White Bean Orzo Soup
Creamy white bean orzo soup with kale pesto and lemon. An easy weeknight soup that's ready in 30 minutes. Healthy and delicious!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 1 celery stalk, finely chopped
- 1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup dried orzo
- 6 cups vegetable broth
- 1 15 ounce can white beans
- 2 cups chopped fresh kale
Kale Pesto:
- 3 tablespoons raw cashews
- 2 cups chopped kale
- 1 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon grated lemon zest
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a dutch oven or soup pot. Add the onion, garlic, carrot and celery and a pinch of salt. Cook until the vegetables have softened and cooked, about 10 minutes.
- Add in the orzo, and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring often until the orzo is slightly browned.
- Add the broth, beans and kale and increase the heat to high. Reduce heat to low then simmer for 8 minutes, until orzo is just tender.
- While the orzo is cooking, make the pesto.
- Place the cashews, kale, garlic, lemon juice, zest and salt in a food processor and pulse until very finely chopped. With the motor running, add the olive oil until a creamy paste forms.
- Stir 2/3 of the pesto into the soup, along with a little more lemon juice. Taste, adjust for seasoning if needed, then serve.
- To serve, divide soup into bowls, then top with remaining pesto. I like this with grated parm and red pepper flakes on top!
Nutrition
Serving: 1servingCalories: 609kcalCarbohydrates: 65gProtein: 16gFat: 33gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 23gSodium: 1589mgPotassium: 826mgFiber: 9gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 5402IUVitamin C: 24mgCalcium: 164mgIron: 5mg