Chef Gary O'Hanlon joins Ciara with this week's simple recipe - Pistou Soup
Serves 6-8
8 large heirloom tomatoes, blanched, skinned, de-seeded and cut into concasse (small dice)
80g broad beans, blanched and shelled
Olive oil (drizzle)
1 white onion, chopped fine
1 leek white, washed and sliced thin
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 small carrots, peeled and diced
1 small courgette, diced
3 small potatoes, peeled, washed and cubed
1.2lt chicken stock
400g tin haricot beans (white beans)
70g green beans, blanched and diced
100g linguine or spaghetti (dragged over the edge of a table in a tea-towel)
80g frozen peas
250g bacon lardons (rendered in a frying pan and left to drain on kitchen paper)
sea salt and pepper to taste
Pistou
70g basil leaves
2 garlic cloves, peeled
80g aged parmesan
100-110ml olive oil
Method
For the Pistou
Add all ingredients to a food processor and blend
Season to taste
Soup
Add bacon to a cold frying pan and fry gently until crisp, set aside on kitchen paper
Heat a pot and add in a drizzle of olive oil.
Add in the garlic and onions, season and sweat, stirring every 20 seconds
Now add in the leek, carrot and potatoes, sauté without colour
Adjust seasoning and add in the tomatoes.
Now cover with chicken stock and bring to the boil
Add in the pasta, white beans and courgettes
Simmer until the pasta and veg is cooked through.
Now add in the lardons, broad beans, green beans, peas & haricot beans and bring back to the boil.
Adjust seasoning
To serve, fill a soup bowl and top with a tablespoon of Pistou.