Soupe au pistou

A healthy, hearty soup, similar to the great Italian minestrone and a sure-fire way of letting a little southern French sunshine into your kitchen. Pistou, similar to Italian pesto, is a basil and garlic purée. I like the calming, cumulative aspect of this recipe. The chopping time of each ingredient lets those already in the pot cook perfectly so you never feel you are wasting your energy on a boring chore.