Soupe au Pistou with Chicken & White Beans

A Provençal vegetable and white bean soup built on the carcass broth from Night 1, finished at the table with a bright parsley pistou. Hearty enough for dinner, even better the next day. ← Back to Week 5: French Bistro — Market Basket Series Ingredients 1.5 cups shredded chicken (from Night 1 soup portion) 1 can cannellini beans (15 oz), drained and rinsed 4 cups chicken broth (carcass broth from Night 1, or store-bought) 2 cups water 1 medium yellow onion, diced 1 large carrot, diced 2 stalks celery, diced 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved 2 cups fresh baby spinach 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 2 bay leaves Salt and black pepper to taste For the pistou: 1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley (or basil), packed 2 cloves garlic 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil Juice of ½ lemon Pinch of salt Instructions Heat olive oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, and celery. Cook for 8 minutes until softened. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Add cherry tomatoes and cook for 3 minutes until they begin to soften and release their juices. Add broth, water, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 15 minutes. Add cannellini beans and shredded chicken. Simmer for a further 10 minutes. Stir in spinach and cook for 2 minutes until wilted. Remove bay leaves. Season generously with salt and pepper. While the soup simmers, make the pistou: finely chop parsley and garlic together (or pulse briefly in a small food processor), then stir in olive oil, lemon juice, and salt until a rough paste forms. Ladle soup into bowls. Add a generous spoonful of pistou to each bowl and swirl gently. Serve with sliced baguette. Chef’s Notes 🍲 Pistou vs. Pesto Pistou is the French Provençal cousin of Italian pesto — made without nuts or cheese, just herbs, garlic, and olive oil. Because it’s stirred in at the table rather than cooked into the soup, it keeps its bright, raw flavour and vivid colour. Don’t skip it — it’s what transforms a good vegetable soup into something unmistakably French. 🍿 The Carcass Broth Advantage If you made the quick carcass broth from Night 1 (simmering the carcass with the cavity aromatics, a celery stalk, and a bay leaf for 30 minutes), use it here. The roasted flavour it carries — from the herbes de Provence, lemon, and shallots — adds a depth that store-bought broth simply can’t replicate. This is the Market Basket approach at its best: nothing wasted, everything flavourful. ⏰ Make It Ahead This soup is genuinely better the next day as the flavours deepen overnight. Make it on Night 2 and it’s an even easier dinner on Night 3 if your schedule shifts. Store the pistou separately and add fresh at serving. 🫘 Bean Tip For a thicker, more substantial broth, mash a handful of cannellini beans against the side of the pot before adding the chicken. They dissolve into the broth and give it a silky, stew-like body without any cream. Substitutions Use fresh basil in the pistou for a more traditional Provençal flavour Add diced zucchini or green beans with the carrots for extra vegetables Omit chicken for a fully vegetarian version — the beans carry the protein Add a Parmesan rind to the broth while it simmers for extra depth This Recipe Is Part Of 🍽️ Week 5: French Bistro — Market Basket Series Shop once, cook five. See the full week plan and shopping list.

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