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Creamy White Bean Orzo Soup with Kale Pesto

A calm, creamy white bean and orzo soup finished with a spoon of kale pesto. Soft beans, tender pasta, lemon zest and Parmesan bring comfort without making the soup feel heavy.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Course: Main Course, Soup
Cuisine: Modern British
Keyword: bean soup recipe, cannellini bean soup, comfort food, cosy soup, creamy soup, creamy white bean orzo soup, easy soup recipe, kale pesto, kale pesto soup, lemon orzo soup, make ahead soup, orzo soup, vegetarian comfort food, vegetarian soup, white bean orzo soup
Servings: 4
Calories: 605kcal
Author: Hey Lolly

Ingredients

For the soup

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 onion finely chopped
  • 2 celery sticks finely sliced
  • 3 garlic cloves finely chopped
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • ½ tsp chilli flakes optional
  • 2 x 400g tins cannellini beans drained and rinsed
  • 100 g orzo
  • 1 litre vegetable stock
  • 150 ml double cream
  • Zest of ½ lemon
  • Sea salt and black pepper to taste

For the kale pesto

  • 80 g kale stalks removed
  • 30 g Parmesan finely grated
  • 30 g toasted pine nuts or almonds
  • 1 small garlic clove
  • Juice of ½ lemon
  • 100 ml olive oil
  • Salt to taste

Instructions

Soften the base

  • Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onion and celery with a pinch of salt, then cook gently for around 10 minutes, until soft and sweet but not coloured.

Build the flavour

  • Add the garlic, oregano and chilli flakes, if using. Stir and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant.

Add the beans and stock

  • Add the cannellini beans and vegetable stock. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for around 10 minutes.

Blend for creaminess

  • Ladle one-third of the soup into a blender and blitz until smooth. Return the blended soup to the pan and stir through.

Cook the orzo

  • Stir in the orzo and simmer for 8–10 minutes, stirring often, until just tender. Add a splash more stock or water if the soup thickens too much.

Finish the soup

  • Lower the heat and stir in the double cream and lemon zest. Season well with sea salt and black pepper.

Blanch the kale

  • Blanch the kale in boiling water for 1 minute, then drain and squeeze dry.
  • Make the kale pesto
  • Blitz the kale with the Parmesan, pine nuts or almonds, garlic and lemon juice. Drizzle in the olive oil until spoonable, then season to taste.
  • Serve
  • Ladle the soup into bowls and finish each one with a spoonful of kale pesto. Serve hot, warm or gently cooled.

Notes

Hey Lolly's Top Tips
  • This soup thickens as it sits, especially once the orzo has had time to absorb the broth. Loosen it with a splash of stock or water when reheating.
  • Don’t overdo the cream. The beans already bring softness, so the cream is there to round things off rather than take over.
  • Spoon the pesto over the soup rather than stirring it through completely, so you get little pockets of lemony, nutty brightness.
  • Almonds work well if pine nuts aren’t to hand. Toast them first if you can.
  • For a dairy-free version, swap the double cream for oat cream and omit the Parmesan or use a dairy-free alternative.
  • It keeps well in the fridge for up to 3 days and is lovely hot, warm or gently cooled.

Nutrition

Calories: 605kcal
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