Look through a few French or French cuisine-inspired cookbooks and you will most likely come across soupe au pistou, a vegetable soup garnished with pistou. I think of pistou as Provence’s version of pesto without the cheese. You blend basil with garlic, olive oil, and a little salt until smooth, occasionally with lemon juice or zest. I have also seen recipes that substitute parsley for the basil.
In the winter months, I rely on cilantro as a cheap way to brighten up heavy, earthy meals. I will often chop it and garnish fajitas, dal, or curries with the herb. When I made my Root Vegetable and Quinoa Soup, I thought about the soupe au pistou recipes I have read. Why not use one of my favorite herbs, cilantro, making a deliciously earthy soup a little brighter and more interesting?
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| Bon appetit! |
I imagined my version of pistou not only with the herbal grassiness of cilantro but also with the zip of lime. I loved my Cilantro Pistou so much in vegetable soup that I ended up using the whole batch of Cilantro Pistou with one pot of soup. You can make your pistou as thick or thin as you like. Since I use my pistou in soup or as a dressing, I like it on the thinner side. I accomplish this by adding a little extra extra virgin olive oil. I love the brightness of the herb with the decadence of the olive oil.
My success with the Cilantro Pistou inspired me to try a parsley pistou. In this case I used the pistou as a dressing for my Barley and Lentil Mujadara Salad (recipe coming soon!). Either the Cilantro Pistou or Parlsey Pistou could transform a simple green salad or tomato salad to a luxurious side dish. A future recipe I have in mind is a sandwich made from leftover roasted chicken on a Market of Choice ciabatta roll, with beautiful locally grown tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and Parlsey Pistou. Would some please buy the ingredients for me? I promise I will really…enjoy!
Cilantro Pistou
by
Keywords: raw gluten-free vegan cilantro
Ingredients (about 1 cup)
- 1/2 bunch cilantro, about one cup loosely packed
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, more or less as needed
- about 2 teaspoons lime juice, more less according to taste
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Dash of cayenne pepper, if desired
Instructions
Combine all ingredients in a small blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Adjust the amounts of olive oil, lime juice, and kosher salt to taste. Enjoy!
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