Name: Vegetable Soup with Basil and Garlic
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 1 1/4 hr
Yield: Makes 4 to 6 servings
Ingredients: 2 1/2 qt water; 2 medium leeks (white and pale-green parts only), thinly sliced crosswise; 1 medium onion, thinly sliced; 2 medium carrots, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise; 3/4 pound potatoes, peeled, quartered lengthwise, and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices; 3/4 pound butternut or other winter squash, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces; 1 pound fresh white beans in pods, shelled, or 1 1/2 cups drained cooked white beans; Bouquet garni of 1 celery rib, 3 fresh parsley sprigs, 2 fresh thyme sprigs, and 1 bay leaf tied together with kitchen string; 6 ounce green beans, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces; 2 small zucchini (1/2 pound), cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices; 1 cup elbow macaroni; 4 large garlic cloves; Generous handful fresh basil leaves (preferably with blossoms); 1/4 teaspoon salt; 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan; 1 firm-ripe medium tomato, peeled, seeded, and cut into chunks; 1 to 1 1/4 cups olive oil; kitchen string

Soupe au Pistou

During Marion Cunningham’s last visit with Richard Olney, he made a version of this recipe, which comes from Simple French Food. As he made it, he told her that he thought the trick to cooking is tasting — in the case of the soup that day, adding the right amount of salt and pepper, then cheese, then a little olive oil, and finally some macaroni. After making the soup in our own kitchens, following the recipe from the book (it's highly adaptable to seasonal produce or the contents of your larder), we can understand why this recipe is so loved among Olney’s fans.

Cooks' note:

If you don't have a large mortar and pestle, finely chop basil and garlic and mash in a bowl with back of a spoon.

Recipe notes

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