Pistou

法式蔬菜清湯
Category: Soup
Style: French
Difficulty: Easy
Portion: Serves 8

Ingredients
4 tbsp olive oil
2 small zucchini, diced
2 small bakers potatos (such as russet), cleaned and diced
2 small onion, diced
4 stalks celery, diced
8 cloves of garlic, minced
2 carrot, diced
1 eggplant, diced
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup frozen corn
1/2 cup macaroni
3 L chicken broth
pesto to taste
freshly grated Parmesan cheese to taste

Procedures
In a large soup pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, carrot and celery and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes until onion is coloured.
Add garlic and sauté 1 minute. Add potato, peas and corn and sauté for another 2 minutes.
Add broth and bring to a boil. Turn heat down to a simmer. Skim the scum off the top. Simmer for about 20 minutes
Add pasta, zucchini and eggplant and cook for 10 minutes or until pasta and vegetable is tender.
Ladle the soup into individual bowls . Add pesto and cheese to taste.

Tips
The vegetable should be diced to about 1/4 inch. It should be an elegent soup, so don't make the vegetables too chunky.
Simmer means heating without boiling. If you see the soup rolling, it means the heat is too strong.
Remember to skim the scum (the foam) off the top of the soup from time to time. This will make the soup clear.