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Warming 20 minute Creamy White Bean Lemon Pesto Orzo Soup. Kind of like creamy risotto, kind of like soup, and so DELICIOUS. This is wholesome but comforting and the easiest to make using just one pot and 20 minutes. It’s warm and creamy, swirled with basil pesto, and finished with parmesan and a pinch of black pepper. Doesn’t get simpler or more delicious.
Sometimes it’s the simplest of recipes that really do turn out the most delicious. And that’s definitely the case with today’s recipe. It’s perfect for this time of year when we’re still craving comfort food on these cold winter days, but also wanting something lighter. It also makes for a nice Valentine’s Day recipe too.
This is a great mix. Originally when I set out to make this I was thinking it would be more of a soup. And it is, but this is an ultra-creamy soup.
A bit of a cross between soup, creamy pasta, and risotto. So just as you would expect, it’s delicious.
When my sister-in-law Lyndsie was in town over Christmas, she pretty much begged for a white bean soup. It’s one of her favorites and she said I never make anything with beans, which isn’t a lie. The family that’s here is not the biggest fan of beans. But I do love to experiment with them when Lynds and/or my cousins are in town.
Anyway, I never got around to making the soup over Christmas. But once I had this idea, I knew it would be delicious, Lyndsie fully agreed.
The details
With a 20 to 30 minute start to finish time, you can imagine the steps are pretty simple. First up, you only need one pot. No sauces, nothing extra, just one pot.
Start with olive oil, shallots, and garlic. To keep things simple, I just used smashed garlic cloves to infuse the oil. Then some butter goes in and then the orzo.
Any time I’m cooking with orzo, I love to toast it in butter before adding in any liquid. This just adds another layer of flavor as the butter cooks around the orzo.
Then comes the broth, along with white beans, and kale. You could easily use spinach in place of kale. From here, simply simmer until the orzo is al dente and things are becoming very creamy.
Stir in the pesto and lots of parmesan and finish it off with lemon.
That’s it. Absolutely nothing fancy, but totally delicious.
For serving
I usually add a little fresh dill and black pepper, but parsley or basil work really well too.
Then, some crusty bread on the side is a must.
It’s different, but so, so good. And who couldn’t love such an easy Monday recipe? Especially after the Super Bowl. I feel like we need this today! Happy Valentine’s day!
Looking for other quick recipes? Here are my favorites:
Baked Sesame Orange Cauliflower
One Pot Stove-Top Mac and Cheese
Skillet Chicken Adobo with Coconut Rice
Lastly, if you make this Creamy White Bean Lemon Pesto Orzo Soup, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Creamy White Bean Lemon Pesto Orzo Soup
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 1331 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 shallot, chopped
- 4-6 cloves garlic, smashed
- red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 2 cups dry orzo pasta
- 6 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 can white beans
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 1/2 bunch kale, finely shredded
- 1/2 cup basil pesto
- 1/2 cup whole milk or canned full fat coconut milk
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
- zest and juice of 1 lemon
Instructions
- 1. Heat the olive oil in a large dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the shallot, garlic, and chili flakes and cook until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Drop in the butter, then stir in the orzo. Cook until golden, 1-3 minutes. Pour in the broth and bring to a boil over high heat. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the beans and kale. Season with salt and pepper. If you have one, add a parmesan rind. Simmer 8-10 minutes until the orzo is al dente, stirring often. It should become very creamy.2. Stir in the pesto, milk, parmesan, and lemon, cook another few minutes until warmed through. 3. Divide the orzo and broth among bowls and add additional parmesan and black pepper. I like to add some fresh dill, parsley, or basil too!
Notes
Thickening: the orzo will soak up the broth over time. If eating leftover, add additional broth to thin. It should be creamy, but with just a touch of liquid.
This was so good!! My partner’s knees buckled when he tried it haha. I swapped the orzo for white rice and it was still phenomenal. Love orzo but I happen to have already had a lot of orzo lately. I added the rice when serving since rice is so much more absorbent than orzo (and we had leftovers). I will most definitely be making this again, and will try with orzo next time. Thank you!!!
