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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.
My family and I absolutely love this recipe. It’s bright and flavorful and so delicious! We have it often because I always have the ingredients on hand, and it’s so quick and easy to make. I’ve shared your recipe with friends who are now hooked on it, too.
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try! So happy to hear it was enjoyed! Have an awesome week! xT
Absolutely Delicious! All of the flavors come through in this soup. I think this is my favorite recipe of yours so far, and I have made a lot of your recipes. The hint of lemon with the pesto, garlic, orzo and parmesan is wonderful. I couldn’t stop eating it and my husband loved it too.
Thank you so so much for giving this recipe a try! I’m so glad you loved it! xT
I’m not usually one to repeat recipes often but this has made it onto regular rotation in my house! This is so good – and leftovers are even better (if you manage to get to that point anyway!)
Love to hear this Bonnie! Thanks for making this recipe so often and sharing your review:) Hope you are having a great weekend! xT
loved this recipe! i skipped the cup of grated parm and just opted for the parm rind in the broth for a lighter, slightly thinner consistency.
Hey Shelby,
Happy Monday!!😎 I appreciate you making this recipe and your feedback, so glad to hear that it turned out well for you! xT
This is the easiest but most importantly, the tastiest dish ever!
We do not change anything other than adding a little more broth if it’s too thick. If we do not have this weekly, the family starts asking for it, delicious!
Half Baked Harvest has become our favorite recipes, thank you
Hey Marcie,
Happy Friday!!🥑🍑 I love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks a lot for making it and sharing your review! xT
Hello I love this recipe as does my husband! In the past month I’ve had to turn dairy free due to some tummy pain for baby… What do you recommend as far as a dairy free pesto? We loved using coconut milk even before I was dairy free!
Hi Marta,
I would just use a dairy free cheese in your pesto:) I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
Tasty! Complex flavours, love the lemon at the end. Subbed spinach for kale as that was what I had. Filling and tummy pleasing with a slight kick.
Hey Rebecca,
Happy Monday!! So glad to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks for making it:) xT
Amazing! This is now my families favorite soup! I have to make it once per week!
Hi Linda,
Happy Monday!! So glad to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks so much for making it! xx
The orzo to broth and bean ratio is off. If I made this again I would only use 1 cup of orzo, and add a little more broth, beans, and up the seasoning.
Hi Cali,
Thanks for giving this recipe and sharing your review, sorry to hear you felt as though the measurements were off. Please let me know if there is anything that I can do! xT
This was so good and honestly very easy!
Hi Rachel,
Fantastic!!🐣 Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your comment, so glad to hear it turned out well for you! xT
Great recipe – thanks for sharing! I’m skipping the milk and just mashing/pureeing a portion of the beans as a thickening agent.
Hey Rick,
Happy Friday!! So glad to hear that you enjoyed this recipe, thanks for making it and sharing your comment! xx
I added chicken sausage cut up that I browned first and it really made this recipe babe some teeth. Super great recipe.
Have not babe. Lol. Seriously I’m in a food coma so can’t type or think straight
Hey Erin,
Happy Wednesday!! Thanks a bunch for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback, love to hear that it was a winner!🌞 xx
Absolutely loved this!!! So creamy and flavorful. Will use more kale next time and possibly decrease the orzo to one cup but husband and I both really wanted seconds it was so good. Cannot wait to have leftovers for lunch.
Hey Elyse,
Happy Wednesday!! Thanks a bunch for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback, love to hear that it was a winner!🌞 xx
So yummy!! I added about 3 more cups of broth because I like my soup, soupy! I also added 1 chopped zuchinni because I had it on hand. So good!!!! Thanks for yet another amazing recipe.
Hey Jessica,
Wonderful!! Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear that it was a hit! xx
Forgot to hit the 5 stars!!
Thanks again Cathy:)