4 to 6 servings
SERVINGS
Ingredients
- 1 cup fresh shell beans, removed from their pods
- 2 strips bacon, sliced
- 2 medium onion, coarsely chopped
- 1 large rib of celery, coarsely chopped
- 1/2 pound small young potatoes, unpeeled, cubed
- 1/2 pound zucchini, cut into rounds
- 1/4 pound each green and yellow snap beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch lengths
- 1 bay leaf
- Pistou, to serve
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Pistou
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves, packed
- 1 clove of garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated and packed
Directions
- Pistou
- Combine the basil leaves, garlic and olive oil in a blender or food processor. Blend just until smooth and well-mixed. Do not over-blend.
- Scrape into a bowl and add the grated parmesan. Stir until well-mixed. Cover and refrigerate if not using right away. You can also make large amounts, use what you need, and freeze the rest in small, straight-sided jars or ice cube trays.
- Soup
- Put the shell beans in a small saucepan with water to cover and simmer until just tender. Drain and set aside.
- While the beans cook, heat a Dutch oven or large saucepan over medium heat and fry the bacon until browned, then remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
- Fry the onions in the remaining bacon grease (or olive oil) over medium heat, stirring, until translucent.
- Add the celery, potatoes, zucchini, snap beans, bay leaf, salt and pepper.
- Add 3 cups of water, or enough to cover, bring to a boil, then cook over medium-low heat for about 15 minutes until vegetables are tender.
- Add the shell beans and bacon to the soup.
- Reheat for a minute or two, taste for salt and pepper, and then serve hot, passing the pistou in a bowl for diners to stir in.
Barbara Damrosch farms and whips up creative, fresh recipes with her husband, Eliot Coleman, at their Four Season Farm in Harborside, Maine.
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