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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.
No stores around me have orzo pasta! What is happening? Is there another pasta you’d recommend using?
Hey Jess,
Sure, another mini pasta will work and same with arborio rice. Let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope it turns out well for you! xT
Has anyone tried it with coconut milk and what were your thoughts?
Hey Lindsay,
The coconut milk will work well for you here, you may get a slight coconut flavor:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
This is probably one of the best soups I’ve had in my entire life. My husband and I absolutely loved it. I’m definitely making it again!!
Hey Virginia,
Awesome!! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it turned out well for you:)
Delicious! I added spicy sausage as my friend suggested. Also added some peas.
Hey Jacquelyn,
Awesome!! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it turned out well for you:)
This soup is so delicious! I have marked this as a favorite in my recipe collection. My husband doesn’t eat meat so this is a meal the entire family can enjoy without me having to fix separate meals. I’ll be having mines with some toasted Italian bread.
Hey Angie,
Awesome!! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it turned out well for you:)
Easy and delicious. The lemon is key! Turned out thicker than the picture, but we didn’t mind.
Hey Lana,
Awesome!! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it turned out well for you:)
Shredded chicken too much of a good thing? Would it be too heavy?
Hey Laura,
I think some shredded chicken would be great here! Let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xT
Just amazing! I used spinach instead of kale and garnished with a bit of pesto, Parmesan shavings, and crushed red pepper. So easy and delicious; I’ll be making it often!
Hey Jodi,
Happy Wednesday!! Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it was tasty! xx
This was sooooo delicious!! My whole family loved it! This soup will become a regular for us 😋
Hey Holly,
Happy Wednesday!! Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it was tasty! xx
This was so good and so easy to make!
Hey Terri,
Happy Wednesday!! Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it was tasty! xx
Wow that soup is sooooo good! I lightened mine up a little because I’m trying to be healthier so I can’t imagine how amazing the real thing is! I cut the recipe in half and used 2T pesto, 1/2 cup of orzo, tons of kale, the white beans, and followed the rest of the recipe as is. The flavor is amazing! So delicious on a cold winter day! Thanks Tieghan!
Hey Lola,
Happy Wednesday!! Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it was tasty! xx
Delicious. We used fresh spinach instead of Kale and added rotisserie chicken. It was a big hit
Hey Lauri,
Awesome!!🌼 I love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you and appreciate you giving it a try! xT
The flavor of this recipe is out of the park! I added only one cup of orzo and it was more than enough. I can’t imagine adding 2. Would love to hear about others’ experiences. I think adding some shredded chicken would be great too!
Hey Brenda,
Awesome!!🌼 I love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you and appreciate you giving it a try! xT
Enjoyed this as all your recipes
You didn’t indicate that you drained and rinsed the canned beans – some recipes you want to add the juice as it helps with thickening… like a chilli but it always looks so gross and sludgy so I rinsed. Added some meatball I had frozen for extra “filling” for my husband. Big hit! 🙂
Hey Kirsten,
Awesome!!🌼 I love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you and appreciate you giving it a try! Sorry about the beans, yes you will want to drain and rinse! xT
We love your recipes. As per always…consistently amazing flavor and yumminess ! So good.
Only comment, Tieghan, as per usual, this does NOT take 20 minutes. My husband and I affectionately refer to your recipes as “20 minutes or less”…😍
This took …start to finish…a full hour, and he helped me some with chopping.
I guess if you have a prep chef, or have all the ingredients prepared, it might take 20 minutes, but I don’t know. I took everything out before I began, then started the process.
🤷♀️
Hey Linda,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback! So glad to hear it was enjoyed! Sorry this took longer than expected! xx