Alkaline Diet Recipe #107: Alkaline Pistou Soup

This week’s alkaline recipe features another delicious soup, which is packed with different vegetables and will definitely keep you warm in these still pretty cold temperatures.

This pistou soup is mostly associated with the Provencal dish Soupe au Pistou or the minestrone al pesto from Italy. Traditionally pistou is made with parmesan cheese, which we will leave out, as it is acidifying.

The usual ingredients used are green beans, white beans, potatoes and tomatoes. This particular recipe contains these plus some other healthy and alkaline vegetables like courgettes, onions, celery and carrots, which are all packed with nutrients and are important for good health.

We hope you enjoy this tasty and highly alkaline pistou soup – Bon appétit!

Alkaline Pistou Soup

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

250g white haricot beans
200g green beans, chopped
2 large garlic cloves, crushed
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 celery stick, finely chopped
180g new potatoes, cut into cubes
850ml yeast-free vegetable stock
2 large tomatoes, skinned, deseeded and chopped into small pieces
200g courgettes, cut into small cubes
1 bunch of fresh basil, finely chopped
Himalayan Crystal Salt or celtic sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Ingredients For The Pistou

100g fresh basil leaves
1 1/2 tbsp pine nuts
2 large garlic cloves
50ml extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

Remove the outer skin of the harder and slightly older white beans. To do this carve into the skin with the tip of a knife and push out the inner tender part of the bean.

Heat the oil in a large cooking pot at medium temperature, add the onion, garlic, celery and carrot and gently fry for about 5-8 minutes, until the onion is soft, but has not browned.

Stir in the potatoes, stock and tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Bring the broth to boil and add the basil. Reduce the heat, cover the pot with a lid and gently simmer the soup until the potatoes are tender.

For the pistou mix the basil, garlic and pine nuts in a mixer until you get a thicker paste. Then add the olive oil. Fill the pistou into bowls, cover them and put them into the fridge until they have to be used later on.

As soon as the potatoes are tender, add the courgette, white and green beans to the soup and cook for another 10 minutes until the beans are tender. Season with salt and pepper.

Divide the soup into bowls and serve each portion with one large spoonful of pistou.

Enjoy!

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