Soupe Au Pistou - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 cup dried cannellini beans
1/3 cup olive oil
2 None veal shanks (3 1/3 lbs), trimmed
1 large leek, thinly sliced
1 cup chicken stock
2 tbsp pine nuts, toasted
1 clove garlic, quartered
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup firmly packed fresh basil leaves
2 medium carrots, coarsely chopped
7 oz green beans, trimmed and coarsely chopped

Preparation

Cover the cannellini beans with cold water in a large bowl; let stand, covered, overnight.
Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in large saucepan on medium heat. Cook the veal shanks, uncovered, until browned all over. Remove from the pan. Cook the leek in the same pan, stirring, for about 5 mins or until just softened. Return the shanks to the pan with 8 cups water and stock; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low; simmer, covered, for 1 hour.
Meanwhile, blend or process the remaining oil, nuts, garlic and cheese until combined. Add the basil and process until the pistou mixture forms a paste.
Remove the shanks from the soup. When cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the bones. Discard the bones and chop the meat coarsely. Return the meat to the soup with the rinsed and drained cannellini beans; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low; simmer, uncovered, for 20 mins. Add the carrot and simmer, uncovered, for 10 mins. Add the green beans and pistou and simmer, uncovered, for 5 mins.
Divide the soup among serving bowls. Serve with slices of warm baguette, if desired, for dipping in the soup.