Provencal Soup Recipes

PROVENCAL VEGETABLE SOUP

Steps:

• To make the pistou: mix in the food processor the 1st 3 pistou ingredients until smooth, adding the extra virgin oil last.
• To make the soup: if using dried haricot beans,place in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a hard boil for 10 mins and drain. Place the par-boiled beans, or fresh beans if using, in a saucepan with the herbes de Provence and one of the garlic cloves. Add water to cover by 2.5 cm./1in. Boil, reduce heat and simmer over a medium low heat until tender, about 20 minuters for fresh breans and about 1 hour for dried beans. Set aside in the cooking liquid.
• In a large saucepan or flameproof casserole heat the oil. Add onion and leeks, cook for 5 minutes, stir occasionally, until onion softens.
• Add celery, carrots and the other garlic clove and cook, covered for 10 minutes, stirring.
• Add potatoes, French beans and water, then season lighlty with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, skim any foam that rises to the surface, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
• Add courgettes, tomatoes and peas together with the reserved beans and their cooking liquid and simmer for 25-30mins, or until all the vegetables are tender. Add the spinach and simmer for 5 minutes. Season the soup and swirl a spoonful of pistou into each bowl. Garnish with basil and serve.

PROVENCAL VEGETABLE SOUP

Steps:

• Place navy beans in a large bowl andadd water to cover. Let soak overnight inthe refrigerator.
• Fill a large bowl with cold water. Sliceleeks into 1/4-inch rounds; add to water.Let sit for about 5 to 10 minutes to rid them of dirt and sand. Lift leeks out ofwater and drain in a colander. Set aside.
• In a medium, heavy-bottomed stockpot,heat olive oil over medium-low heat. Addleeks and garlic; sauté until translucent,stirring occasionally, about 6 minutes.Add parsley, rosemary, thyme, carrots,potatoes, and pepper. Cover and cook,stirring occasionally, 10 to 15 minutes;lower heat if mixture browns.
• Drain beans, discarding soaking liquid.Add beans and stock to vegetables. Cover, bring to a boil, and reduce heat to low;cook until beans are tender, about 40minutes. About 10 minutes before thebeans are done, add salt.
• Meanwhile, heat oven to 400 degrees. SprinkleGruyere over bread. Place on a cookiesheet; toast until cheese is melted andgolden, about 10 minutes.
• . Add spinach to soup; cook 1 to 2 minutes more. Divide soup among bowls andserve immediately, garnished with chervil,if desired, and Gruyere toast.

PROVENCAL SOUP

Steps:

• In a saucepan, heat oil and melt butter. Brown garlic and onion 4 minutes. Add salt and pepper. Add red bell pepper and zucchini, and let cook 4 minutes. Deglaze with the white wine.
• Add tomatoes and vegetable stock. Heat and let reduce, uncovered, 5 to 7 minutes. Add olives and basil. Stir delicately and heat a little bit more.
• Serve with garlic croutons.

CHICKEN PROVENCAL "STOUP"

Steps:

• One medium soup pot preheated over medium high heat. While soup pot heats, chop carrots into 1/4-inch dice, then add garlic, and stir to coat in extra-virgin olive oil. Chop and drop in the zucchini, pepper and onion next, 1/2 inch dice. Season all the veggies with salt and pepper and herbes de Provence. Cook the veggies together 5 minutes. While they cook, cut potatoes into thin wedges. Add wine to vegetables and reduce a minute or so. Add the tomatoes, cut potatoes and stock to the pot, cover the pot and raise heat to high. Bring the stoup to a boil, then add cut chicken and simmer 8 to10 minutes until potatoes are just tender and chicken is cooked through. Serve stoup in shallow bowls and stir in a rounded spoonful of black olive tapenade at the table. Top soup with chopped parsley and pass crusty bread at the table for dipping and mopping.

PROVENCAL VEGETABLE SOUP: SOUPE AU PISTOU

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the leeks and saute just until they start to turn translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and saute about 1 minute more. Add the carrots and celery and continue sauteing until the vegetables deepen in color but have not yet begun to brown, 3 to 4 minutes more. Pour the stock into the pan, bring it to a boil, and reduce the heat to maintain a simmer. Sprinkle in a generous pinch of salt.
• Tie the peppercorns, thyme, and parsley in a square of cheesecloth, securing it with kitchen string. Add this bouquet garni to the pan. Stir in the beans, zucchini, summer squash, and tomato. Continue simmering until the vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the Pistou: Put the garlic and tomatoes in a blender or food processor with about 3 tablespoons of the olive oil. Begin processing. With the machine running, add the basil leaves, and then pour in enough extra-virgin olive oil to make a smooth, thick, but fluid paste. Transfer about 2/3 of the paste into a serving bowl to pass alongside the soup.
• Make the Goat Cheese Croutons: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Brush the bread slices with olive oil and arrange them on a baking sheet. Bake until golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove them from the oven and turn on the broiler. Spread 1 side of each crouton with goat cheese and put it back on the baking sheet. Broil until the cheese is warm and slightly bubbly, about 3 minutes. Set aside.
• When the soup is ready, stir the remaining pistou into the saucepan, ladling some of the hot broth into the blender or processor bowl to swirl and rinse any pesto clinging inside into the pan. Remove and discard the bouquet garni. Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning with a little more salt.
• Ladle the soup into individual heated serving bowls. Float a crouton in the center of each bowl. With a spoon, drizzle a little more pistou over the crouton and soup in each bowl. Serve immediately, passing more pistou alongside for each person to add, to taste.

