pistou

American  

[pee-stoo] / piˈstu /

1. a paste or sauce from Provençe made of basil, garlic, olive oil, and sometimes Parmesan cheese and tomato paste.

2. a vegetable soup flavored with pistou.

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Etymology

Origin of pistou

First recorded in 1950–55; from French: literally “crushed basil, pesto,” from Provençal, pistou “ground, pounded,” past participle of pista “to crush,” from Old Provençal pester, pistar “to grind,” from Vulgar Latin pistāre; see origin at pestle ( def. ), pesto

Example Sentences

We first came across pistou in Marseille as a no-cook basil and garlic sauce stirred into a hearty bean soup.

From Washington Times • Aug. 1, 2023

No choice, a very lovely part of France, and two dishes that I just love: soupe au pistou and then chicken cooked on a rotisserie – and then I think it was lemon tart.

From The Guardian • Dec. 8, 2019

Try them soon, while they are still cloaked in a nettle-and-walnut pistou that is lemony and emerald-green.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 20, 2019

Not unlike gremolata or pistou, it's good spooned onto grilled meat, fish and chicken, or into soups.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 20, 2015

The tender meat of a half-cooked bonito nugget plays off the crunch of half-cooked carrot, fennel, cabbage and squash, while a fillet of cod comes with chorizo shards and drizzled in pistou.

From New York Times • Apr. 18, 2013