Creamy White Bean Lemon Pesto Orzo Soup
Yesterday, in honor of World Kindness Day, I participated in the KindWorks Soup-Making Event. To begin with, KindWorks is an incredible (local to me) non-profit that promotes volunteerism. True to their motto “building community, one act at a time,” KindWorks organizes volunteers to set-up homes for arriving refugee families (everything from securing donations, delivering furniture, making beds and filling the refrigerator with comfort food); hosts birthday parties at local women’s shelters; delivers casseroles to the food insecure; and this is just the tip of the iceberg. If there is a need in Montgomery County, Maryland, KindWorks will find a way to fill it.
KindSoup For The Soul is a program that takes place weekly over Zoom, Mondays from 5:30-6:30pm. This means that every one of you can participate! The way it works is pretty simple. In advance of the video session, you shop for the soup and then for that hour each Monday you cook along with the host, enjoying some conversation or just listening in. By the end of the session, you have dinner for yourself or your family and enough to share any way that you choose. You can deliver to an elderly neighbor or a friend who recently had a baby. If you live in an area that has free, outdoor, community refrigerators, you can drop your frozen quarts there; or you can share with a shelter that accepts food donations. All KindWorks asks is that you label the containers with any allergens, meat or dairy (there’s a label you can download from their website) and that you click a link on their page dokindworks.org to report how many quarts you shared and where so that they can keep track of this KINDdemic. I plan to deliver my soup to two local fire stations, the one nearest my home and the station that my son, Kyle, volunteered at during high school.
Before I move on to the recipe, I should mention that there will not be a KindSoup for the Soul zoom session tonight because of yesterday’s special event (and not to name drop but Katie Ledecky, the world’s greatest female swimmer, did join us!) but the program continues next Monday and there’s a full schedule of past and future soup recipes on the KindWorks website. I am looking forward to hosting one in the near future and of course, I will let you know when in advance.
Creamy White Bean Lemon Pesto Orzo Soup…if you’ve been following along here at Sly Rooster, you may have a guess as to where this recipe is from. The insanely long title is the giveaway that it’s a Half Baked Harvest recipe and the other thing that this should tell you is that it’s going to be delicious and deceptively simple. I did a little garlic smashing, shallot chopping and kale slicing before the Zoom event and I was literally left with some can opening during the cooking session. As was mentioned last night, soup is by nature incredibly forgiving. Don’t love kale, use spinach. Can’t find orzo, use ditalini (just use a little less, as I learned from experience). The soup is vegetarian by design but if you prefer chicken broth, go for it. And the dairy (a splash of milk) can be replaced by coconut milk and you can omit the cheese and replace the butter if a vegan meal is your objective. Bottom line is that this soup is delicious, crowd-pleasing and extremely adaptable.
So go ahead and make Creamy White Bean Lemon Pesto Orzo Soup today and visit dokindworks.org so that you are ready to join the KINDdemic when it resumes next Monday, November 21. Enjoy!
A couple of notes: I kept the recipe quantities to serve a crowd with the hope that you are inclined to share. If you prefer to make a single batch, click on the recipe title link above and it will take you to the Half Baked Harvest website. Also, this soup is meant to be thick, even somewhat like a creamy pasta, but it will get too thick as it sits or once refrigerated. So be sure to add some additional broth or a splash of water when reheating.
Creamy White Bean Lemon Pesto Orzo Soup
Ingredients
- 3 Tbls olive oil
- 3 shallots chopped
- 12 cloves garlic smashed
- red pepper flakes to taste
- 6 Tbls salted butter
- 6 cups dry orzo pasta
- 18 c low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
- 3 cans white beans drained and rinsed
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1.5 bunches kale finely shredded
- 1.5 c basil pesto
- 1.5 c whole milk or full fat canned coconut milk I used coconut milk
- 3 c grated Parmesan cheese I used about half that
- 3 lemons zest and juice
- fresh dill, basil or parsley, chopped optional for serving
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in your largest pot over medium-high heat. Add the shallot, garlic, and chili flakes and cook until fragrant, about 5 minutes.
- Drop in the butter, then stir in the orzo. Cook until golden, 3-5 minutes. Pour in the broth and bring to a boil over high heat. Season with salt and pepper.
- Stir in the beans and kale. Season with salt and pepper. If you have one, add a parmesan rind. Simmer 8-10 minutes until the orzo is al dente, stirring often. It should become very creamy.
- Stir in the pesto, milk, parmesan, and lemon zest and juice, cook another few minutes until warmed through.
- Divide the orzo and broth among bowls and top with some fresh dill, parsley, or basil if using.