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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.
Excellent….loved the leftovers even more!!! Just have PLENTY of bread to soak up the soup.
I made this tonight. I don’t care for kale so used fresh spinach instead, which I always have in the fridge, and didn’t have whole milk so I used 2%. Otherwise I changed nothing. It is outstanding. Absolutely delicious and very satisfying. The lemon is perfect in it. I will be making this a lot.
Hey Faith,
Happy Sunday!! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed!! xTieghan
Hey Judi,
Happy Sunday!! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed!! xTieghan
Loved it! Only had chickpeas on hand and came out wonderful!
Hey there,
Happy Sunday!! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed!! xTieghan
This is amazing! Tastes delicious
Hey Alicia,
Happy Sunday!! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed!! xTieghan
This is a great recipe! Followed it exactly as written except I swapped the orzo pasta for arborio rice because I can’t eat gluten. It turned out great! Topped it with extra chilli flakes, parsley and Parmesan. Thank you!
Hey Ashley,
Awesome!! I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks a bunch for giving it a go! Have the best weekend! xxT
Hello, want to try this, but have one question. How do you acquire parmesan rind and can I substitute? Thanks.
Whole Foods usually has them in the cheese department. You can keep them in the freezer forever.
Hi Janel,
Parmesan rind is from the end of a parmesan block or you can usually purchase just the rind at your local grocery store. There is no substitute for this:) I hope you love the recipe! xTieghan
We LOVE this recipe! For sure a weekly meal during the cooler months. I forgot to add additional broth for the leftovers, but even without it still was a solid dish.
Hey Misty,
Awesome!! I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks a bunch for giving it a go! Have the best weekend! xxT
Made this tonight! Delicious
I added extra chili flakes, parm and basil on top. Super cold here so this was a nice bowl of warm comfort. Thank you.
Hey Cindy,
Awesome!! I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks a bunch for giving it a go! Have the best weekend! xxT
This was perfect for a cold night! So rich in flavor but not too heavy. I added some leftover meatballs too! Excellent soup recipe 🙂
Hey there,
Awesome!! I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks a bunch for giving it a go! Have the best weekend! xxT
The ingredients of this recipe lists milk or coconut milk but in the description of the recipe there is no milk mentioned?
see #2
Hi Lynn,
The milk is listed in step 2. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Yum! Just made this, as I’m a huge fan of the white bean and my husband loves the lemon flavoring in food. Unfortunately though, I didn’t have a lemon as I had forgot it at the grocery store. Still very good without but it’s def missing the acidic tang that would go well. I guess a splash of a vinegar might be a good substitute. My only change might be a little more white bean and a little less orzo. Lovely dish! Thanks!
Hey Jess,
Awesome!! I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks a bunch for giving it a go! Have the best weekend! xxT
My apologies I accidentally posted my comment under someone else’s so if you see this twice I do apologize! I have been having a super hard time finding lemons in my area recently. If I do find them they are usually not in the best shape and I avoid buying them. I have no idea why or what’s going on but it’s been this way for a while. Would it be ok to use lemon juice instead? If so what would you recommend? Also I have a hard time with leafy greens due to a medical condition, is there any other veggies I can use instead or should I just omit? I desperately want to make this!! Looks amazing!!
Hey Heather,
Sure, lemon juice would be just fine to use! I would do a tablespoon or two to your liking. Could you use spinach? That would work well for you! xTieghan
Unfortunately I cannot do spinach either 🙁 I can’t do lettuce or kale or spinach or cabbage. It’s not easy! I will just omit and see what happens. I have this planned for Wednesday can’t wait!!! Thank you for responding!!
Sounds good!! You won’t lose much flavor by just omitting it:)
Very easy, so much depth to the flavour.
If you do not eat it immediately, all the broth gets soaked up and it’s just a creamy pasta. Which was amazing. 5 stars !
Hey Niki,
Awesome!! I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks a bunch for giving it a go! Have the best weekend! xxT
Very very good! Used Spinach instead of Kale, awesome
Hey Susan,
Awesome!! I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks a bunch for giving it a go! Have the best weekend! xxT
When simmering for 8-10 minutes is the top on or off?
Hey Debbie,
The top is off:)
Just made this and it is so good! The addition of lemon elevated the flavor. Everything worked so well together. I can see adding other vegetable options too. Will make this again and again and again! Thank you for this delicious recipe!
Hi Rina,
Awesome!! I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks a bunch for giving it a go! Have the best weekend! xxT
I used half the amount of orzo and extra kale for a little less carbs/more greens. So delicious, great flavor! Added extra broth for leftovers as recommended and some fresh parsley on top.
Hey Katie,
Awesome!! I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks a bunch for giving it a go! Have the best weekend! xxT