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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.
I think that the idea of this is lovely. But, unfortunately I thought it lacked flavor and was quite bland
Hi Katy! I’m so sorry this recipe turned out bland for you! Is there anything I can do to help? xT
So delicious! Flavors are amazing. I’ll definitely make it again but would use 3/4 cup max of orzo (it ended up almost like risotto with the 2 cups) and double and kale and beans. I also skipped the milk.
Thank you so much for trying out the recipe and leaving a comment! Have a wonderful week! xT
Loved this, so did my 5 yr olds. Only thing was the orzo amount- it completely soaked up the broth, and became a thick stew and the next day it was completely solid. I don’t get it! How did you make it stay soupy??
Hi there! I would add more broth if you’re wanting it to stay a bit more soupy! xT
I made it and it was very very tasty, nourishing and cooked very quickly. I was used to kale taking a long time to get done when I make it by itself, but in this recipe, broken up and pinched up it cooked very quickly. It was very creamy and delicious. I did use skim milk. I don’t like things really rich. The pesto was a really nice addition as well as all the spices. I do not understand the 2 cups of risotto though I used a cup and it was still too much for me. The next time I would use about 3/4 because it does really soak up all the broth and I had to go through about a half of carton of broth to make soup again the next day, other than that it was a delicious recipe and it did not hurt it to add more broth the next day it was just as good
Hi there! Thank you for trying out the recipe! xT
Absolutely delicious!! One of the best soups I’ve ever had and will definitely be making again. So creamy and tons of flavor.. we loved ❤️
Thank you so much for giving this soup a try! Love to hear that it was enjoyed! 🙂 xT
Soooo delicious! Turned out amazing. Such good flavor. I also added a chicken breast at same time as orzo; cooked for 20 minutes instead of 10 for the chicken then shredded. Also, added the kale at end since I changed the cook time for the chicken. I just love Tieghan’s soups!!!!
Aw thank you Sarah! So glad you’re loving the soup recipes! xT
Can this soup be frozen? It is a large quantity
Yes, you can freeze it if you’d like! xT
Could you sub quinoa for the orzo?
Can this soup be frozen? It does make a very large quantity.
Hi Kim! I haven’t ever tried that before, but you could probably just add precooked quinoa and it would be fine! 🙂 xT
Excited to try this recipe! Do you drain/rinse the beans?
Hi Amanda! Yes, I drain the beans! xT
Is it really Calories Per Serving: 1331 kcal?? Sounds like a lot. But it’s tasty
Hi Anne! So sorry, our calorie count is automated so sometimes the count is a bit off! xT
Please update the ingredients to specify drain/rinse beans. I did not do so and looked throughout recipe. Defaulted to “if suppose to drain it would say so in the ingredients”. Also, 1/2 bunch finely shredded kale. Approx measurement in cups would be good. I had an extremely large bag of kale from Aldi so much greater than a bunch.
It is quite a tasty soup.
This is excellent! I keep the orzo out and cook separately in chicken broth and add to soup when serving, to prevent the orzo from soaking up all the liquid. Also added cooked chicken and avocado when serving, a great meal!
Thanks so so much! Always love to hear when a recipe is enjoyed! Have a great weekend 🙂 xT
This was a huge hit! I added shredded chicken so my 3 boys and husband would view it as an actual meal. We all loved it!
Thanks so so much! Always love to hear when a recipe is enjoyed! Have a great weekend 🙂 xT
I would like to add a protein option to this. What do you recommend and how should I add it in (cook it)?
Hi there! I would add in some precooked shredded chicken breast to this! Or sausage could be yummy too! xT
This is fantastic!
Thank you so much Carrie! xT
I have made this before and it was so yummy! I am wondering if you have any recommendations for what to sub the orzo with to make it gluten free?
Hi there! You could use rice if you’d like! 🙂 xT
I found it impossible to keep this “soupy” – it has good flavor but it’s really more of a risotto consistency. Any tips for keeping it more like soup?
Hey Liz! I would add more liquid if you’re wanting to have it turn out more soupy! xT
This tastes amazing! So easy…great comfort dish on a cold winter day
Thank you so much Pauline! xT