2. In a liquidiser, using the pulse button, purée all the ingredients until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Reserve in the fridge.
  3. In a large pan on a medium heat, sweeten the white onion, carrots, celery and fennel in the olive oil for 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
  4. Add the hot water and boil rapidly for 5 minutes. Add the courgettes and broad beans and cook for a further 3 minutes, then the peas and tomatoes and cook for 1 minute only. Lastly, mix in the pistou sauce and a generous handful of grated parmesan. Taste and correct the seasoning if necessary.
  5. Divide the soup between four bowls. Sprinkle some parmesan over each bowl. Serve the croutons either on the soup or separately.
 
Image of Jason Palin the Gourmet Gusto working at Food Sorcery cookery school classes

Jason Palin – Chef

Come as a guest, leave as a friend… this is Jason’s mantra, he loves to make guests feel comfortable in the kitchen and teach them his top tips and tricks to get cooking like a pro. He has cooked all around the world and is bursting to share his my knowledge (and stories) with fellow foodies! I have worked as a head chef at leading luxury resorts and as a private chef to A-list names. His speciality is a fusion of worldwide flavours.

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