Pesto Orzo White Bean Soup
Updated Nov 02, 2025, Published on Nov 18, 2022
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This pesto orzo white bean soup is the fifth recipe in my Fall Soup Series! It’s so comforting, but not too heavy. It’s full of veggies, orzo, and some delicious flavorful pesto mixed in right at the end. Homemade pesto is delicious, but if you’re in a hurry, I love the Costo refrigerated basil pesto!
This soup is very customizable. It would be great with some shredded chicken if you want a protein. It would also be delicious with spinach or kale rather than arugula. I had some fennel on hand so I added some diced fennel to the soup and topped with the fennel fronds, but I think this soup would still work well without the fennel. Feel free top with the fresh herbs of your choice if you don’t use the fennel fronds.
Be sure to check out the other soup recipes in my Fall Soup Series as well!
- Creamy Tuscan Chicken Orzo Soup
- Easy Tomato Soup
- Peanut Butter Miso Noodle Soup
- Chicken Tikka Masala Soup
If you try out this recipe, please rate/comment!
Pesto Orzo White Bean Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 Fennel , dice the bulb; reserve the fennel fronds to garnish
- Kosher Salt, to taste
- 1 Shallot, thinly sliced
- 4 cloves Garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes, optional; adjust to taste
- 5 cups Chicken Broth, or broth of choice
- 1 can White Beans, I used a 15.5 oz can of Great Northern Beans; drained and rinsed
- teaspoon Black Pepper, to taste
- 3/4 cup Orzo Pasta, uncooked
- 1/2 Lemon, additional to serve
- 1/2 cup Basil Pesto, homemade or store bought
- 3 cups Arugula, can also use spinach or kale
- Parmesan Cheese, freshly grated to serve
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a Dutch Oven or large pot over medium heat. Add the diced fennel bulb and cook for 5 minutes until softened, stirring occasionally. Season with a pinch of salt. Add the shallot, garlic, and optional red pepper flakes. Cook for another 2-3 minutes, stirring often.
- Pour in the broth, drained/rinsed white beans, and season to taste with black pepper. Bring to a boil. Add the uncooked orzo. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes or until the orzo is cooked through, stirring occasionally.
- Turn the heat to low. Squeeze in the lemon juice and add the basil pesto. Stir to combine. Finally, add the arugula and stir to combine. The arugula should wilt right away.
- Serve immediatly. Top with fennel fronds, additional lemon juice, and parmesan cheese as desired.
Video
@carolbeecooks Next recipe in my Fall Soup Series will be this Pesto Orzo White Bean Soup 🤍 so comforting on a cold day! #soup #souptok #orzo #pesto
♬ original sound – Carolyn | Easy Recipes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
