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    You are here: Home / Soups / 20 Minute Vegetable Orzo Pesto Soup

    LAST UPDATED: December 20, 2021 • FIRST PUBLISHED: March 2, 2015

    20 Minute Vegetable Orzo Pesto Soup

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    pesto_soup_featured
    It's March already. Almost spring. I tend to prefer the cooler months, so I can't say I'm super psyched about this, but I do always feel a little perked up around this time of year when we start getting a bit more daylight. I got really excited this weekend when I realized it was 6PM and not yet dark. We had a coating of snow fall on the same day. Snow and sunshine are best when combined, if you ask me. The thing about the short days in winter is that I just get soooooo tired. Having my alarm go off in the morning when it's still dark out is not my cup of tea. And those days when at the end of the day, when it's been dark for a couple of hours but dinner still needs cooking...the worst.

    My energy level has picked up quite a bit over the last couple of weeks, and I guess this weekend I realized I could probably attribute that to the extra few hours of daylight. We've still got a ways to go though, and I still have my lazy days. That's where this soup comes in.

    Bowl of Orzo Veggie Soup on a Green Napkin
    I actually had this idea in mind for a while, figuring it would be a quick and easy soup that tasted like it required a lot of work to make. The beauty of this soup is that the flavor is all packed neatly into a few spoonfuls of pesto, so you don't have to go chopping and sautéeing onions and garlic and the like. If you're super lazy (as I am), you can even get pre-sliced mushrooms and carrots, and make this twenty minute soup into a fifteen minute soup.

    I made this on a night when I was exceptionally tired. in a fit of ambition that took place early in the day I bought a bunch of food to cook and blog. Come dinnertime, my excitement and energy had waned, and then I remembered that this was one of the dishes I'd intended to make, and that it promised to be exceptionally quick and easy. It was in fact super eary, and delicious to boot, and hearty enough for late winter, but packed with early spring veggie goodness.

    pesto_soup_portrait

    Bowl of Orzo and Veggie Soup with Spoon on the Side and Bread in the Background
    5 from 1 vote
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    20 Minute Veggie Orzo Pesto Soup

    This hearty vegetable pesto soup is made with carrots, peas and mushrooms simmered in a flavorful pesto broth with orzo pasta. It takes only 20 minutes to make!
    Prep Time 5 minutes
    Cook Time 15 minutes
    Total Time 20 minutes
    Servings 4
    Author Alissa Saenz

    Ingredients

    • 4 cups vegetable broth
    • 2 cups water
    • 8 oz. white button mushrooms cleaned and sliced
    • 2 medium carrots chopped
    • ½ cup orzo pasta
    • 1 ½ cup frozen peas thawed
    • 2 tbsp. vegan pesto store bought or homemade
    • 2 tbsp. lemon juice
    • salt and pepper to taste

    Instructions

    1. Place broth and water in large saucepan or stock pot and bring to a simmer. Add mushrooms and carrots. Lower heat and simmer for 7 minutes.
    2. Add orzo and simmer until fully cooked and veggies are tender, about 8 minutes.
    3. Stir in peas, pesto, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Taste test and adjust as needed. Ladle into bowls and serve.

    Recipe Notes

    Be sure to taste test and adjust to your preference, as different varieties of vegetable broth and pesto can vary a lot in flavor intensity.


    pesto_soup_detail

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    About Alissa Saenz

    Hi, I'm Alissa! I'm a former attorney turned professional food blogger. I love creating vegan recipes with bold flavors! You can read more about me here.

    I'd love to connect with you on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Irina says

      March 03, 2015 at 2:10 pm

      I was going home when i saw this fresh soup recipe and decided to give it a try!
      It's summer here in Brazil, but i felt i was getting a flu... soup looked like a good idea!
      I added a chili, some ginger, an extra splash o lemon and some sesame seed oil for some extra flu-fighting power.
      what a wonderful and easy soup!
      my mom was well impressed with my ability to put one together in 30 minutes with no pressure cooker in sight!
      keep them coming!
      love your blog!

      Reply
    2. Chery says

      March 05, 2015 at 9:02 pm

      So is it 15mins or 20? :)

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        March 05, 2015 at 10:12 pm

        Oops! Thank you - fixed it! Or maybe I just meant 15 minutes cook time, 20 with prep. ;)

        Reply
    3. Natasha B says

      December 02, 2018 at 11:07 am

      5 stars
      Hello,
      We have found so many family favorites thanks to you. This soup is one of them. It’s packed full of flavor. It’s healthy and best of all it’s easy to make.
      You’re a great resource and I really appreciate it.
      Thank you,
      Natasha

      Reply
      • Alissa Saenz says

        December 03, 2018 at 6:13 pm

        Thank you so much Natasha! I'm so glad you like the recipes and enjoyed this one!

        Reply

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    Hi, I'm Alissa! I'm a former attorney turned professional food blogger. I love creating vegan recipes with bold flavors!

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