Soupe au Pistou - Great Comfort Food on a Cold Day

Soupe au Pistou, arguably one of the best comfort foods for those colder months; this soup is sure to please. My Mother makes a lot at a time, freezing in separate containers - which is nice way to make an hour of cooking last for weeks. I know it's mild and warm in Marin now, but we all know colder weather is on the horizon. When the weather hits, you will have a great meal to keep you warm.

Soupe au Pistou

3 Quarts Water
2 Cups diced Carrots
2 Cups boiling Potatoes
2 Cups diced white part of Leeks or Onions

Boil the water, vegetables, and salt slowly in a 6 quart kettle for 40 minutes.
Correct seasoning.

2 Cups diced Green Beans or 1 package frozen cut Beans
2 Cups cooked or canned Navy Beans (I use canned Cannelinni Beans)
1/3 Cup broken Spaghetti
1 Slice stale White Bread, crumbled. (If not stale, toast it then crumble)
1/8 Tsp. Pepper

Twenty minutes before serving, so the green vegetables retain their freshness, add the beans, spaghetti, bread and seasonings. If you want to include other vegetables such as zucchini add them now. Boil slowly for about 15 minutes, or until the beans and spaghetti are cooked. Correct seasoning again.

4 Cloves mashed Garlic
6 Tab. Tomato Paste or fresh Tomato Puree
1/4 Cup fresh Basil or 1 1/2 Tab. dried Basil
1/2 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
1/2 Cup Olive Oil

Prepare the following Pistou while the soup is cooking: Place the garlic, tomato paste, basil and cheese in a soup tureen or another pot and blend to a paste with a wooden spoon. Then, drop by drop, beat in the olive oil. Pour in the rest of the soup and stir together.

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Now all you need is, a toasted baguette, some nice white wine, and you are good to go.

Note, photo is not from my Pistou Soup.
Photo from: http://minvri.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/soupe-pistou.jpg