Simmer
Soupe au Pistou From Jody Williams
Popular on Food52
34 Reviews
Lisa L.
February 17, 2021
I had high hopes for this recipe, but had to doctor it so much for it to have enough taste. Not worth it. I'd rather sweat vegetables in oil first and use broth. I still love watching Kristen and have a lot of her genius recipes in regular rotation.
Sarah J.
September 11, 2020
This soup is so full of flavor, but my pistou was bitter. I've never had luck with homemade pesto. Does it need to be made with young early baby basil?
Cathy B.
August 2, 2020
I made as written using the Instant Pot. I soaked the cranberry beans overnight and the soup needed only 10 minutes in the Instant Pot with a natural pressure release. It was a tasty summer soup!
Tessa M.
August 2, 2020
Imma gonna make this tomorrow. but do I have to throw out the beans I have been soaking for about 2 weeks now? (I stuck it in the fridge the next day, having changed my mind about what I could cook on a 90 degree day. Have changed the water periodically but once I make a mistake, I compound it. Bad habit.) (I don't think the beans smell bad.) Can sub canned beans. THX
fishinwidow
July 24, 2020
Made this almost as written - only changes were to use canned chickpeas and subbed cabbage for the escarole. Bonus was having leftover stock made from fresh Kansas sweet corn in my fridge to add to the broth. Served with homemade focaccia pulled from the freezer. Delicious!
tinyapartmentchef
July 21, 2020
Great way to use up some beans and veggie odds and ends that I had laying around - very flexible and adaptable approach. I used dried cranberry beans, onions, scallions, potatoes, zucchini, canned tomatoes, frozen peas, kale and radish greens. I forgot to soak my beans so just cooked the soup a little longer. I was gifted some homemade pesto and spooned that in with a generous helping of Parmesan - both were critical to bring the flavor up a notch.
Teresa W.
July 14, 2020
I loved this but I love most of Kristen’s genius. I added a parm rind and a bit of fish sauce. No celery but added garlic. I am tired of pandemic cooking and this was perfection to use lots of veg and be stress free and so delicious.
ChefGam
July 15, 2020
I did exactly the same thing plus a red bell pepper, just bc it was in the fridge. Also, I used good store-bought pesto this time, but will go all out next time I make it. This is a great foundational recipe, easy to make your own.
Janet
July 12, 2020
Awful video. Takes longer to watch it than to prep the soup.
ChefGam
July 12, 2020
Seriously? Jody is talented chef who needs to care for her little one and work at the same time. Lightened up.
Tim S.
July 16, 2020
Really? Personally I love these "homemade" videos.
Question for you Janet: Why did you watch? You can always just read the Food 52 recipe and forgo the video.
Question for you Janet: Why did you watch? You can always just read the Food 52 recipe and forgo the video.
[email protected]
July 11, 2020
Am always looking for new-to-me recipes that pack in the vegetables, and this one is a gem!
I had a couple cans of cannellini beans, so I used those (thanks for ok’ing that in the video!). Because my husband and myself love the flavor of beans so much, I only cooked the soup with one can and puréed the other can in the blender before adding to the soup. This recipe is golden and the video is cute and helpful. I love all the new cuisine that Food52 is exposing me- while still keeping the recipes approachable and exciting! We each ate two bowls and immediately added this recipe to my collection!
I had a couple cans of cannellini beans, so I used those (thanks for ok’ing that in the video!). Because my husband and myself love the flavor of beans so much, I only cooked the soup with one can and puréed the other can in the blender before adding to the soup. This recipe is golden and the video is cute and helpful. I love all the new cuisine that Food52 is exposing me- while still keeping the recipes approachable and exciting! We each ate two bowls and immediately added this recipe to my collection!
Jeanne T.
July 11, 2020
Just made this soup. I had some chicken broth left over from another project, so I used that up and made up the rest of the liquid with plain water. (I really did clean out my fridge to make this soup.) The soup was really good. The pistou made it special. Don't skip it.
Sandra R.
July 10, 2020
I made the soup as written with all the vegetables listed, and pre-soaked, Rancho Gordo, Christmas Lima beans. At 1.5 hours of low simmer, the beans were magnificent and the vegetables perfectly cooked. The "broth" was tasteless.
I added Parmesan rinds, tomato paste to the pesto and put it all in, saffron, Better than Bouillon chicken base, a couple of diced potatoes and 1/2 cup of small, Tubetti Rigati. It now has a great flavor and looks beautiful.
I added Parmesan rinds, tomato paste to the pesto and put it all in, saffron, Better than Bouillon chicken base, a couple of diced potatoes and 1/2 cup of small, Tubetti Rigati. It now has a great flavor and looks beautiful.
Kristen M.
July 12, 2020
Thanks Sandra—I've found the broth definitely needs careful salting to taste to bring out its delicate flavor (or other seasonings—great improvising!). And the pistou, olive oil, and Parmesan really complete it.
Sandra R.
July 10, 2020
I followed the directions exactly. I used Rancho Gordo, "Christmas Lima" beans, and all the ingredients listed. The beans were perfectly cooked as were the veges after a low simmer for 1.5 hours. With that said, the broth was tasteless!! I immediately berated myself for not making a classic French rendition that I have made numerous times. to remedy, I added Parmesan rinds, and tomato paste to the pesto ( which is a south of France kinda thing) which I then put in, some better than bouliion chicken flavor, saffron, and then what the heck: a diced potato and a 1/2 C of Tubetti Rigati pasta. It is now tasting delicious. I made a loaf of Foccacia to go with.
00000lll
July 9, 2020
What a wonderful summer soup!... Vegetarian too and Vegan if you leave off the cheese- but why ??? I made same night as recipe came out so I had to use canned cannellini beans. I also forgot to buy the green beans when I was at the store. Not sure where all the flavor came from, but it was sure great! Thank-you!!
H23200
July 9, 2020
I know this is an obnoxious question, but do you think the soup would be ruined if I left out the beans and substituted a meat? My husband is not a fan, but think he would love the soup otherwise.
00000lll
July 9, 2020
I was going to add chicken sausage but just stick with the recipe - no one with taste buds will miss the meat!
Kristen M.
July 12, 2020
Definitely not ruined! This is a flexible format. But I would choose a flavorful meat, like the sausage suggested, or maybe chicken thighs. You could also swap in pasta or a grain for the beans instead.
Chrispy
July 8, 2020
Looks great.
But, can we all just agree that soaking beans is entirely optional? Sure, you’ll need to precook them for awhile before adding the veg, but soaking not required.
But, can we all just agree that soaking beans is entirely optional? Sure, you’ll need to precook them for awhile before adding the veg, but soaking not required.
Lynn
July 9, 2020
Who’s we? Personally, I prefer soaking, so for me, it isn’t optional. Really not worth commenting about. It’s personal preference.
Kristen M.
July 12, 2020
I agree, soaking isn't necessary! But it does mean that you can cook the soup more quickly.
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