Recipe - Vegetable Soup With Basil And Garlic

FOR SOUP
2 One half qt Water
2 md Leeks; (white and
; palegreen parts
; only), thinly
; cut or sliced up crosswise
1 md Onion; thinly cut or sliced up
2 md Carrots; halved lengthwise
; and thinly cut or sliced up
; crosswise
Three fourths pound Potatoes; peeled, quartered
; lengthwise, and cut
; into 1/2inchthick
; slices
Three fourths pound Butternut or other winter
squash; peeled and cut into
; 1/2inch pieces
1 pound Fresh white beans in pods;
shelled, or 1 1/2
; cups drained cooked
; white beans
Bouquet garni of 1 celery
rib; 3 fresh parsley
; sprigs, 2 fresh
; thyme sprigs, and 1
; bay leaf tied
; together with
; kitchen string
6 ounce Green beans; cut crosswise
into
; 1/2inch pieces
2 small Zucchini; (One half lb), cut into
; 1/4inchthick
; slices
1 cup Elbow macaroni

FOR PISTOU
4 lg Garlic cloves
Generous handful fresh basil
leaves; (preferably with
; blossoms)
One fourth teaspoon Salt
1 cup Freshly grated Parmesan
1 Firmripe medium tomato;
peeled, seeded, and
; cut into chunks
1 One fourth cups olive oil; up to 1
Special equipment: kitchen
string

Make soup:

Bring water to a boil in a 5quart pot and simmer leeks, onion, carrots,
potatoes, squash, white beans (if using fresh), and bouquet garni 30
minutes, or until beans and squash are tender but remain intact. Add green
beans, zucchini, and macaroni (and cooked white beans if using) and simmer
15 minutes, or until macaroni is tender but not falling apart.

Make pistou while soup is cooking:

Pound garlic, basil, salt, and pepper to taste with a large mortar and
pestle, alternating between pounding and turning with a grinding motion,
until mixture forms a paste. Work in enough Parmesan to make a very stiff
paste, then add about one third of tomato, pounding and grinding into the
paste. Gradually work in remaining cheese and tomato with a little olive
oil until mixture is a barely fluid paste. Gradually work in 1 cup oil, or
enough for pistou to become a sauce. (Pistou will not be an emulsion, so it
should be thoroughly mixed each time it is dished out.)

Serve soup with mortar of pistou on the side, to be added to taste by each
person.

Cooks' note:

• If you don't have a large mortar and pestle, finely chop basil and garlic
and mash in a bowl with back of a spoon.

Makes 4 to 6