Ingredients

• 1 bunch of Vietnamese or Thai basil
• chopped
• 1 stalk of lemongrass
• roughly chopped
• ½ small red chilli
• seeds removed
• 5 tbsp sunflower oil
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 onions
• diced
• 4 garlic cloves
• crushed to a paste
• 2 sprigs thyme
• 3 bay leaves
• 4 tbsp tomato purée
• 2 carrots
• diced
• 2 courgettes
• diced
• 200g/7oz green beans
• cut into small pieces
• 2 litres/3½ pints boiling water
• 100g/3½oz dried pasta (a small variety like orzo)
• 1 x 400g/14oz tin white beans (e.g. haricots blancs
• cannellini)
• drained and rinsed
• 200g/7oz fresh or frozen peas
• 1 tbsp salt
• pinch sugar
• freshly ground black pepper

Directions

• For the pistou
• crush the ingredients to a smooth paste in a pestle and mortar (or use a food processor).
• For the soup
• heat the olive oil in a large pot. Add the onions and garlic and cook gently
• stirring occasionally
• until soft and translucent.
• Add the thyme
• bay leaves
• tomato purée
• carrots and courgettes
• then cook for 15-20 minutes or until the vegetables are al dente (tender but still a little crunchy).
• Add the green beans with the boiling water and bring to a boil
• then add the pasta. Cook for 10 minutes or until the pasta is al dente.
• Add the white beans and peas. Remove the sprig of thyme and the bay leaves
• then add the salt
• sugar and pepper to taste.
• Serve immediately in bowls
• with a dollop of Vietnamese pistou on top of the soup.