Vegetable Soup with Pesto
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Whip up a simple, garden-fresh vegetable soup topped with pesto and Parmigiano-Reggiano—perfect for cool summer nights, early fall, or comfort on a rainy day.
Broth-based vegetable soup recipes can sometimes feel a bit “meh,” but this one is far from it. It’s filled to the brim with fresh garden goodness — zucchini, peas, carrots, and celery — and the addition of zesty pesto sauce and Parmigianno-Reggiano cheese at serving time really ramps up the flavor. The soup also includes a bit of orzo, a tiny, rice-shaped pasta, ensuring it is not only wholesome but also satisfying. You can serve the soup as a light standalone meal with garlic bread or pair it with gooey grilled cheese sandwiches, a margherita pizza, or khachapuri.
What’s really great is how quick and easy it is to prepare. Once you’ve got your veggies chopped, you’re only 25 minutes away from a comforting, healthy dinner. And if making your own pesto isn’t on the agenda, no worries—a good-quality store-bought version works just fine.
Table of Contents
“This soup is over-the-top good. I made your garlic bread. Oh my. We had a great dinner tonight!”
What You’ll Need To Make Vegetable Soup With Pesto
- Onions, Carrots, Celery: This classic trio, often referred to as the “mirepoix,” provides a flavorful base for the soup and plenty of substance.
- Tomato Paste: Deepens the soup’s flavor with its concentrated, tangy sweetness.
- Chicken Broth: The liquid base of the soup that lends savory depth of flavor. Feel free to substitute vegetable broth for a vegetarian version.
- Orzo: This small, rice-shaped pasta adds a delightful texture and substance to the soup, making it more filling and satisfying.
- Zucchini and Frozen Peas: These vegetables add a mild, slightly sweet flavor and substance, as well as a pop of color. See variations below for more veggie options.
- Pesto: A rich, herby dimension that elevates the soup, adding tons of flavor.
- Parmigiano-Reggiano: Adds a nutty, salty finish that complements the pesto and enriches the soup’s flavor. For even more flavor, toss a parmesan rind in with the soup, then remove it before serving.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots and celery.
Cook, stirring often, until the onions are soft and translucent and the vegetables are partially cooked, about 10 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste.
Cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes more, then add the chicken broth, salt, black pepper and bay leaves.
Bring to a gentle boil, then add the orzo. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 8 minutes.
Add the zucchini and frozen peas.
Adjust the heat to bring back to a simmer and cook until the orzo is cooked and all the vegetables are tender-crisp, about 2 minutes more. Remove the bay leaves. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
Ladle the vegetable soup into bowls and garnish with a heaping tablespoon of pesto and grated Parmesan cheese. Pass more pesto and cheese at the table.
Variations
This vegetable soup is incredibly versatile and perfect for using up whatever you have on hand. Feel free to mix and match your favorite veggies—potatoes, diced tomatoes, green beans, corn, baby spinach, or kale are all great additions. You can swap out the pasta for chickpeas or white beans for a bit of extra protein, or throw in any other leftover veggies you have in the fridge that you need to use up. And if you have fresh herbs on hand, like thyme, rosemary or parsley, feel free to toss them in for added depth of flavor.
Make-Ahead Instructions
This soup can be made up to 3 days ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container. However, keep in mind that the orzo can absorb the broth and become mushy if left in the soup for too long. If you plan to make the soup ahead, I suggest cooking the orzo separately and storing in a separate container. When ready to serve, reheat the soup gently, then stir in the orzo. The soup can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Defrost the soup in the refrigerator overnight and then reheat it on the stovetop over medium heat until hot. Keep in mind that the orzo may soak up some of the broth while in the freezer and become a bit mushy. If necessary, thin the soup out with a bit of water or broth when reheating.
