Carrot Soup with Fava Bean Pistou

Carrot Soup with Fava Bean Pistou

Carrot Soup, Fava Bean Pistou

We pair this soup with Fava Bean Pistou, but you can get creative and garnish it with a variety of toppings: a dollop of crème fraîche with a hit of curry powder, a handful of marinated golden raisins, or a spoonful of chopped parsley.

For the soup: 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 small yellow onion, chopped 2 celery stalks, chopped

1 leek, white part only, cleaned and chopped

2 shallots, diced

4 garlic cloves, crushed

2 pounds carrots (about 6 carrots), chopped

Salt and white pepper to taste

½ cup heavy cream

For the pistou:

¼ cup pine nuts, toasted

1 garlic clove, peeled

2 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil plus additional for garnish

½ cup fava beans, blanched and peeled

1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Salt and black pepper to taste

To prepare the soup:

Melt the butter in a medium-large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the onion, celery, leek, shallots, and garlic and sauté until the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Stir the vegetables occasionally to prevent browning. Add the carrots and sauté for about 3 minutes while stirring. Add 1½ quarts water and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook until the carrots are just tender, about 5 minutes. Add the heavy cream. Remove the vegetables from the heat and purée immediately in a blender or a food processor. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve and season with salt and pepper to taste.

To prepare the pistou:

Place the pine nuts, garlic, and cheese in a food processor and purée while slowly adding the olive oil until just blended. Add the fava beans and parsley and purée to a creamy consistency. Add more olive oil if necessary and season to taste with salt and black pepper.

To serve:

Garnish each bowl of soup with 1 tablespoon of Fava Bean Pistou and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.