Jono & Jules do food & wine

A lovely fresh-tasting soup full of veg and basil – smells just like summer.

Summer soupe au pistou – serves 4 to 6

• 1 leek, chopped
• 1 large potato, peeled and chopped
• 1 celery stick, chopped
• 1.7 litres of chicken stock (or vegetable stock if you prefer)
• 2 courgettes, chopped
• 225g green beans, chopped into short lengths
• 225g drained tinned haricot beans (or use another white bean)
• 12 cherry tomatoes, quartered
• 2 tbsp chopped parsley
• 2 bunches of basil
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 125ml extra virgin olive oil
• grated Parmesan, to serve

Heat a splash of olive oil in a large pot and gently cook the leek, potato and celery for 5 minutes.

Add the chicken stock, season well and cook for 10 minutes.

Add the courgettes, green beans, haricot beans and cherry tomatoes. Cook for 5 minutes or until the vegetables are tender, then add the parsley.

To make the pistou: whizz the basil and garlic with some seasoning in a blender then gradually add the olive oil.

Top the soup with the pistou and Parmesan.

(Original recipe from Food from Plenty by Diana Henry, Mitchell Beazley, 2010.)