1. A sauce made from basil, garlic, olive oil, and sometimes cheese, similar to pesto but typically without pine nuts.
Usage: French culinary term; commonly used in Provençal cuisine

Examples

• The chef drizzled pistou over the vegetable soup.
• Pistou is a staple in southern French cooking.
• She made fresh pistou with basil from her garden.
• The pasta was finished with a generous spoonful of pistou.
• Pistou and pesto are similar, though pistou traditionally omits pine nuts.