20 Minute Vegetable Orzo Pesto Soup

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.

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.

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.