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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.
Just made this tonight.
Really enjoyed it.
The broth was mostly soaked up- but I anticipated that based on what was written. I’ll add some extra broth for the leftovers. I used spinach instead of kale- and basically added at the end, stirred and put the lid on for it to wilt.
I didn’t add Parmesan until plated and then put loads of ribbons of the cheese which added wonderful flavor.
Hey Debra,
Happy Wednesday!! Thanks a bunch for making this recipe and sharing your comment, I love to hear that it turned out well for you! xx
Great recipe! Turned out perfectly. More like a risotto, which I love. I’m sure a touch more broth would loosen it if desired. Thank you for posting!
Hey Lynn,
Happy Wednesday!! Thanks a bunch for making this recipe and sharing your comment, I love to hear that it turned out well for you! xx
Could rice be substituted for the orzo to make this gluten free?
Hey Denise,
Sure, that will work well for you! Let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx
Denise – we tried with rice last night to make GF. We used parboiled jasmine and it turned out phenomenal. Probably more like a lemon rice soup than risotto but amazing flavor and texture.
Do you have a recipe for the basil pesto in this recipe?
Hey Annie,
You bet, you can find that recipe here:
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/essentials/
I hope this helps, please let me know if you give this recipe a try! xx
This was amazing. Super flavorful and just delicious. I baked some meatballs on the side for my husband (meat and potato man). Easily added to our list of go-to meals.
Hey Amanda,
Happy Friday!! I appreciate you making this recipe and your comment, so glad to hear it was delish! xx
Do you pull the smashed garlic out at the end like you would a bay leaf? I worry about who ends up with the big bites of garlic 🧛🏻♀️ Let me know if I’m overthinking things!
Hey Daisy,
You can go ahead and pull the garlic out or serve it as is, totally up to you! Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
Love it! Made it tonight and it’s so comforting but light. Perfect for a chilly night or wonderful summer night.
Hey Florentine,
Perfect!! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it turned out well for you! xT
Hi! So excited to try this tonight. I’m wondering, do you drain the beans? Thank you!
Hey Maggie,
Yes, you can go ahead and drain the beans:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
quick question – not sure why but sometimes when i make this delicious recipe, the parmasean cheese i dump into the pot collects into various bulbs of stringy cheese lumps in my soup that i do not enjoy. other times, it’s blended seamlessly, which I much prefer. it’s surely user error – @tieghan, could you explain this phenomenon?
Hey Kathleen,
It probably has to do with whether or not cheese is at room temp and then if you use freshly grated which I recommend. I hope this helps! xT
Looks delicious! Can I use arborio rice instead of orzo?
Hey there,
Totally, the arborio rice will work well for you! Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xx
One of my FAVORITE winter recipes. I just have one question, are the calories pretty accurate?
Hey Summer,
Happy Friday!!⛄️ Thanks so much for making this dish and sharing your review, so glad to hear it was a hit! 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! xx
We had the SAME exact question because we were flabbergasted .. what we calculated (worst case) was ~600 cal a serving (using whole milk)
I’m so glad someone else called this out and thank you for clarifying, Tieghan! Right now it says almost 1,300 calories *per serving* (6 servings total) and I was like huh?? For soup?? Give me a brownie sundae instead for that many calories lol.
This was very very good!!! Will be a go to in my rotation!!
Hey Jeanne,
Happy Wednesday!! Thanks a bunch for making this recipe and sharing your comment, I love to hear that it turned out well for you! xx
Delicious! I used almond milk and it still turned out great. Perfect for a cool winter evening and the lemon adds the perfect flavor.
Hey Jess,
Amazing!! I appreciate you making this dish and sharing your review, so glad to hear it was a winner! xT
This recipe is so delicious and perfect on a cold night. It’s a favorite, and so easy.
Hey Emily,
Amazing!! I appreciate you making this dish and sharing your review, so glad to hear it was a winner! xT
This is so good ! I love lemons so I added an extra, all the flavours go so well together. I also put fresh dill on top and it was delicious. It does turn into a pasta/risotto dish fast as the orzo absorbs all the liquid but tastes just as good
Hey Ciara,
Happy Monday!!☃️ Thanks a lot for making this recipe and sharing your review, I love to hear that it was a winner! xx
I made this for a meat free dinner and my husband and 2 year old daughter loved it just as much as I did!! We ate all of it in one night and it was the perfect easy and delicious meal on a stormy night.
Hey Turner,
Thank you so much for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it turned out well for you! Have a great Thursday:)