Soupe Au Pistou from Nice
From: echo

A simple and flavorful vegetable soup from The Soup Bible by Debra Mayhew. The combination of pesto and sundried tomato paste is an inspired touch.

SERVES 4

• 5 cups vegetable stock
• 1 zucchini, diced
• 1 small potato, diced
• 1 shallot, chopped
• 1 carrot, diced
• 1 (8 ounce) can chopped tomatoes
• salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup thin green beans, cut in 1/2 inch lengths
• 1/2 cup frozen baby peas
• 1/2 cup pasta, small pasta shapes (for example, conchigliette, ditali or farfalline)
• 4-6 tablespoons vegan basil-based pesto sauce (commercial or homemade - see le pistou )
• 1 tablespoon sun-dried tomato paste

Place vegetable stock in a large saucepan, add zucchini through tomatoes and season with salt and pepper.

Bring to a boil, cover, lower heat and simmer 20 minutes.

Add green beans through pasta and cook about 10 minutes longer until pasta is tender.

Adjust seasonings if necessary.

Whisk together pesto and sundried tomato paste.

Ladle soup into 4 bowls and stir a spoonful of the pesto mixture into each.