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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.
Another fave! This is so so good and perfect for this rainy evening. I love how simple it was to make, too!
Hey Cali,
Thank you so much for giving this dish a try, I love to hear that it turned out well for you! Have a great Thursday:)
HOLY COW, THIS WAS GOOD! It always takes me a little longer to make when trying a new recipe, so the 20-30 minutes was a bit off, but I followed the recipe exactly and it could not have been better — oh, wait, I sauteed some chicken breasts and cut them up to put on top because #protein, but other than that, followed the recipe exactly. It was SO GOOD and my husband agreed. The lemon was key and really brightened up the dish. Will definitely be in the meal rotation and I forwarded it on to my daughters, too! Thank you so much for this free recipe!
Hey Michelle,
Happy Wednesday!!❄️ Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback, I am so glad it was a hit! xx
So so so good! Super simple to make but packed with so much flavour. Will definently make this again. Couldn’t find white beans for some reason so used white eyed peas. Delicious with some crusty bread!
Hey Brittany,
Happy Wednesday!!❄️ Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback, I am so glad it was a hit! xx
This was delicious! Easy, inexpensive & vegetarian. Love!!
Hey Kathy,
Happy Wednesday!!❄️ Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback, I am so glad it was a hit! xx
Hello Tieghen- I made this last night for dinner and it was just simply amazing! I love how easy it was to make too! My husband and I could not get enough! I will be making this one again soon. Thank you for providing these fantastic recipes. I have tried several now and have not been disappointed.
Hey Sherry,
Happy Wednesday!!❄️ Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback, I am so glad it was a hit! xx
Hi Tieghen – This soup looks really yummy, but is the calorie count right? 1,331 calories per serving seems very high….
Hi Laurie,
I always recommend that if the nutritional information is important to you, you use your own personal calculator. Ours is automatic and controlled by google. It’s not something we’d prefer to be using. We are required to. I’m sorry for the trouble, we do our best! Hope you enjoy the recipe! xT
I’m a vegetarian. I’ve been living on this soup for about 2 months. It’s so easy to make and super delicious!
Hey Laura,
Happy New Year!🎆🎈 I appreciate you making this recipe and your comment! So glad to hear it was enjoyed! xx
I have to say that this dish is phenomenal!!!! I even shared some with my neighbors and they were just as obsessed as we were. So creamy and delicious and flavorful! I’m still thinking about it and can’t wait to make it again and again. New family staple.
Hey Desiree,
Awesome!! I love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you and appreciate you giving it a try! xT
Hi! Can this be made the night before?
Thank you!
Hey Kris,
Totally, that will work well for you! Let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xT
Hello, can this be frozen? Thanks!
Hey Moira,
Sure, I don’t see why not! I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xx
Did you drain and rinse the beans prior to adding in?
Hey Audrey,
Yes, you can go ahead and drain and rinse the beans. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xx
I like this recipe but the time estimation makes no sense to me. I have no idea who could get this prepped in 5 minutes and cooked in 20; it took me 40 with every thing out, set up, and ready to prep ahead of time.
It’s more orzo risotto and less soup with the full 2 cups of orzo, but the flavors are great. I subbed out whole milk and used oat milk in its place, and I used chicken-free chicken broth, both of which worked well. It’s a predictably rich and heavy dish, so a side salad with some kind of lemon-y dressing would be a perfect addition—I’ll do that next time!
Hi Shayne,
Happy Sunday! I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it was delish! Sorry this took longer than expected. xx
This soup was absolutely delicious and perfect for this gloomy Chicago day. I was able to make it over my lunch break and now have plenty of leftovers to get me through the rest of the week 🙂
Hey Alyssa,
Perfect!! ⛄️ I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for trying it out! xx
This was surprisingly delicious! Love the addition of the lemon.
Hey Tyra,
Happy Friday! ☃️ So glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, I appreciate you making it! xT
Love this recipe! I add white meat chicken. So tasty…..
Hey Rose,
Happy Friday!!🌟 Love to hear that this recipe was tasty for you, thanks so much for trying it out! xT