Hey Taylor,
Happy Wednesday! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks a bunch for giving it a try! xx
Oh My God, this was amazing!! So much flavor, the Bf and I couldn’t get enough, we had 2nds. Thanks Teighan for all these amazing receipes ☺️
Hi Aileen,
Wonderful!! Love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks for sharing your review and making the recipe!! xTieghan
Would it be good without pesto? Or is there a sub I could use? The pesto I found was so expensive but I have everything else!
Hi Leah,
Sure, you could skip the pesto:) Let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope it turns out amazing for you! xTieghan
I have found the Kirkland brand from Costco to be the best bang for the buck, and the flavor and ingredients are on point!
Thanks so much for sharing Lea!!
My husband died when he had this and requested that I make it for his birthday! Definitely a family favorite! Do you know if it would freeze well? If I waited to add the parmesan and kale until I reheated?
Hey Cora,
Lol so glad to hear the enjoyed the recipe!! Sure, you could freeze and then add the parmesan and kale once it’s reheated on the stove top:) xTieghan
This is such a clean tasting great recipe – the pesto and lemon and garlic really make it so delicious. I add coconut milk instead of cream, and I just love this recipe. Only other tweak I make is I add only about a cup of orzo since orzo is larger when it cooks.
Hey Jess,
Thanks for your feedback! I love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks for trying it out! xTieghan
This is sooo good! I’ve been in the hospital and needed something nourishing but not too hard on my digestive system. This soup is great! It comes together so fast and the lemon juice just brings out all the flavors. I did remove the stems from my kale but everything else was just like the recipe. Thank you so much!!
Hey Heather,
Happy Sunday!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for trying it out! xTieghan
My whole family LOVED this recipe (including my 4 and 2 year old)! Such a great weeknight dinner with amazing flavors. I definitely didn’t expect it to be as good as it is, since it was so easy to make. Will be adding to our rotation 🙂
Hi Elisabeth,
Happy Sunday!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for trying it out! xTieghan
We absolutely loved this recipe! One of my favorites that I’ve tried. I’m sure I will be making this often. I skipped the kale but tried it with some arugula the next day with the left over soup. It was still amazing!
Hey Yasmine,
Wonderful!! Thanks a bunch for trying this recipe out, I am so glad to hear that it was enjoyed!! ?xxT
My family loves this recipe – we make this every other week. I added two spicy italian sausages for a little kick and doubled the amount of lemon – so so good!
Hey there,
Happy Sunday!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! xTieghan
This soup is amazing! The flavours are so beautifully balanced. I have gestational diabetes so I halved the amount of orzo to reduce the carbs and added cooked sausage to up the protein and it was SO delish! Thank you for another wonderful recipe Tieghan 🙂
Hey Lou,
Awesome!! I am so glad that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for your comment and sharing your feedback! xxT
Are the beans drained and rinsed? Or all the juices put in too?
Hey Kristin,
You can drain the beans:) I hope this recipe turns out amazing for you, let me know if you give it a try! xx
Excellent easy soup. Love the flavor with the locatelli cheese rind. I’ve made it a couple times with fresh spinach.
Hi Kay,
Love to hear this!! Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your feedback! ☀️xTieghan
I am planning to make this but my husband is Vegan and has a citrus allergy. I will used plant based “butter” and coconut milk but any suggestions to replace the lemon?
Thanks!
Hey Dawna,
I would just skip the lemon:) Let me know how the recipe turns out, I hope you love it!! xx
You did it again! Another great recipe! The creamy texture and the herbal flavors are wonderful! Because of a recipe I tried years ago that contained lemon, I thought I didn’t like lemon juice in soup. Maybe that was just a bad recipe… i loved it in your soup!
Hey Karen,
Happy Sunday!! I love hearing that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for trying it out and sharing your feedback!! xTieghan
I would add a bit of your favorite light vinegar to replace the acidity of the lemon.
Wow! This soup was so amazing and flavorful, especially on a cool spring night in Minnesota! It was a perfect vegetarian meal and nobody missed the meat.
Hey Deb,
Happy Friday!! I love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks so much for making it! xTieghan