PROVENçAL VEGETABLE SOUP WITH BASIL

Steps:

• Prepare the beans: Put the beans and 5 cups water in a saucepan over high heat. Add onion stuck with clove, thyme, bay leaf, garlic, salt and olive oil. Reduce heat and cook at a gentle simmer until tender, about 25 to 30 minutes. Leave beans to cool in their own broth. (May be cooked several hours or up to 1 day in advance.)
• Make the soup: Put olive oil in a heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium-high heat. Add diced onion, season generously with salt and pepper and stir to coat. Turn heat to medium and cook, stirring until softened and barely browned, about 10 minutes.
• Add potato and 2 cups water to soup pot. Cover and cook until potatoes are soft, about 10 minutes. Add cooked shell beans and bean broth and bring to a simmer. Taste and adjust seasoning. Keep warm.
• Meanwhile, working in batches in a separate pot, blanch Romano beans, wax beans and zucchini in salted water for 1 minute. Spread out to cool on a baking sheet.
• Make the pistou: Put basil, garlic and olive oil in a food processor and pulse to a rough paste. (Alternatively, pound basil and garlic in a stone mortar and stir in oil and cheese.) Stir in about 1/2 cup grated cheese and season with salt and pepper. (Makes about 3/4 cup.)
• To serve, add blanched vegetables to soup pot and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Ladle into bowls and add about 2 tablespoons pistou to the center of each bowl. Pass extra grated cheese at the table.

PROVENCAL HAM & BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• Rinse and sort beans; soak according to package directions. Drain and rinse beans, discarding liquid. , Transfer beans to a 6-qt. slow cooker. Add tomatoes; crush with a wooden spoon until chunky. Stir in ham, vegetables, garlic, seasonings and stock. Cook, covered, on low 7-9 hours or until beans are tender. Serve with bread.

PROVENçAL GREENS SOUP

Steps:

• Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large, heavy soup pot over medium heat, and add the leeks. Cook, stirring, until tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and 1/2 teaspoon salt, and cook, stirring, until the garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the greens, and stir until they begin to wilt. Add 1 1/2 quarts water (6 cups) and salt to taste, and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, for 15 to 20 minutes, until the greens are very tender and the broth sweet. Add pepper, and taste and adjust seasoning.
• Beat the eggs in a bowl. Making sure that the soup is not boiling, whisk a ladle of it into the beaten eggs. Take the soup off the heat, and stir in the tempered eggs. Brush the garlic croutons with olive oil, and place one or two in each bowl. Ladle in the soup, sprinkle on some Parmesan if desired and serve.

PROVENçAL VEGETABLE SOUP (SOUPE AU PISTOU)

Steps:

• Make soup:
• Cook leek, celery, carrot, garlic, and thyme sprig in oil with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a 5-to 6-quart heavy pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until vegetables brown and stick to bottom of pot, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Add potatoes and chard stems with 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Add water and bring to a boil, stirring and scraping up brown bits.
• Stir in edamame, zucchini, green beans, pasta, chard leaves, and 1/4 tsp salt and simmer, uncovered, until pasta is al dente and vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Discard thyme sprig.
• Meanwhile make pistou:
• Heat a dry small skillet (not nonstick) over medium heat until hot, then char tomato on all sides. Core tomato, then purée with basil, parsley, and garlic in a food processor. Add oil and cheese and blend well.
• Remove soup from heat and stir in half of pistou and salt and pepper to taste. Serve soup with remaining pistou.

PROVENCAL BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• Rinse and sort beans. Place beans in a Dutch oven or soup kettle; add water to cover by 2 in. Bring to a boil; boil for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat; cover and let stand for 1 to 4 hours or until beans are softened., Drain and rinse, discarding liquid; set beans aside. In the same pan, saute the leeks, onion and garlic in oil until tender. Add the water, ham, cloves, bay leaves, thyme, salt, pepper and beans; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1-1/4 hours or until the beans are almost tender., Add carrots, turnips, potatoes, kale and parsley. Cover and simmer 25-35 minutes longer or until the beans and vegetables are tender. Discard bay leaves and cloves before serving.

PROVENCAL TOMATO SOUP WITH RICE

Steps:

• Cut a shallow X in bottom of each tomato with a sharp paring knife. Blanch tomatoes in batches of 2 or 3 in a 5- to 6-quart pot of boiling water 10 seconds, transferring with a slotted spoon to a bowl of ice and cold water to stop cooking.
• Peel tomatoes, then halve crosswise. Squeeze halves gently, cut sides down, over a sieve set over a bowl to extract seeds and juices, then press on seeds and discard them. Reserve juice and tomatoes.
• Cook onions, carrot, celery, garlic, zest, thyme, red-pepper flakes, fennel seeds, and bay leaf in oil in a 2 1/2- to 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes.
• Add tomatoes with reserved juice, tomato paste, water, chicken broth, salt, pepper, saffron, and 1 teaspoon sugar, then simmer, uncovered, stirring and breaking up tomatoes with a spoon occasionally, 20 minutes. Stir in rice and simmer, uncovered, until rice is tender, 10 to 20 minutes. Discard bay leaf and stir in parsley, basil, and sugar and salt to taste.