A light, spicy twist on a traditional summer vegetable soup. French ‘pistou’ is a distant relative of the Italian pesto, but my version reflects the Vietnamese influence on modern French food.

The renowned chef visited Charles’s Highgrove estate in Gloucestershire to serve a two-course lunch of his classic vegetable pistou soup with baguette, followed by lemon cake, to charity guests.

Finely chop the basil leaves and mix into the garlic mixture with the oil and season to taste. Spoon the soup into bowls and drizzle over the pistou.

To this end I am giving you the recipe for one of the most delicious soups ever invented - pistou. In summer this unforgettable soup is based on fresh white beans and courgettes and the pesto is ...