Page 189 - YC Cooking School

2. If you have your heart set on making your own chicken stock, now would be a good

time to get going with that, so it’s ready to add to your soup when you need it.

Day two

1. Cook the re-hydrated beans in a medium-sized pot with 2 litres of unsalted boiling
water for about 30-40 minutes or until they are almost done. They should still be
slightly firm to touch.
2. When the beans are ready, drain and rinse them under cold water and set aside.
3. In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, heat the olive oil.
4. Add the onions and garlic to the hot oil and fry without colouring until they become

fragrant and slightly translucent.
5. Once the onions are translucent, add the diced courgettes, patty pans, butternut and
fennel and continue to fry them on a low heat (this is called sweating), until they are
slightly soft.
6. Blanch, peel, seed and chop your tomatoes, then add them to the pot with the rest of
the vegetables.
7. Add the bouquet garni and the stock, cover with a lid and allow to simmer gently for
about 15 minutes.
8. Add the pre-cooked beans and pasta to your soupe and simmer for a further 15
minutes, stirring from time to time and skimming off any foam that may rise to the

top.
9. When the pasta is well cooked (not mushy, and just maintaining its structure), mix in
the pistou.
10. Remove the bouquet garni and season with salt and freshly ground pepper.
11. Serve immediately alongside the garlic croutons.

For the pistou

1. While the soup cooks, make the pistou
2. In a mortar and pestle, grind, crush and pound the garlic, adding a pinch of salt.

3. Next add the basil and grind together until it makes a rough paste.
4. Gently incorporate the olive oil, a little at a time, then add in the grated Parmesan and
grind a little further.
5. Remove ¾ of the pistou and set aside in a bowl to be added to the soup just before
serving.

For the garlic croutons

1. Preheat your oven to grill.

2. Put the sliced bread onto an oven tray and place under the grill until crispy on one
side.

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