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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 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
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.
Watch the How-To Reel
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.
This post was originally published on February 14, 2022
Would leaving out the kale still work? Or can it perhaps be replaced with baby spinach? I’d like to try this recipe tomorrow 🙂
Hi Francesca,
Baby spinach would be great to use! Let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
The flavors were so delicious, however I would recommend only adding 1 cup of orzo because when I added 2 cups there was no liquid left in my soup whatsoever. But it was so tasty!
Hey Eloise,
Awesome!! I am thrilled that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! Have a great week:) xx
Delicious! Made this for my parents and it was a winner. I just love all your recipes.
Hey Danielle,
Happy Sunday!! I love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks a lot for giving it a try! xxT
This recipe was delicious, everyone in the family love it! I used jarred pesto and coconut milk, yummy!
Hey Michele,
Happy Sunday!! I love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks a lot for giving it a try! xxT
So impressed with this soup. Easy to make and SO good!!
Hey Madeleine,
Happy Sunday!! I love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks a lot for giving it a try! xxT
I’m very much not a soup person, but this soup……unreal!! The only soup I could gladly have every week. My boyfriend has been begging for more since we finished off the leftovers on day 2! So easy to make as well. Pretty quick and intuitive and very few dirtied dishes to wash.
Hi Minnie,
Thank you so much for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed! Have the best weekend:) xT
We loved it so creamy and the lemon really added an extra touch thank you for such a great recipe!
Hey Karen,
Thank you so much for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed! Have the best weekend:) xT
My favorite soup that I have ever made. I doubled the recipe for lunch for my boyfriend and I. It was all gone before the end of the week because it was so delicious. I made my own homemade basil pesto, too.
K, so I just made the kale and orzo soup.Soooo good.I used frozen kale,only used four cups of chicken brothThats all I had, made it so creamy almost stew like.Made a garlic toast to go with just fed 8 hungry skiers for lunch .They loved it thankyou♥️
Hey Suzanne,
Thank you so much for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed! Have the best weekend:) xT
Hi Grace,
Thank you so much for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed! Have the best weekend:) xT
So easy to make and absolutely delicious! Has moved up to one of my favorite soups!!
Hey Chrissy,
Happy Friday!! Thanks a bunch for giving this recipe a go, I love to hear that it was enjoyed!! xTieghan
Absolutely delicious! Used spinach instead of kale. Kids loved it!
Hey Lisa,
Happy Friday!! Thanks a bunch for giving this recipe a go, I love to hear that it was enjoyed!! xTieghan
So good, had it on this chilly evening and family loved it!!!
Hey Dianne,
Happy Friday!! Thanks a bunch for giving this recipe a go, I love to hear that it was enjoyed!! xTieghan
This recipe looks delicious but we’re gluten free. Do you think we could sub rice? If so, when would you suggest putting it in? Thanks!
Hi Ingrid,
I would recommend using GF orzo or another GF short cut pasta for best results. Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
This was absolutely delicious! I made it last night and I’m going to freeze the leftovers to use next month for part of my twin daughter’s birthday dinner…a bed of this topped with some seared scallops. I think they are going to love it! Love your recipes!
Hey Lindy,
Happy Friday!! Thanks a bunch for giving this recipe a go, I love to hear that it was enjoyed!! xTieghan
Deeelicious!
Hi Sue,
Awesome!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it!! Have the best day:) xx
This was absolutely delicious! I made it last night and we just had the leftovers for lunch. Used spinach instead of kale because I couldn’t find any, but it was still really really good. 100% recommend!
Hey there,
Awesome!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it!! Have the best day:) xx