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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This is a favorite when I have dinner parties. I like to use several zucchini and I saute them at the beginning with the carrots, onion and celery to enhance the flavor. I don’t use the peas. Also, I make my own almond pesto and stir it straight into the soup pot making it easier at a party instead of everyone adding their own. Very good recipe!
OMG – I am addicted to this soup and I’ve tried almost all of your soup recipes. Made this in the summer and I ate the leftovers every day. Love the way the orzo plumps up after sitting awhile. The soup is even better the second day. I put the pesto in the entire pot of soup, as one reviewer mentioned and we liked the flavor best.
I’ve made a big pot of this soup twice and plan on making more. The base is light, making it a good soup for summer. I’ve served it both hot and cold and it was delicious both ways. Seasoning is perfect.
Delicious! Homemade pesto is definitely the key to this soup’s awesome flavor. I omitted the orzo and added chickpeas for a filling meal, and also sliced up jalepeño and added in last five minutes because I like spicy! This soup is an excellent vehicle for summer farmers’ market fare!
Hi, the recipe is good. I will definitely try because it is vegetarian. Can I add vegetable stock instead of chicken stock. ?
What is orzo and where can I get it from? Is it vegetarian?
Hi Shilpa, Yes, you can definitely use vegetable stock here. Orzo is a type of pasta that is shaped like grains of rice (and it is vegetarian). Enjoy!
I made this soup already 2x, because we love it soooooo much!!!! I didn’t know it will be this good, and since i have some pesto saved up in the freezer, this is an easy breezy recipe full of deliciousness!!!! THanks so much, Jen for sharing with us! 🙂
Lovely soup, i made it for Ramadan dinner for a family and they all loved it! I already had some Pine-nut pesto at home, so i used it with that, instead of Walnut pesto, but it was one of the most delicious soups (and easiest to make) that i have ever made! Thank you Jenn!
Would this soup be good with shredded chicken? Thanks.
Definitely 🙂
Hi Jenn !
I love this soup recipe,and have made it numerous times; it always receives accolades 😊
Wanted to share today I did a couple things differently, and enjoyed it just as much!
When adding the tomato paste,I also smashed a few handfuls of cherry tomatoes (leftover from making your Israeli salad recipe a few days ago),and sautéed into the soup. At that point, I had a medium sized piece of Parmesan I purchased from our deli (with rind), and left it to simmer in the soup. I skipped doing the pesto this time. But all vegetables we’re still included.
When I served the soup, I put in each bowl, julienned fresh spinach leaves. They “wilted” nicely.
The garnish was a squeeze of fresh lemon juice (I know it sounds weird, but it’s really good!), and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
Thank you
Thank you for all your inspiration! With all the craziness in our world, your cookbooks & website are a real mood lifter 😊.
Thanks again,
Lisa
BTW: for dessert this evening,I made your chocolate mousse recipe 😊I’ve made it so many times at this point, I’ve memorized it!!!
💗
The Summer Vegetable Soup with Pesto is a flavorful yet light soup, perfect for warm weather. We enjoy the flavors of fresh pesto made from homegrown basil and it “makes” this soup.
I just made this today and it was excellent! I used my homemade chicken stock and pesto – a perfect use for them and all the veg from the market. The soup was outstanding! Thank you.