VEGETABLE SOUP WITH PISTOU

l0 cups or more water
l cup dried cannellini (white kidney beans)
l large onion chopped
6 garlic cloves minced
l lb. small red skinned potatoes quartered
2 leeks white and pale green parts only thinly sliced
2 large carrots, peeled, choppped
l l4-l/2 oz. can diced tomatoes in juice
l/2 lb. green beans, trimmed, cut into l” pieces
2 med. zuccjhini chopped
4 fresh thyme sprigs
l bay leaf
l cup farfalls (bow tie pasta)
Combine 4 cups water, beans, onion and 2 garlic cloves in heavylarge pot. Bring to boil. Reduce heat. Cover; simmer until beans are just tender, stirring occasionally about 55 mins. Add 6 cups water, 4 garlic cloves, potatoes, leeks, carrots, tomatoes with juices, half of green beans, half of zucchini, thyme and bay leaf. Bring to boil. Cover; simmer until veggies are tender, stirring occasionally, 30 mins. Add pasta to soup. Simmer l2 mins. Add remaining green beans and zucchini to suto soup . Simmer until pasta is just cooked thru but still firm to bite about 5 mins longer. Ladle soup into bowls. Spoon l tbsps. Pistou atop each. Pass remaiing pistou separately.
Pistou: Makes about 3/4 cup
3 garlic cloves
3 cups packed fresh basil leaves
l/2 tsp. salt
6 trbsps. olive oil
3/4 cup grated Parmesan
Finely chop garlic in processor. Add basil and l/2 tsp. salt. Process until basil is finely chopped, scraping down sides of bowl. With machine running gradually blend in oil. Add cheese; process to blend well. Season with pepper. Transfer to bowl.
Serves 6 to 8 Bon Appetit May l999