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Vegetable Soup with Pesto
Whip up a simple, garden-fresh vegetable soup topped with pesto and Parmigiano-Reggiano—perfect for cool summer nights, early fall, or comfort on a rainy day.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 small yellow onions, chopped
- 2 carrots, cut into ¼-inch pieces
- 2 celery stalks, cut into ¼-inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- ⅔ cup orzo
- 1 small zucchini, cut into ¼-inch pieces
- 1 cup frozen peas
- ½ cup homemade or store bought pesto
- Hunk of Parmigiano-Reggiano, for grating over soup
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots and celery and cook, stirring often, until the onions are soft and translucent and the vegetables are partially cooked, about 10 minutes. Do not brown; lower the heat if necessary. Stir in the tomato paste and cook, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes more.
- Add the chicken broth, salt, pepper and bay leaves and bring to a gentle boil. Add the orzo, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 8 minutes. Add the zucchini and frozen peas. Adjust the heat to bring back to a simmer and cook until the orzo is al dente and the vegetables are all tender-crisp, about 2 minutes more. Remove the bay leaves. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary (keep in mind that the soup will taste a bit bland before the pesto and Parmigiano-Reggiano are added).
- Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with a heaping tablespoon of pesto and grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. Pass more pesto and cheese at the table.
- Make-Ahead/Freezing Instructions: The can be made up to 3 days ahead of time. However, keep in mind that the orzo will absorb the broth and become mushy if left in the soup for too long. If you plan to make the soup ahead, I suggest cooking the orzo separately and storing in a separate container. When ready to serve, reheat the soup gently, then stir in the orzo. Leftover soup can be frozen for up to 3 months. Defrost the soup in the refrigerator overnight and then reheat it on the stovetop over medium heat until hot. (Keep in mind that the orzo may soak up some of the broth while in the freezer and become a bit mushy. If necessary, thin the soup out with a bit of water or broth when reheating.)
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (6 servings)
- Calories: 215
- Fat: 9g
- Saturated fat: 2g
- Carbohydrates: 26g
- Sugar: 6g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 11g
- Sodium: 727mg
- Cholesterol: 1mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Comments
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I made it today to greet my boss and his friends after an afternoon sailing in Martha’s Vineyard!
I got a lot of compliments and I am the worst cook ever.
You made my day!
So glad, Eleonora! Thanks for letting me know 🙂
Perfect dish for a light dinner on a summer night. You must have good pesto but you really only need a heaping teaspoon for each bowl. The tablespoon that’s called for might overwhelm especially for younger palates. That being said, my four young daughters all ate it right up and even tried the zucchini which usually gets left behind in any dish I add it to.
My husband liked the white bean ragout from this site better but would be happy to have this one again.
Delicious. I made it exactly as directed and am very pleased with the results. I will absolutely make it again this summer.
I find most vegetable soups a little bland. This one has a heartier flavor. I like the addition of peas and zucchini. The pesto garnish adds a fresh taste at the end.
I just made this recipe for my family and they loved it! I made a couple of tweeks, I added some fresh green beans and instead of adding the pesto to each bowl, I added a 1/4 cup to the soup with the zucchini. My 16 year old said it was the best soup she’s ever had and liked it so much she brought it to school the next day to share with her friends. That’s how much she loved it!
I just made this for the family tonight – carrots, onions and zucchini all came from our garden plus tomato pulp/juice left over from canning. Amazing! The pesto adds so much flavour. Two thumbs up from my 7-y.o. son!
Thanks, Reno. A thumbs up from your seven-year-old is a big compliment!
Light and tasty. Made heartier with the addition of chicken.
Very good – added two cloves of minced garlic to the veggies
Jennifer, we have added this recipe to our regular rotation – it’s a keeper! The first time we made it, we still had fresh basil in the garden. Later in the fall and winter when we are craving a fresh veggie soup, we break in to my stash of frozen pesto from the freezer. ( I discovered the beauty of freezing homemade pesto in an ice cube tray and then tossing the frozen cubes in a freezer bag.)
The colorful mix of vegetables is fantastic and as delicious to eat as it is to look at.
Hi Liesel,
I just read your review.
Thank you for your tip if freezing homemade pesto in ice cube trays!
Thanks to your tip,I’ll be doing that also😊
Thanks again …
Lisa
Great recipe. I’ll add some parmesan rind while it’s simmering. And, of course, use cut green beans instead of the peas. The flavor and texture are different, but I like it fine.