This French Vegetable Soup Is Summer’s Coziest Goodbye

There’s a specific feeling to the end of summer. The air gets a little crisp in the evenings, but the garden and farmers’ markets are still overflowing.

If you’re like me, your kitchen counter is probably home to a “last chance” pile of produce: one final zucchini, a handful of green beans, a few tomatoes that are just ripe, and a basil plant that’s begging to be used.

It’s the classic recipycle.com dilemma: not enough of any one thing for a full recipe, but far too much good food to waste.

Enter Soupe au Pistou. This classic French vegetable soup is, in my opinion, the single best “end-of-season” recipe ever created. It’s a “clean-out-the-fridge” masterpiece from Provence, designed specifically to use up all those leftover bits and pieces. It’s a warm, hearty hug in a bowl—the absolute coziest way to say goodbye to summer.

🚀 Key Takeaways

The Recipe: Soupe au Pistou (pronounced “soop-oh-pee-stoo”) is a hearty, brothy French vegetable soup, often including white beans and pasta.

The Secret: The “Pistou” is the star. It’s a fresh, raw paste of basil, garlic, and olive oil (no nuts or cheese!) that you stir in at the very end.

The Recipycle Mission: This soup is the perfect vehicle for your leftover summer vegetables. It’s flexible, so you can use whatever you have on hand.

What Exactly Is Soupe au Pistou?

Think of it as the original “stone soup.” It’s a humble, rustic soup from the south of France. It starts like many vegetable soups: a simple base of onions, carrots, and celery.

But then, the magic happens. You load it up with all the summer vegetables you have.

The final, transformative step is the “pistou.” Unlike its Italian cousin, pesto, a true pistou is a purist’s paste:

No Pine Nuts
No Cheese

It’s just the intense, concentrated flavor of fresh basil, garlic, olive oil, and a pinch of salt. You add this raw, vibrant-green paste to the hot soup right at the table. The heat warms the garlic and basil, releasing an incredible aroma. It’s the smell of summer, right in your bowl.

The Perfect Recipe for Leftover Vegetables

This is where you get to empty your crisper drawer. This soup is forgiving. In my experience, as long as you have about 5-6 cups of mixed vegetables, you’re in business.

A before shot of chopped leftover summer vegetables, including zucchini, a carrot, green beans, and a tomato, ready for the soup pot.

This soup is perfect for using:

Zucchini or Summer Squash: One or two, chopped.
Green Beans: That handful from the back of the fridge, snapped into 1-inch pieces.
Tomatoes: A couple of fresh, ripe tomatoes, chopped (or a 1/2 can of diced tomatoes).
Potatoes: One or two, cubed, to make the soup hearty.
Leeks or Onions: The base of any good soup.
Carrots & Celery: Even if they’re a little wilty, they’re perfect here.
Canned Beans: A can of white beans (cannellini or navy) adds protein and creaminess.
That Last Bit of Pasta: Got a 1/2 cup of small pasta (like ditalini or shells) at the bottom of the box? Throw it in!

Ingredients You’ll Need (The “Flexible” Recipe)

For the Soup Base:

1 tbsp Olive Oil
1 Onion, chopped (or 1 leek)
2 Carrots, chopped
2 stalks Celery, chopped
2 cloves Garlic, minced (this is in addition to the pistou garlic!)
5-6 cups Mixed Leftover Vegetables (See list above: zucchini, green beans, potato, tomato, etc.)
6-8 cups Vegetable Broth (This is a great place to use our [Link to: Homemade Vegetable Stock from Leftover Scraps])
1 can (15 oz) White Beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup Small Pasta (optional, add at the end)
Salt and Pepper to taste

For the Pistou (The “Goodbye Summer” Topping):

Alt Text: A close-up of fresh, bright green pistou, a simple paste of basil, garlic, and olive oil, in a traditional stone mortar and pestle.

2 cups Fresh Basil Leaves, packed (This is the time to use the whole bunch!)
3-4 large cloves Garlic (Be brave! This is a key flavor)
1/2 tsp Coarse Salt
1/3 cup Good Quality Olive Oil

How to Make Soupe au Pistou

Build the Soup Base: In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the 1 tbsp of olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery (your mirepoix). Sauté for 5-7 minutes until soft. Add the 2 cloves of minced garlic and cook for 1 more minute until fragrant.
Simmer the Vegetables: Add all your chopped “leftover” vegetables (potatoes, green beans, tomatoes, zucchini, etc.) and the vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the hardiest vegetables (like potatoes and carrots) are tender.
Make the Pistou (While the Soup Simmers): This is the most important step. In a food processor or, even better, a mortar and pestle, add the 3-4 large garlic cloves and the 1/2 tsp of coarse salt. Pound or pulse until it’s a rough paste. Add the 2 cups of basil leaves (in batches if needed) and pound/pulse until finely chopped. With the processor running (or while whisking in the mortar), slowly drizzle in the 1/3 cup of olive oil until you have a thick, bright green, emulsified paste. Set it aside.
Finish the Soup: Once the vegetables are tender, stir in the can of drained white beans and the optional 1/2 cup of pasta. Simmer for another 8-10 minutes, just until the pasta is al dente.
Serve the Right Way: Ladle the hot soup into bowls. Here’s the secret: Do not add the pistou to the main pot. Serve it in a small bowl at the table. Let everyone add a big spoonful to their own bowl and swirl it in themselves.

💡 Pro-Tips for the Best Pistou

Make the Pistou Last: What I’ve found works best is to make the pistou just before serving. Basil oxidizes (turns brown) quickly. Making it at the last minute keeps it beautifully green.
Don’t Cook the Pistou: I’m repeating this because it’s key. Adding it “raw” to the hot soup in your bowl is what gives you that fresh, powerful “goodbye to summer” aroma. Boiling it in the pot would dull all those fresh flavors.
Use a Mortar and Pestle: While a food processor is fast, a traditional actually crushes and bruises the garlic and basil, releasing more flavor and creating a superior, silkier paste.
No Food Processor? If you don’t have either, a works great for this. In a pinch, you can just chop everything very finely with a knife and whisk in the oil.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What’s the real difference between Pistou and Pesto?

Pistou is pesto’s simpler, older cousin. Traditional pistou contains no pine nuts and no cheese. It’s a 100% vegan, nut-free paste of just basil, garlic, and olive oil. Pesto (from Genoa, Italy) adds pine nuts and Parmesan/Pecorino cheese.

Q2: How do I store leftover Soupe au Pistou?

Store the soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Store the pistou separately in a small jar. To keep the pistou green, pour a thin layer of olive oil on top before sealing the lid.

Q3: Can I freeze this soup?

The soup base (without the pasta) freezes beautifully for up to 3 months. The pistou also freezes well—I love freezing it in ice cube trays! You can pop a cube of “summer” into a soup all winter long.

Q4: I have even more basil. What else can I do?

You’ve come to the right place! If you bought the entire plant, check out our guide on Recipes That Justify Buying the Entire Bunch of Fresh Herbs

Conclusion: The Best Kind of Goodbye

This Soupe au Pistou does more than just feed you; it’s a celebration of a season’s hard work. It honors those last bits of produce by transforming them from “leftovers” into the star of a cozy, comforting, and incredibly flavorful meal.

For more information on the history of this classic French dish, I highly recommend checking out this guide on Link to: a Saver or Eater article on the food of Provence, France

So as the weather turns, give your summer vegetables the “coziest goodbye” they deserve.

What are your favorite “end-of-summer” vegetables that are always left in your fridge? I’d love to hear your ideas in the comments below!

This French Vegetable Soup Is Summer’s Coziest Goodbye