Fresh Vegetable Basil Soup Recipes

PROVENçAL VEGETABLE SOUP WITH BASIL

Steps:

• Prepare the beans: Put the beans and 5 cups water in a saucepan over high heat. Add onion stuck with clove, thyme, bay leaf, garlic, salt and olive oil. Reduce heat and cook at a gentle simmer until tender, about 25 to 30 minutes. Leave beans to cool in their own broth. (May be cooked several hours or up to 1 day in advance.)
• Make the soup: Put olive oil in a heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium-high heat. Add diced onion, season generously with salt and pepper and stir to coat. Turn heat to medium and cook, stirring until softened and barely browned, about 10 minutes.
• Add potato and 2 cups water to soup pot. Cover and cook until potatoes are soft, about 10 minutes. Add cooked shell beans and bean broth and bring to a simmer. Taste and adjust seasoning. Keep warm.
• Meanwhile, working in batches in a separate pot, blanch Romano beans, wax beans and zucchini in salted water for 1 minute. Spread out to cool on a baking sheet.
• Make the pistou: Put basil, garlic and olive oil in a food processor and pulse to a rough paste. (Alternatively, pound basil and garlic in a stone mortar and stir in oil and cheese.) Stir in about 1/2 cup grated cheese and season with salt and pepper. (Makes about 3/4 cup.)
• To serve, add blanched vegetables to soup pot and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Ladle into bowls and add about 2 tablespoons pistou to the center of each bowl. Pass extra grated cheese at the table.

FRESH VEGETABLE BASIL SOUP

Steps:

• Sometimes I add a hot pepper sauce for some bite.
• In a 5-qt pan over med heat, melt butter.
• Add onion, celery and carrot.
• Cook, stir occasionally, until veggies are soft but not brown (10 min).
• Add potato, tomatoes, stock, basil to pan.
• Bring to boil, then cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
• Add cauliflower and zucchini and simmer for about 10 minutes.
• Add peas and simmer for about 5 minutes or until all veggies are tender.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Serve with cheese.

VEGGIE SOUP WITH BASIL SAUCE

Steps:

• In a large pot over high heat, combine the potatoes, onion, carrot, beans, tamari OR soy sauce, bay leaf and water. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 20 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. (Note: Add water as necessary to cover vegetables.)
• When the soup is done, add the beans and corn and simmer for an additional 5 minutes. To make sauce, in a blender or food processor, combine the basil, pureed tomatoes, garlic, oil, Parmesan cheese and salt and pepper to taste. Blend until smooth, stir this sauce into the soup and serve.

VEGETABLE SOUP WITH SWEET BASIL

Steps:

• Cut the leeks, potato, onion, celery, zucchini, green beans, and carrots into 1/4-inch dice.
• In a 6-quart stockpot, combine 3 tablespoons of the olive oil with the water. Add the vegetables and saute over medium-low heat until all the water evaporates. Do not brown the vegetables.
• Add the stock and bring to a boil. Cook at a gentle boil for 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a food processor fitted with the metal blade, put the tomatoes, basil, garlic, and remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil. Pulse until pureed.
• Stir the puree into the cooked soup. Do not let the soup return to a boil. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Serve the soup hot or cold from a tureen or in individual bowls.

CREAM OF BASIL SOUP

Steps:

• In a saucepan, simmer broth and basil, uncovered, for 15 minutes. In another saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour and pepper until smooth; gradually add milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Reduce heat; gradually stir in broth and sour cream (do not boil).

VEGETABLE SOUP WITH BASIL AND GARLIC

Steps:

• Make soup:
• Bring water to a boil in a 5-quart 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.

VEGETABLE SOUP WITH BASIL AND GARLIC SAUCE

Steps:

• Make soup:
• Cut fennel stalks flush with bulb, discarding them, and trim off any tough outer layers from bulb. Chop fennel into 1/2-inch pieces.
• Cook pancetta in oil in a 7- to 9-quart heavy pot over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until just beginning to brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in fennel, onion, turnip, carrots, and cabbage and cook, stirring occasionally, until cabbage is wilted, 5 to 7 minutes. Add cheese rind, squash, potato, thyme sprigs, bay leaf, salt, and water and bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes. Add lima beans, green beans, and cannellini and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Discard cheese rind, thyme sprigs, and bay leaf. Stir in spinach and season with salt and pepper.
• Make pistou while soup is simmering:
• Mince and mash garlic to a paste with salt (or pound with a mortar and pestle). Blend with basil in a food processor until basil is finely chopped. Add oil and cheese and purée.
• Top servings with a spoonful of pistou, then stir.

ROASTED GARDEN TOMATO BASIL SOUP

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Arrange tomatoes on a baking sheet; drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add garlic and 3 sprigs chopped thyme; toss. Season with salt and black pepper.
• Bake in preheated oven until very tender and browned, about 2 hours.
• Heat remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium heat; cook and stir onion, celery, and zucchini until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in red pepper flakes, paprika, and curry powder. Season with salt and black pepper and add remaining 3 sprigs chopped thyme. Stir in roasted tomatoes along with any liquid from the baking sheet. Cook and stir for 5 more minutes; pour chicken broth into tomato mixture. Simmer for 20 minutes.
• Blend with an emersion blender until desired consistency. Stir in cream and basil before serving.

TOMATO AND FRESH BASIL SOUP

Steps:

• (Note: I totally omit the cream. After cooking and then processing, the soup has a nice thick consistency that doesn't really need to be thickened more- or the added calories. Simply omit the pressing of the soup through the sieve and the addition of the c) Heat the oil and butter in a large saucepan until foaming.
• Add the onion and cook gently for about 5 minutes, stirring, until the onion is softened but not brown.
• Stir in the chopped tomatoes and garlic, then add the stock, white wine and sun-dred tomato paste, with salt and pepper to taste.
• Bring to a boil, then lower the heat, half cover the pan, and simmer gently for 20 minutes, shirring occcasionally to keep the tomatoes from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
• Process the soup with the shredded basil in a blender or food processor, then press through a sieve into a clean pan.
• Add the cream and heat through, stirring.
• Do not allow the soup to approach the boiling point.
• Check the consistency and add more stock if necessary, then season with salt and pepper.
• Pour into heated bowls and garnish with basil.
• Serve at once.
• (Can also be frozen and served later.).