- 10 cups (or more) water
- 1 cup dried cannellini (white kidney beans)
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 pound small red-skinned potatoes, quartered
- 2 leeks (white and pale green parts only), thinly sliced
- 2 large carrots, peeled, chopped
- 1 14 1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice
- 1/2 pound green beans, trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 medium zucchini, chopped
- 4 fresh thyme sprigs
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cup farfalle (bow-tie pasta)
- Pistou
- Combine 4 cups water, beans, onion and 2 garlic cloves in heavy large pot. Bring to boil. Reduce heat. Cover; simmer until beans are just tender, stirring occasionally, about 55 minutes.
- 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 vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally, 30 minutes.
- Add pasta to soup. Simmer 12 minutes. Add remaining green beans and zucchini to soup. Simmer until pasta is just cooked through but still firm to bite, about 5 minutes longer. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle soup into bowls. Spoon 1 tablespoon Pistou atop each. Pass remaining Pistou separately.