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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.
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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 rice stew. 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 chicken broth or veggie 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
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
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
Delicious and filling! Will definitely make this again 👍🏻
Hey Cathy,
Happy Sunday!😃 Thanks so much for trying this recipe and sharing your review, so glad to hear it was enjoyed:) xT
Made this for dinner with friends and everyone loved it, thank you!
Hey Holly,
Happy Sunday! 😃 Thanks a bunch for trying this recipe out, so glad to hear it turned out well for you! xx
So easy and delish! Used coconut milk. Might add some local sausage to it next time.
Love all your recipes. So much fun to make!
Hi Jennifer,
Happy Monday!!🌴 I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your comment, so glad to hear it turned out well for you! xT
Is this something that could be made ahead and frozen for later?
Hey Jessica,
Sure, but I would wait to add the orzo until the soup is thawed:) Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xx
This soup is over the top delicious! One of my all time favorite HBH recipes. I cut back on the orzo to 3/4 cup. Hearty, creamy, just perfect. Thanks Tieghen for another inspired, creative recipe!
Hey Susan,
Fantastic!!🌻 I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your review, so glad to hear it turned out well for you! xT
Thanks for this recipe. I loved how it turned out…I read some comments before I made it…impressed with your graciousness to the “not a soup” folks and also the “change everything” folks… and here I am…posting because I couldn’t wait to try it. No pesto in the house which I knew going in…subbed a tsp dried basil, then found my parm was moldy…subbed the green can stuff. Added chicken because I had it, and turkey broth I found in the freezer! It was delicious! I loved the creamy consistency and the lemon was divine!! Thank you.
Hey Kim,
Fantastic!!🌻 I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your review, so glad to hear it turned out well for you! Thanks for your kind message! xT
This was delicious! My husband took my “lunch” serving as seconds. I added baked chicken on the top and used a mix of kale and a bit of spinach. It was yummy and flavorful! It would be helpful to have an idea of how much volume of kale (or other greens) is needed. In Chicago, the bunches available in the store vary signficantly by season. I only had a half bunch of kale but it was so small I added the spinach. I did not have orzo but just used other some high quality ring pasta and reduced the stock. It was still somewhere between a soup and pasta and was perfect.
Hey Amy,
Awesome!! Thanks so much for giving this dish a try and your comment, I love to hear it was a hit! It’s about 2 cups of kale:) 😊
Hearty but bright this was a great apres ski meal with a side salad. Fed six adults but not enough for seconds.
We added some chopped carrots to the pan first for color and just because. Also used a whole bunch of dinosaur kale. We had smaller lemons so used the juice and zest from both. Is was very creamy. I would say watch the salt since chicken broth, cheese and and pesto can be salty.
Really good. Everyone asked for the recipe.
Hi Molly,
Happy Monday!!🌞 Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your review, I love to hear that it turned out well for you! xx
Agree with the other comment, not a soup, but more like a orzo risotto. It was good, but just not really a soup. Maybe next time I’ll try to cook the orzo separately, and then add it to the broth. I served this was some shaved parmesan and also pancetta for toppers.
Hi Danielle,
Thanks for making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so sorry to hear you didn’t love it! xx
We are currently eating this on a snowy NY Saturday and it’s absolutely delicious! Used homemade pesto and added plenty of fresh herbs. Per others’ suggestions, I reduced the orzo to a heaping 1 cup, and it was perfect. That was the only change I made. Thank you Tieghan!
Hey Emily,
Happy Sunday!!🍀 I am thrilled to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks so much for making it and sharing your comment! xT
So delicious! Will definitely be a keeper for us. Excited for the leftovers.
Hey Hannah,
Fantastic!!🌺 I love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you and thanks so much for making it! xT
People are so picky, honestly! Wether or not you were wanting ‘soup’ this recipe was so incredibly delicious! It’s a keeper at our house. I add shredded chicken for a little extra protein. Thank you, Tieghan, for this amazing recipe!
Hey Linda,
Fantastic!!🌺 I love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you and thanks so much for making it! xT
This makes an incredibly delicious, creamy pasta. It is 100% not soup. You’d have to cut down on the amount of orzo considerably for it to resemble soup (maybe limit to 1/2 cup). Nonetheless, it’s delicious. I look forward to trying this recipe again with a much smaller amount of orzo in hopes of achieving something that resembles soup (since that’s what I was original after when I elected to make this recipe).
Hey Hannah,
Wonderful!! I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it was a winner! Have a great Wednesday! xx
OMG!! I’m in love with this recipe. <3
I didn’t add the basil pesto primarily because I didn’t have basil or pesto, but that didn’t stop me from making this dish.
This recipe is easy, peasy & will definitely be added into my regular dishes.
Hey Yvonne,
Wonderful!! I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it was a winner! Have a great Wednesday! xx
This is not a soup. Its a creamy risotto-like orzo dish. I made it exactly to the recipe, you’d probably need to double the broth for it to be soup. It was tasty and we enjoyed it, but its definitely not a soup.
Thanks for sharing your feedback and giving the recipe a try!
I was feeling sick so I wanted soup and even though I didn’t have all the ingredients I worked with what I had and it was delicious! I didn’t have beans, or kale, or shallot so instead I used carrots, mushrooms, and shredded chicken and it was so good! My husband loved it too! Next time I will be prepared with the beans, shallot, and kale.
Hey Megan,
Fantastic!! Thanks a bunch for trying this recipe out, I’m thrilled to hear that it turned out well for you:)