All you need are fresh basil leaves, salt, garlic cloves and extra virgin olive oil to make this basil pistou. The green sauce is best made using a pestle and mortar.
Head straight on to the Recipe For ♥ Basil Pistou ♥
What is pistou?
Pistou comes from the Provençal region of France and is made from fresh basil, garlic and olive oil. I made basil pistou for our mediterranean meze table as one of the guests is allergic to cow’s milk. As with pesto, and zhug, pistou refers to the act of using a pestle and mortar to grind the ingredients together. Traditionally, one would add this to soup au pistou just before serving.
Let’s talk about basil
There are many varieties of basil, and opal basil is indigenous to where I live. Most common is sweet basil which is what is used in cooking around the world. And these are the leaves one uses for pesto and pistou. Thai basil is another firm favourite of mine for its distinct flavour. When growing basil it is important to nip the flowers off as soon as they appear. This encourages growth of the leaves, and will cause your plant to ‘fatten up’. The flowers can be placed on top of the coals of a barbeque to add flavour to what you are cooking. And I keep some in a small vase on the windowsill of my scullery. It is important to pick the leaves off the stem when using basil. And if adding it at the last moment to a dish, cut just before use, otherwise it will discolour.
Take a look at this inspiring recipe for ♥ Basil Pistou ♥ from Lavender and Lime #LavenderAndLime Share on X
Click on the links for conversions and notes.
Basil Pistou
Ingredients
- 30 g basil leaves
- 2.5 mls fine salt
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled
- 20 mls olive oil
Method
- Place the basil, salt and garlic into a mortar and pound until broken up, using a pestle
- Using the pestle to stir, slowly add the olive oil while mixing
- Serve straight away
See the links below for blog posts I published on April 23:
- 2023: A Killer’s Game
- 2021: Kerala Prawn Curry
- 2018: Mushroom Custard
- 2017: Cold Blood
- 2015: Tempered Chocolate
- 2014: Stocking A Pantry Cupboard
- 2013: Black Cherry Ice Cream
- 2012: Pak Choi And Carrot Meatballs
Dave and I are in Italy for our annual overseas holiday. I will not be replying to comments or reading blog posts until the 2nd of May. You can follow our trip by taking a look at our holiday blog.
I used to grow a lot of basil and the native blue bees adored it! such a distinctive flavour.
I need to try that native basil!
Wonderful
Thanks so much 🙂
Basil, garlic, and olive oil make an incredible pairings that is so good with so many things!
The pairings are indeed incredible 🙂
I know this is pistou, not pesto, and beautiful by the way, but Stefan from his Gourmet Blog has mentioned that traditional pesto made with a mortar and pestle is profoundly better than any other way. I make so much at one time, that I use a blender. But that’s so incredible to me.
If I make a lot of pesto I also use the blender. But it does taste better when done by hand, for some odd reason 🙂
Thanks for this recipe, Tandy.
My pleasure Robbie 🙂
I once made a Pistou vegetable soup. This Basil Pistou sounds easy and interesting. I’m sure the fresh basil is extremely flavorful.
I still need to make the soup 🙂