La Soupe au Pistou

A famous soup from the south of France. The essential ingredient is the pesto sauce, made from pine nuts, olive oil & basil. This sauce, so popular in Northern Italy, has been adapted by their neighbours in Provence into pistou, and given a creative French twist. Like all good soups it gains extra flavour by being made a day in advance.

Ingredients

Olive oil
1 onion
Half a standard tin tomatoes, chopped
¾ litres (1½ pints) water
250g (8oz) French green beans, cut into 1" lengths.
100g (3oz) soaked & cooked Cannellini Beans
1 courgette, chopped
2 or 3 potatoes, peeled and chopped
2 stalks chopped celery
2 chopped leeks
75g (2½ oz) spaghetti, broken into 2" lengths
2 tablespoons pesto sauce (either bought or home made)

In a large pan fry the onion in the olive oil until it is transparent. Add the tomatoes and the water. Season. When the water boils add all the remaining ingredients except the spaghetti and pesto. Simmer for 10 minutes, then add the spaghetti and simmer for a further 10 minutes. Take off the heat and stir in the pesto sauce. Serve.